Runway Controllers and the Runway Caravan

[ACW342]

Is there, I wonder, an appetite for "stories from the ‘van' courtesy of all you Runway Controllers out there (RWC). A caveat though, my last shift in a caravan was at Leeming in April ’91 so there might be the odd “misrembering” but things seem to stay fairly solid in your mind after pilots try various methods of trying to kill you, not least of all by a nearly successful attempt (within 3’, measured) utilising the APPROACH end barrier.

Although not formally trained as Air Traffic Controllers, Runway Controllers (RWC) can, (and have countless times) avert almost certain disaster in relation to aircraft departing or arriving. In my time (1969 - 1991) the RWC was a Corporal and his workstation was a caravan mounted on a three tonner (or similar) chassis. If I remember rightly my first caravan was mounted on a Commer vehicle.

The Caravan was sited, according to the AP, on the left side of the runway, 150' from the threshold and 75' from the edge. It was fitted with two Aldis Lamps, with red and green filters, two 40mm Verey pistols, both ALWAYS loaded with red cartridges (but safe/broken) and a pair of 7 or 10x50 binoculars. Comms were usually a Hadley "squawk" box, a phone and a U/VHF box. Strangely enough, while were permitted to fire off signal cartridges to our hearts content, we were not permitted to transmit on the R/T. I can't remember why but I did, on rare occasions, use it when I thought the situation warranted it. Most importantly the caravan had an electric kettle, and on later models both Air Conditioning and a 'fridge.

The Air Con was most definitely needed in the middle of a hot summer when you consider that the RWC was working in what was essentially a greenhouse. The latter caravans also had roof mounted fittings for two Verey pistols which meant that they could be not only permanently loaded but ready to fire. And, of course, being on rotating rings they could swiftly be brought to bear on those pesky aeroplanes trying to sneak up on you from behind!

So that was the work area. But what about the job itself. A RWC had to educate her or himself not only on the station aircraft but also visiting aircraft i.e. panels that should closed, orifices that could be open or closed, holes that could drip and places and things that most certainly should NOT drip, lights that should be on etc, etc. This is where the binoculars come in. Depending on the airfield and the taxiways you would either get a view of both sides of the aircraft as it passed you on the far side of the runway and turned right onto the runway. If the aircraft was approaching from your left you would only get a view of the left hand side. I don’t have any recollection of an airfield where the caravan was on the right hand side but, either way, sometimes you got to inspect both sides of an aircraft, sometimes only one side.

There are countless stories out there about ‘things’ happening, as viewed from the caravan and, of course, aircraft sometimes got a bit bigger in the window than they should have. It is nice though when a case of something alcoholic arrives courtesy of the pilot who you stopped from making an arse of himself through forgetting the Dunlops or trying to land on a populated runway while forgetting to overshoot from a “Continue” clearance. I never did though, get anything from Staneval when he tried to land gear up with a reporter from a well known flying magazine in the back seat.

I hope other RWC’s will add to this. There are, i’m sure, lots of interesting stories out there, and most probably a lot with a flight safety slant that is still relevant today. I’ll finish this off with a recollection about a man I had a lot of respect for. A 4 ship of Jags (White section, IIRC) on the runway for departure and a further four ship (Rose section?) awaiting line up. While inspecting White 2 I noticed a lot of fluid on the ground below the a/c. I called a hold on the Hadley box and informed local what I could see. When the local controller informed White 2 the reason for the hold, Rose Lead transmitted that it was fuel streaming from the “Donkey Dick” (Jag cognoscenti will know what that is). When I offered a forcefully contrary opinion, I was overruled by the duty pilot (the morning stream was building up by now with at least another three sections citing their turn) and White section was cleared to take off. I should mention here that it had been raining and there was quit a bit of standing water on the runway.

After about 20 minutes all the morning aircraft had launched so I obtained clearance to go out onto the runway and check that particular pool of liquid. I touched it, smelt it and dragged my almost empty pack of No6 fags through it. When back in the caravan I called local on the Hadley box and asked if the duty pilot was listening. On hearing that he was I asked him what colour fuel was. He replied “any colour I wanted other than red” sure enough my packet of No6 was covered in hydraulic fluid. The duty pilot initiated a recall for White 2 on Guard. Whilst recovering to base White 2 declared a pan call with Clutch Radar with a Hyd. 2 failure. Shortly thereafter I was awarded my first “Good show” by the pilot concerned up in Local in the tower, and enjoyed a couple of glasses of bubbly stuff with him and SATCO and took another one home to share with my wife.

Cheers Rocky, we both thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Cows getting bigger]

Slightly more light-hearted, Mrs CGB tells me that she had occasion to fire-off a red one day at Cranwell. The flare did it's job and then dutifully drifted downwind, setting fire to the wheat field in the undershoot and closing the airfield whilst the RAF's finest firefighters dealt with a rather large crop fire. :)

[Green Flash]

Not a trafficer, but I saw the remains of a caravan after the controller somehow fired a Very INSIDE the greenhouse :eek: She was found curled up in a ball under the table and the inside of the office looked like it had been cluster bombed, scorch marks all over the place. Somehow, she was completely unscathed, although she didn't go back to RWC again.

[NutLoose]

Saw a Jag off in Deci, several going to a pis...... Errr... meet and greet the locals in Gib, on walk round noticed hydraulic fluid on the underside of the door, rigger Chief cleared it, after start up checked again and was dripping, gave him signal to shut down as rest departed... Talk about spitting his dummy out.... Door opened and full of fluid... Probably would have ended up swimming.


Well done on the Good show, got one, was getting put in for three in total, though laziness meant paperwork never got processed, but end of the day, I was doing my job... One that even surprised me was when hopping over the spine from one side of the aircraft to the other stub wing on a VC10 and seeing a crack in the skin on the fin, it wasn't the fact it was cracked, it was the fact it was about 3 foot long lol

Bruggen we also had a guy check them before they departed the Sqn site, I did call up ATC once while waiting at the lights at the end of the runway as the Jag departing went overhead with the airbrakes out!


..

[Ken Scott]

Departed from Cottersmore (Tornado base) in a C130 many Moons ago, a bit of a crosswind so had a touch of into-wind aileron. We aborted for something minor & taxied around for another go when we had a call from ATC - the caravan was reporting that '3 of our flaperons were down & one was up'.

[Danny42C]

ACW342 (#1),
"Is there, I wonder, an appetite for "stories from the ‘van' ?" - Yes, there is - Bring it on ! (we're all going to enjoy ourseleves hugely with this - or I'm a Dutchman). For openers:
"...in my time (1969 - 1991) ..... my last shift in a caravan was at Leeming in April ’91..." I deduce that you spent '69-'72 at Leeming.

I was a Controller at Leeming and later a Supervisor and deputy SATCO from 1967 till retirement at end of 1972. I take it we were both there '69 -'72 ? In that case, my callsign should identify me to you.

According to my F 5994, my SATCOs were Sqn Ldrs Talton at the start (we had been Instructors together at the School at Shawbury), and Randell (I am not sure of the reading of that signature, my memory of names is terrible, and getting worse - perhaps you can help, is that right ?)
..."with Clutch Radar"... So RAF(G) ? I was at Geilenkirchen '60-'62. Your dates in Germany ?

Tons more, but will keep till later.


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Cows getting bigger (#2),

The farmers also started fires to burn off the stubble. At Leeming, the smoke often drifted across the A1 and disrupted traffic.

As it was (presumably) a big crop fire, and important to put it out ASAP, ATC would've committed both primary and standby crews and vehicles to the task (what was the local brigade doing, it was their responsibility, not yours ?) and so the airfield could not operate.

No blame to the RWC ...... "the wind bloweth where it listeth".


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Green Flash (#3),
..."She was found curled up in a ball under the table and the inside of the office looked like it had been cluster bombed, scorch marks all over the place. Somehow, she was completely unscathed"...Wrote a Post once (cannot trace it now) based on a Tee Emm story from WWII. No aircraft movements, some airmen were larking about in the top tower. One got hold of the Verey pistol, did not check if it was loaded (it was) or if the safety catch was on (it wasn't). A WAAF got the flare in her mouth, and died a horrible death.

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Much more on the stocks.

Cheers to all, Danny42C.

[Shackman]

Thank you to the RWC at Acklington who prevented my (at that time quite short) flying career coming to an abrupt end. Thank you also to the QFIs who insisted that all the students did solo circuits on New Years Day whilst they (the QFIs) suffered from mighty hangovers and hid in the coffee bar (no such thing as Christmas/New Year standdowns in those days - 2 days was yer lot!).

[MPN11]

From the air conditioned comfort of the Tower, I'll just say "Bless them all". I have no RWC tales to tell, but was alway grateful that they were there.

We didn't have a Caravan at Tengah. You would have thought that would have been essential on such a busy, multi-type, airfield. Perhaps it would have been impossibly hot? And so it fell to me, at a range of about 2,500 yards, to spot the lack of wheels on an approaching Hunter and invite him to overshoot ... ;)

[chevvron]

Our RWC at Farnborough used to monitor the PAR frequency (243.9) even when PAR was not being used. One day he reported he'd heard Nugget 63 (based Canberra) call Mayday wth a double flameout.
'63 was at that time over the Bay of Biscay (it was an MRF aircraft) and had transmitted on 243.0.
By the way, '63 got one re- lit and landed safely at French AF base.

[Danny42C]

ACW342 (#1),
...after pilots try various methods of trying to kill you...
No doubt about it, you were in an exposed and hazardous position. After all, 75 ft from the runway edge is well within the "margin of error" of most 'Bloggs', and as I have previously noted here somewhere: "the sight of a Hastings on approach coming at you in a bumpy crosswind, wallowing about like a galleon in a heavy sea, is enough to make the stoutest heart quail". No surprise that the weaker brethren ran for their lives, or sought refuge under the caravan !

Yet I believe there were remarkably few collisions (wasn't there a Vulcan crash which wrote off the caravan en passant, as it were ?) To balance that, you saved many an aircraft from disaster by spotting "something wrong" when they were stationary at Marshalling point outside your door. The fact that you sometimes raised 'false alarms' was accepted as normal by all sensible pilots, who appreciated that you were only trying to help them, if only mistakenly.

As I have told you in response to your PM, we lectured our baby Controllers at Shawbury thus; "Your Corporal in the caravan is a pain in the bum to you 364 days in the year. On the 365th, he is worth his weight in gold !" - he is the Local Controller's "long-stop": the best of us make mistakes, a second pair of eyes is always valuable, and sometimes priceless.

"Electric Kettles and Air Con" - where did you get the power from ? Obviously the site was wired up, but as you had to change ends with the runway you would have to break the connection (and pull up an earthing spike) every time. Stirs memories of the old MPN-1 "Bendix" GCA trucks, mostly self contained with their own diesel-electric sets, but some (never met one myself) reliant on the dreaded "100 Amp Socket", lying balefully in the wet grass, waiting for some unsuspecting new Radar mech to plug in his Hundred Amp Plug (and producing a dazzling pyrotechnic display and a bit of a tingle even if he were wearing rubber gloves and gum boots). As with the old radars, the very first Vital Action (after you'd got power) was to Put the Kettle On, and brew-up !

Needless to say, in Shawbury's "Mock Control" scenarios, you could always rely on the "Runway Controller" to but in at some point to try to throw the wretched student "off his stride", as it were. Added to the realism.

Surprised to hear that you got no formal training for the job (and certainly no extra pay). It was like the "Tracker" in the old MPN-1 Bendix GCA, who was doing every bit as skilled and as responsible work as the (officer) Talkdown beside whom (and feeding Glide Path information to) he sat in the Truck. They were (in my day) just ATC Assistants who learned "on the job".

Could go on for ages, but you'll have plenty more Posts on this, I'd think.

Cheers, Danny.

[Onceapilot]

I think the caravan wipe-out was the Syerston Vulcan disaster, 3 killed on the ground /caravan. :sad:
There are a few tales of caravan evacuations. One was the Wildenrath F4 ripping the barrier out and flying about with it. :ooh:
I think the caravan crew certainly deserved danger money but, I bet they never got it! Thanks to all you caravan RWC's!

OAP

[Danny42C]

Funny (?) Story in which Runway Control Caravan plays a minor part (excerpt from my Post on "Pilot's Brevet" p.205 #4085).

...It was mid-morning at Strubby and things were rather quiet for the moment. The NAAFI van had made its welcome way round most of the sections on the South side of the runway, and now set out round the taxiway to cater for the few people on the other side. Frankly, I can't think of many: the D/F operators in their hut, maybe some electricians working on the lights, and of course the GCA trucks (self-catering, but there might be some cigarette sales).

Now of course all MT traffic wishing to cross the runway must do so at the (live) threshold end, not passing marshalling point until getting an Aldis "green" from the Caravan. A Meteor was half way round on finals, our van was coming up to the point, the Runway Control Corporal flashed it a "red", the van ignored it and continued serenely on its way across the bows of the Meteor which by now was on short finals.

Caravan banged off a red Verey, but the pilot already had the van in sight, "poured the coal on", veered right and went around, the while expressing himself forcibly to our Local Controller on the subject of Runway Controllers in general and ours in particular. He in turn was on his squawk box to the Tower, equally volubly protesting his innocence.

Local Controller sent the ATC Landrover in hot pursuit of the offender, caught it and escorted it back round to ATC, where an immediate interview with SATCO had been arranged.

The young lady (who drove the van herself, as well as dishing out the "char and wads") seemed not unduly perturbed. The dialogue went as follows:

"Why didn't you stop when you saw the red light ? ......
"What red light ?...
"The red light from the Caravan !"....
"What Caravan ? .....
"The one at the end of the Runway !"......
"What's a Runway ?"....

It seemed that, as a new girl, she had been inadequately briefed by the Manageress !

SATCO realised that he'd got a "Right One Here", and launched into a long and detailed exposition of the Regulations which had to be obeyed When Crossing a Live Runway...."Do you realise how important all this is, Miss ?..... Are you sure ?..... Is there anything you don't quite understand ?"

"Yes", said she, in an aggrieved tone, "Do I have to know all this for three pounds a week ?"
"Collapse" (as Victorian "Punch" used to say) "of Stout Party". :ugh:

Danny.

[5aday]

It was the laziest job in trade group 9 and Marham was a prime example. RW 24 was almost a permanent sleeping watch and RW06 was an armchair watch. 1st at supper and last back again.
I'm really pleased I avoided it by going to Topcliffe for NCO Aircrew training.

[chevvron]

Lindholme, fog rolling in from Hatfield Moor and just getting dark. RWC awaiting stand down.
Suddenly a knock on the door, but no vehicle seen to drive up. Looks out of window and sees a shapeless white mass. Bearing in mind stories of 'Lindholme Willy', he bursts out of the door and legs it away across the airfield.
It was a USAF F100 pilot who had banged out, landed on the airfield, collected up his parachute and trying to find his way off the airfield, found the caravan instead!

[ian16th]

Bearing in mind stories of 'Lindholme Willy', he bursts out of the door and legs it away across the airfield.


Have my crew come back yet?

[ACW342]

Danny,
With reference to Leeming, I was there, not as a RWC, '81 to almost '84 whereupon I got a really great posting to SCFCU at Benson and the finest Flt Lt. I've ever met, (and who I hope is still with us) and his greeting to all, be it the lowest or highest in the service of "You F*c*ng Wanchors"

The second tour was '90-'91 and the ferry back home to civvy street and a mortgage paid for by Auntie Betty, God bless her. . The most entertaining incident at Leeming was when a Sqn Cdr (no sqn numbers- no pack drill!!) as No1 in a pairs approach to 16 landed perfectly on the numbers, thereby allowing the no.2 to land in the undershoot with a massive cloud of red dust, soil and pebbles. After arriving on the runway itself no.2 stopped fairly sharpish turned off the runway and proceeded at a lick back to dispersal completely ignoring the instructions of the duty pilot to stop and shut down! I have no knowledge of what transpired back at the dispersal but I bet there's someone out there who does. C'mon tell us all!

[Cornish Jack]

Swanton Morley, home to No 1 ASS (how unfortunate!!) and its fleets of Percival Prentii (Prentice plural:)) and the mighty Ansons. Set up for 'widget' training, these machines both incorporated trailing aerials - some hundreds of feet of fine wire at the outboard end of which was a collection of lead 'beads' - (7/6 fine if not present at sortie end!). Airfield perimeter was a wire strand fence, supported on wooden posts at intervals. Trailing aerial extension was required on most details and pre-landing checks were likely to be a bit compressed, trying to make that last couple of contacts. Result? - arrival over the hedge with trailing aerial meeting top fence wire and, finally, lead beads being forcefully removed and 'sprayed' at unfortunate caravan occupant!! Belated apologies on behalf of the culprits - not me, of course!!:O

[ACW342]

5ADAY,
Not so. Try a 24 hour shift in monitors on an MDA Week-End shift, For busy try, one armed paper hanging in the caravan during a survival scramble, counting 38 out but only 37 back.

[Danny42C]

ACW342 (#16),

Retired December 1972, so before your time, I'm afraid. But RWC stories are timeless ! Another one soon !

Danny.

[taxydual]

I was always a bit sceptical when it came to Good Shows and Caravan Controllers. I my view 99% of them handed out were for things the Caravanner was paid and trained to do and spot.

Only one award, in my 12 years as a RWC stood out.

Topliffe, the Bulldog and RNEFTS.

The RWC was new to Topcliffe and the Bulldog and had just been cleared to caravan solo.

A Bulldog taxied out and stopped at the holding point doing his pre-takeoff checks.

The RWC heard an unusual noise and informed the Local Controller over the Hadley Box.

The Local Controller informed the pilot of the RWC's observation. After a bit of too-ing and fro-ing, the aircraft returned to the Bulldog line and the Engineers.

The Engineers couldn't hear anything unusual, neither could the crew and the aircraft was behaving normally. So, the Bulldog taxied out again. At the holding point, the RWC heard the same unusual noise again and reported his observations to the Local Controller. In turn, the aircraft was informed.

This time the too-ing and fro-ing was a touch more vehement and 'subtle' comments were made as to the RWC's suitability both over RT and the Hadley Box.

To give him credit, despite being belittled by the Local Controller, the Instructor in the Bulldog as well as the Duty Instructor in Local, the RWC stuck to his guns, and seeing that the RT too-ing and fro-ing was all recorded, common sense kicked in and the Bulldog returned to the Line for a second time.

Whereupon it was discovered the the aircraft starter motor had not disengaged from the engine and was very close to meltdown.

How do I fit into the picture?
I was the one who cleared the new RWC fit solo.
I was in Local observing when all this occurred.
I was the one who informed SATCO Leeming (on the QT) as to what had happened.

As well as triggering, to my mind one, of the best Good Show awards given to a RWC, much good came of this incident. The realisation that the lone guy in the Caravan is not there just for his health................

[taxydual]

The sleepy hollow of the Vale of York. Early '80's.

Never was an airfield manned by so few and used by so few.

Two Controllers and two RWC's.

The two RWC's split the day, one worked the pre lunch shift, t'other slept the post Molly from the Feeder lunch.

The heady day's of a Dishforth summer, Radio 4 tuned to the test match special, the caravan armchair positioned outside the caravan to allow sunbathing. The clag from Teesside guaranteeing no horizons therefore minimal traffic.

Enter our hero. Luncheon taken, check. Sunshine, check. Armchair outside, check. Local frequency monitor volume to Max, check. Zed's time, double check.

Within minutes, out hero is in the land of nod.

However, due to the crappy weather, the DI at Leeming decides that Dishforth is surplus to requirements and can be stood down.

So MSig Butch W, the ATCO i/c gets the call to stack. OK he says Lets go home.

Buzz Buzz on the Hadley box to the caravan to tell him to up sticks. No reply. Buzz Buzz again, still no reply. A quick look the the binoculars to the 16 threshold shows our hero RWC fast asleep in the armchair slowly going pink in the hazy sunshine.

Bugger him, says Butch. And so the 3 awake guys go home.

Six hours later, our hero slowly awakens from the arms of Morpheus and re-mans the Caravan.

An hour later, Hmm it's getting gloomy he thinks and checks his wristwatch. BARSTEWARDS he cries. It's almost 2100 and he's due at the Leeming Bar Motel pumping fuel from midnight until 6am as his unofficial 'secondary duty'.

As an aside, this same guy, on his discharge, hired the PSI minibus (sans seating) to move his furniture from his AMQ to his new civvy abode. After his return, a week later, subsequent PSI minibus renters complained out the crappy performance of the said Sherpa minibus. Investigations revealed a different engine number however nothing could be proved.......................



Dishforth Tales continued

The Dishforth Caravan lived in 3 hangar and toddled to the thresholds of whichever runway was agreed on for that particular day. So the milometer hardly moved. OK the Carrier Bantam struggled to Boroughbridge garage for refuelling once a blue moon, but the milometer was barely exercised.

Then one day a telephone call. Leeming MT wanted the Caravan for a service. Would the Corporals deliver it to MT at Leeming on Friday cease flying and swap over to the Command Spare?

Come Friday stack time our two (different) hero's man the van and set off to drive the whatever miles up the A1 to Leeming.

Bearing in mind that the Caravan, at best, gained a mile per day and usually travelled at 15 mph, to give it the open road was asking a lot.

But onwards and upwards, and it was a Friday and bars were beginning to open, so best accelerator foot forward and slowly, slowly the old Carrier Bantam gained speed. After 5 miles or so the T's and P's were just reaching normal operating limits. We were just about to hit V1 (30mph) when all of a sudden we were enveloped in smoke and steam. A rapid abort on to Baldersby Services (convenient) was initiated, and abandonment commenced successfully.

It was decided that No 1 RWC would find a telephone to declare a Pan to Leeming MT whilst No 2 RWC would stand guard over this vital piece of UK Defence Equipment.

However, No 1 RWC returned, post haste, being chased by a rather large dog. No 1 RWC having opened the wrong gate.

No 2 RWC, in the meantime, safely ensconced in the cockpit of the Caravan, laughing like a drain at the predicament of RWC1 until RWC 1 opens the cockpit door allowing the dog unprecedented access to RWC2.

After much hand to paw fighting, RWC1 and RWC2 gain the upper hand (paw) and regain control of the cockpit of the Carrier Bantam and attempt a hot relight.

Thankfully, the only operational spark plug does it's thing and we manage to creep further northwards. Then a remarkable thing, all the plugs and cylinders got there act together and after much backfiring and smoke rings causing zero vis on the A1, we fare whizzed to Leeming.

On arriving in the MT yard, the duty gadge opened the door and moaned about the amount of dog hairs!

How we laughed.

Bob O'n**** where are you?

[taxydual]

Sat (laid out, really) dozing at the 34 end of Dishforth runway. The usual soporific afternoon shift in the Caravan post a 'Molly the Feeder' lunch. Air Traffic nil. Ground Traffic one.

A knock at the Caravan door. Enter one very excitable Chinaman. Self, suddenly awoken from a deep sleep and suitable armed with 40mm pistol to repel the Yellow Peril (OK, I appreciate PC, no offence intended).

Having calmed the guy down and having realised he wasn't the 1st Regiment of the Peoples Republic Shock Troops (or whatever) intent of invading Boroughbridge, nor was he offering No 32 and Fried Rice at a discount to Caravanners, I slowly twigged what he was yapping about was a Volvo 245 size hole in the airfield hedge that formed the boundary between the A1 southbound and RAF Dishforth.

To confirm my suspicions, there, 20 feet from the Caravan (and 300 feet of skid marks from the boundary hedge ) was a Maroon Volvo 245 Estate car which was occupied by half a dozen small Chinese people (ie children) who were rather upset to have there journey rudely interrupted by a 45 ton articulated vehicle nudging them through the boundary hedge of one of Her Majesties Premier Defence Sites.

Common sense prevailed.

Rather than alerting NATO to a possible invasion threat and bringing US Forces to DEFCON2 we decided to task Joe, the Airfield Electrician, to tow the rather battered Volvo and it's occupants off the Airfield and through the Dishforth main gates and freedom in the West. After that was accomplished, we could all go back to sleep.

[taxydual]

And of course this one that I posted on the Thread of Threads.

Danny

Your mention of Dishforth earlier, together with your experiences of S**tehawks, goats, rats etc

What about the Dishforth Swan? Does the following ring bells? It must have happened in your time in the Vale of York.

RAF Dishforth in the '70's. RLG for 3FTS Leeming. This particular day the weather was dog. Heavy rain, low cloudbase, the works.
Four AirTraffickers sat in Local playing uckers waiting for the stack word from Leeming. "Hey, look at that" pipes up one of the 4.

There, on finals to a very wet runway 16, was a swan. The swan drops it's undercarriage over the threshold and alights on what it thinks is a lovely stretch of river/canal/lake etc.

In a blur of white and a cloud of feathers the swan becomes worse off and ends in a crumpled heap on the runway. Apparently Cat 5.

Crash One is despatched to recover the 'remains'.

The Crash Crew collect the swan and take it back to the Crash Bay. A couple of minutes later, they report via the Hadley Box, that the swan is only stunned and recovering quite nicely on the sofa in the Crash Bay crewroom.

Amazingly the swan is quite docile once it recovers.

The problem was that swans require a stretch of water to take off, Firemen know everything. The ensuing discussion as to what to do with the bird came to the conclusion that the swan needed transport to the canal at Ripon to join it's pals and return to nature.

Clearance from the Lords and Masters at Leeming was obtained to despatch Crash Two, with swan onboard, to the canal at Ripon. So Dishforth went Black with no Crash Cover.

The uckers game resumed.

Some time later a telephone call was received from North Yorkshire Constabulary basically informing the ATCO i/c that his Firemen were now 'assisting the police with enquiries' as to the matter of 'stealing a swan'.

Apparently, Crash Two had arrived at the Ripon Canal and the crew had carried the swan down the bank to join it's pals. Job done, the crew returned to Crash Two. However, the pals were not too keen on the 'new' member and turned on it. Amidst a cacophony of honking and clouds of feathers, the Dishforth swan made a beeline for Crash Two and safety, overtaking the returning crew.

A new plan had to be hatched.

In the mean time, the obligatory 'little old lady' had looked out of her window to see 'big, burly men stealing a swan from the canal' and promptly called the Ripon Constabulary.

After much explaining by the ATCO i/c, all became clear. Swan released to river (not canal), Crash Crew released to Dishforth. Endex.

Or so was thought.

Some time later, the Daily Telegraph got hold of the story and reported it 'big time'. The headline 'Swan closes major RAF base' caused some pride in the total complement of RAF Dishforth personnel. All 12 of them (4 ATC, 2 GRSF, 5 Firemen and a Medic). RAF Dishforth, a MAJOR RAF Base.

Does it ring bells?

[Skeleton]

Had two real scares in the van at Leuchars. F4 roars off Rwy 27, suffers a double hyd fail and electrical fail, cant talk to anyone, who then turns downwind, turns finals and arrives at a hell of a rate into the approach end cable. It really was not his day because the cable decided enough was enough and promptly broke, the sound as it whipped past the caravan haunts me to this day. the bang from the electrical box that powered the van was even better!! Meanwhile our mighty F4 staggers back into the air and if memory serves me right went into the 22 app cable successfully.

The other time was an F4 returning from some foreign jaunt late on a Friday in really ****ty weather, 09 was in use and the vis was so ****ty i didnt see him the first two times, i did the third time, I saw an F4 well left of the centreline, low and very nose up, I commonly had the van door open and, following a quick "overshoot" call on local I was off and running!! Yes it probably would not have done me any good should the unthinkable have happened, but you got to try! The BCU man was about 50 meters away on the grass unaware of the unfolding drama and he assured me later it was a very close call. I called Local and the DP explained to them what i had just seen, and the aircraft buggered off to somewhere with better visibility and a Caravan Controller who had a more normal heart rate than mine!!

[ACW342]

TaxyDual,
You embarrass me with your praise at #20. I tried to turn this "Good Show" down, as like you it seems like praise for doing your job. Did the cooks in the airmen's mess ever get praise for a fine cake they baked? (emm.. did we get cake?).
I didn't know about the Swan but early one grey winters morning, low cloud, occnl. snosh. Caravan parked up (Hoping not to have to put it out but to return it to it's lock up and back to my Officers type 5 MQ complete with avtur fired central heating) when out of the gloom comes Duck formation, a flight of three, downwind for the larger of the two ponds at the back of the tower.

Alls well until, at short finals, Duck lead notices that all is not well with the intended landing site and hits the TOGA button and instructs Duck 2&3 to overshoot. Downwind again with a slight increase in seperation, Duck lead on base leg to finals and every available feather hanging out, wing tip feathers working ten to the dozen to maintain a slow approach and, with legs outstretched, makes contact at the very edge of the ICE COVERED pond and slides gently off the end into a small stretch of clear water on the other side. Duck two emulates leads perfect arrival but Duck 3 (Junior Pilot?) arriving a bit slower, stumbles on touchdown, comes off his undercarriage and slithers to a halt short of the water. It was quite funny watching it get to its feet, waggle its backside and try to walk nonchalantly to the clear water to join his two mates who must have been laughing their beaks off at him. It was all go at RLG Dishforth!

p.s. I always thought that those two ponds, just the other side of the fence, behind the tower, looked a bit too man made and could possibly have been constructed by the Luftwaffe some time in the early 1940's but I found this on a Wiki about Dishforth:
"RAF Dishforth was so successful in its night operation bombing raids that Hitler himself ordered a raid against the airfield. The raid was completely unsuccessful as the bombing party was shot out of the sky over Gloucestershire" I wonder did maybe one manage to evade and attack? we'll probably never know. A342

[plans123]

As an ex-RWC of many years.. what goes on in 'the van' stays in 'the Van' :ok:

To call it the laziest job in TG9 5aday however, is doing the role and all that do it and have done it a major disservice.

Many many potential incidents have been stopped due the sharp eyes of the Runway controllers. Its always safety first above and beyond anything else, but it was always nice to get a 'Thanks' from the aircrew afterwards. One well known very angry Bucc/Tornado guy even made the effort to come down to the van to thank me in person once.

[ACW342]

p123,
It's not the first time a case of 'Dorty or similar has made its way to the 'van bur in one infamous circumstance was accompanied by a pack of new underpants.

Thanks Dickie!

[Danny42C]

taxydual (#23),
...What about the Dishforth Swan? Does the following ring bells? It must have happened in your time in the Vale of York ?...Of course ! - had completely forgotten the Swan (what a story). Now that we've added Swans to our menagerie, perhaps Pigeons might be allowed into our Ark ?

Excerpt from one of my Posts:


...All in all, ATC life was fairly pleasant at Dishforth, and I think little else but Local Control plus the odd QDM was needed, and one Controller could easily handle that in the top Tower with the slave CA/DF console there. A dual JP took off on 15 one morning. "Do you know ?", called the instructor in a pained voice: "that there's a chap with a van parked on the road just the other side of the hedge ? He's turned loose a whole crowd of pigeons, I've only just managed to miss them !" And indeed the birds were wheeling round over the field, racing pigeons, I suppose, picking up their bearings before setting Course for home. "Yes, I can see it, sir", confirmed the Runway Controller (up at my end), "It's quite a big van, right in line with the runway".

Clearly this was Something Up to Which we Could Not Put. I stopped take offs, broadcast a warning on Approach to "Leeming Combine" (luckily we'd nothing in circuit), and sent a lad with the L/Rover down to bid the unwelcome visitor cease, desist and begone. He drove down to a spot on our side of the hedge, and called our message over to the offender, who was preparing to release the next batch (apparently this has to be done at precisely timed and duly recorded intervals).

But perhaps our Assistant had delivered this demand in a little too peremptory a fashion, as it fell on stony ground. Instead, the pigeon man angrily declared that he had every :mad: right to release his pigeons there; he was on a:mad: public road after all; he was a :mad: Yorkshire man on Yorkshire soil, and no little :mad::mad: was going to tell him what to do. As for its aircraft, the RAF should mind its own :mad: business. So saying, he turned loose the next batch, and everything was a mass of whirring wings and feathers for a few moments.

Seeing that the man was large and bellicose, that only the hedge stood between them , and that didn't look exactly stock-proof, our chap hurriedly changed tack and tried sweet reason, pointing out that, not only would our aircraft be inconvenienced if they ingested one, but that one or more prized (and very valuable) racing birds (in his charge) would come out the back end well minced and fit only for pigeon-burgers.

That produced the desired result; our pigeon fancier up-staked and moved a mile or so up the road. We'd had the binoculars on this little drama, saw the van move off, and Dishforth opened again for business.

On this occasion, as sometimes happened, I'd been joined in the Tower by our junior M.O. (I think Leeming must have had two at the time), for a cup of tea and a chat. He was down there obviously because Leeming itself was hors-de-combat for the duration of the runway work; so any blood spilt would be at Dishforth, and his services more likely to be needed there.

As lunchtime approached, things had become very quiet. I put a monitor on frequency, took my headset off (to natter more easily) and put it down on the desk. Should an aircraft call, I'd pick up the (boom) mic and reply. Someone called for joining. I did so and gave him the spiel. "Say again !" he came back, I did so, "Can't hear you - you're very faint !", I tried again, louder, "No good - your mic's u/s !"

Then my Assistant touched my elbow gently, and pointed to - the bowl of my pipe, which I'd picked out of an ashtray and had been addressing all the time ! This was my first "Senior Moment", as I recall. All around were greatly amused - but I saw the M.O. looking at me with clinical concern !...:*

[MPN11]

Ah, Danny, the days when the Approach Room would be IMC in tobacco smoke :)

At Tengah we had nice ashtrays, fashioned from 'spare' domed taxiway lights, mounted in a circular aluminium strip-metal base. However, the ultimate sin was spilling you Coca-Cola on the desk, as it would permeate the mini-comms landline switch panels and, when it dried, apparently created an electrical circuit. Ground Radio then had to replace the unit, and perform detailed and delicate cleaning processes. Curiously, we had a Coke machine in the tower, so the peril was ever-present.

Undoubtedly everything is banned nowadays. :(

[Fareastdriver]

Just a reminder of when I was stuck in Xiamen owing to a PLAAF exercise.

It was now past 18.00 hrs and still no sign of the airspace being opened. In fact ATC were sure that it was going to be closed all night. I was just about to call it a day when our Chinese engineer came in with a slab of Coke and a carton of Marlborough. Jing took them off him and started handing them around the room. Five minutes later the one I assumed was SATCO came in with an enroute chart with a track pencilled in direct from Xiamin to a Shenzhen approach procedure entry point. This was apparently a ‘special route’ that had been cleared for us to use. Jing worked out the times, we put in the flight plan and twenty minutes later we launched into the night.

[MPN11]

All together now ...

#There is nothing like a SATCO, Nothing in the World ...# :)

[Danny42C]

MPN11 (#29),
...the days when the Approach Room would be IMC in tobacco smoke...How else could we calm our shattered nerves ? And when the WRAF came in, Mark Twain (?) came to mind:

"First, God made Man - then he made Woman - then he felt sorry for Man and made Tobacco !"

Coke machines in Towers ! What next ! Ain't tea good enough for the likes of us ? What are WRAF Assistants there for except to brew tea for the Lords of the Universe ? Who got the profit from the machines ? NAAFI, I'll be bound !

Have heard that "Coke" is good for cleaning bumpers and loosening rusted-up nuts and bolts, too. Just think about what it must be doing to your guts !

Sounds like yours were posh ash trays. On the Squadrons we made use of sawn-off engine pistons, which for some reason seemed in plentiful supply (about five in dia).

(#31),

Too right ! - and just as well, too ! (only jealous).


Danny

[Fareastdriver]

Colas contain Phosphoric Acid. A quick look at what it is used for.

Which Industries Use This Chemical? How is the Chemical Used in This Industry?

Electroplating Acid Metal Cleaners - Oxide Removers
Integrated Iron and Steel Mfg - Pickling Acids
Laboratory - Chemicals Acids
Machinery Mfg and Repair - Clean wash agents
pH Regulation Agents - pH Adjustors for Water Treatment
Printed Circuit Board Manufacturing - Making PCB Holes Conductive
Printed Circuit Board Manufacturing - Outer Layer Etch/Plate - Print Circ Brd Mfg
Semiconductors - Wet Chemical Etching
Welding and Soldering Agents - Corrosive Flux Ingredients

[MPN11]

Danny said "Coke machines in Towers! What next! Ain't tea good enough for the likes of us? What are WRAF Assistants there for except to brew tea for the Lords of the Universe? Who got the profit from the machines? NAAFI, I'll be bound!"

No idea who operated the system, but Coke machines were everywhere at Tengah: 20 cents a nicely chilled bottle, IIRC. I don't think we had any WRAF Assistants: our Tower 'cleaner and gofer', Frank Goh, did the brews, and would pop downstairs to get your Coke if you were stuck on a console.

Fareastdriver quoted ... "Printed Circuit Board Manufacturing - Making PCB Holes Conductive ".

That sounds like the issue! It dried like a brown varnish on the circuitry.

[ACW342]

Working in the tower on an East Anglian fighter field one day (before my days in Caravans), staff had been read the riot act about coffee constantly being spilt on the Hadley Box, you know the one with switches labelled from left to right such as "Stn. Cdr, Wg. Cdr Ops, OC xxSqn OC xxxSqn,OCEng" etc etc, and which required constant cleaning/repair by the guys down in Ground Radio, when Baseball comes up to local to chat with local controller and sets coffee cup down right next to said Hadley box and... yes, you guessed it , with a sweep of his right arm, gesturing to something or somewhere on the airfield the contents of an almost full cup disappears into the device. It went very quiet for a few seconds before I was instructed to call Ground Radio and get the box changed before a very red faced SATCO quietly got up and departed downstairs to his office. Oops

The following day a missive was promulgated which forbade all staff and visitors from placing drinks on the pedestal containing the Hadley Box, and a large sign screwed next thereto.

[Fareastdriver]

We had a NATO exchange officer arrive at Odiham once who was taking up a flight commanders position. He was briefed on the Hadley box and one of his questions was whether you could set it so that you could hear conversations on the other side.

[Danny42C]

MPN11 (#34),

...No idea who operated the system, but Coke machines were everywhere at Tengah: 20 cents but a nicely chilled bottle, IIRC...At Carlstrom Field (my p.118 #2354 on "Pilot's Brevet").
...I must say that they did introduce an attempt of humour in one of their Met exams: one of the choices for "What is the Tropopause?" was "The Pause which Refreshes" (ad for Coca Cola!)

"Coke" cost 5c a bottle. [5 cents (US) in 1941. How would that compare (taking inflation into account ?] It ruled the market, its two principal competitors Pepsicola and the unwisely named Royal Crown Cola - (try saying "R.C.Cola" quickly) couldn't make a dent in its sales, in spite of selling double the quantity for the same price.

["Twice as much for a nickel, too -
PepsiCola is the Drink for You !"]

But the Coke machines would take only nickels, and soon they mopped up all the nickels on the camp. Plaintive cries of "Anyone got two nickels for a dime?" could be heard all over. The story was that "Coke" then contained cocaine, and was habit-forming, and there may have been some truth in it. Every day, the "Coke" salesman rolled up to collect the cash and refill the machines. He would be inundated with offers to change dollars (and even five-dollar bills) into nickels. He never had to carry away much small change...

ACW342 (#35),
...The following day a missive was promulgated which forbade all staff and visitors from placing drinks on the pedestal containing the Hadley Box, and a large sign screwed next thereto...I believe NAAFI pianos were supposed to have "pitched roofs", to discourage use as parking places for pints of ale. Can't say I noticed them myself - but many others must remember ?

Very Old Joke: "Any of you play the piano ? .... (two or three eager sets of hands are raised) ......"Right, come over to the NAAFI with me, they want theirs shifted across to the Barrack Store ... (a quarter-mile away !) :sad:
(only works on recruits with less than 14 days service).

Danny.

[It's Not Working]

For 5 very happy years i was that guy in Ground Radio but only once in that time did I experience a coffee mincoms coming together. Hadley Box downstairs squawked, I answered and was requested to get into approach sharpish with a screwdriver. Minutes later I was ripping boxes out and offering the useless advice that frequencies would be lost but I'm clueless which ones and on which consoles. Poor lad responsible hadn't been there long (Laarbruch, 75ish) and I have a feeling it was the start of his first tour. Warm soapy water eventually returned everything to normal and no harm done but we were all sworn to secrecy so SATCO didn't find out to protect young lads thus far very short and noticeable career.

Fast forward to the fortnightly beer call which was downstair's turn to host and there's an extra slab from somewhere. SATCO gets up to wish the young lad a very happy birthday, goes on to praise his fledgling career thus far and finishes with a, 'Oh, and don't spill your coffee on a console again.' Can't remember if the lad went bright red or whiter than white but a great lesson delivered for all to learn from.

Regrettably I can't recall the 1975ish SATCO's name but he ensured that ATC and Ground Radio were one team. A GREAT bloke, father to many and despite being the most junior of junior techs I always felt and was made entirely at home anywhere in the tower. There followed another 35 years in uniform but only 1 more Ground Radio, El Adem with grass. I don't think any other tour touched Laarbruch for comradery.

Sorry, the above is a little off topic and I can't even remember if Laarbruch had a caravan. It did have a hole in the ground at each end called a cupola but I don't think that counts.

[Danny42C]

It's Not Working (#38),
...I can't even remember if Laarbruch had a caravan. It did have a hole in the ground at each end called a cupola but I don't think that counts...
All right, I'll buy it - WTF is this "Cupola" and what did it do ? Was at Geilenkirchen '60-'62 and we didn't have one.

Rescued one of your Canberras one dirty night with our CPN-4; Mission XX A had landed with you, one u/c folded, a/c reclined gracefully on runway on one ear.

Mission XX B up creek without paddle (would take 30 mins min to clear runway, he'd got 20 mins fuel). We were the only diversion, got him down no trouble at all with five mins fuel remaining.

As "Talkdown", felt glow of self-satisfaction. Pilot's "Thank you" all the reward I needed.

Happy Days ! Long ago now. Danny.

[It's Not Working]

Sorry Danny, the capola (capoli?) was/were a concreate room sunken into the ground at both ends of the runway. The only part of the structure at ground level was a hatch for the unfortunate occupant to open and climb down into and a glass capola big enough for one person to look outside to see if his world still existed - Cold War RAFG etc etc. As ground radio the bunker had to be fettled once a month but all it contained was some basic furniture and a couple of ARC52 UHF sets, there might even have been a CADF in one of them. Given the frequency of mini, maxi and tacivals Laarbruch enjoyed in the 70s I image ATC occupied them at similar intervals. I recall one being designated as Local and the other Approach but I can't remember if they swapped roles if the runway swapped directions, given only one had a CADF, IIRC, I'd imagine not but it was a long time ago.

[ACW342]

Yup!
hole in the Ground with a glass dome about 3' across and about 2" thick and very hot inside, so I'm told. I wouldn't know, I was in the Caravan with the air con turned to high.

The Cupolii at Brüggen were some distance further along the runway from the caravan but the same distance in from the runway. During exercises they were manned by local at one end and some form of approach at the other end. The real losers in this scenario were the armed sentries who were there to stop the Guards 3rd Shock Army from interfering with the safe departure of the worlds biggest Jaguar/Tornado wing (choose your era!). Im sure some of the controllers of the time can set us right.

In latter times (late 80s) due to real 'elf & safety, the sentries were brought into cupola anytime there was a multi aircraft scramble as there were thought to be health implications with Tornado "noise" and internal body vibrations at close quarters

[MightyGem]

Coke machines in Towers
You look over towards the tower and see a steady green light over a flashing red.
What does it mean?
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The coke machine has coke, but is out of change. :ok:

[Pontius Navigator]

Something similar at Coningsby as the Alternative ATC. A revetted bunker south side, well set out, dogleg sand bag entrance etc. Quite Spartan but it also had a SOMA terminal that I had to check out regularly and ensure was serviceable long after victory in WW3

[It's Not Working]

Danny, this question of yours somehow landed in the thread on Horse-Play in the Mess so I've given it a stiff talking to and brought it here where it belongs.


...capola (capoli?)...
"Capolae", I rather think. After my time - sounds thoroughly unhygenic and claustrophobic to me ...... bunker only fettled once a month ? ...... hope they issued you with a good air- freshener ! What was it all for ? - to protect you against wayward aircraft, or to survive the atomic exchange ? (as Laarbruch would be a radioactive charnel house by then, not much point really).

Did you have a sort of flare tube to pop the 'red's out ? How long was your "shift" down there ? Sanitary Arrangements ? Tell us more - I never heard of these things in my life.

Don't think a CA/DF set (they were operated by the Skilled Man/or Maid in the Tower Approach Room [in later pattern Towers], they had a "slave" set upstairs so that one operator could do both Local and Approach when things were quiet).

In general: Those poor old joannas ! On TV saw one hefted a good hundred yards or more by a reconstructed Trebuchet. Struck the "Lost Chord" when it speared in ! ("Caution - Low Flying Pianos ?")

Poor man's version: (Hawarden 1942) "Duty Pilot" (Prune taken off flying for the day) on grass by side of threshold, kitchen chair, Verey pistol and big bag of reds. Fire at will if sees two Spits intending to land on the same spot at same time. R/T "Local Control" ? - don't be silly ! (mixed bag of Spits, newly assembled Wimpeys and God knows what from ATA plus visitors - often 20 + in circuit. Control not possible). Looks like rain ? - bring your groundsheet.

But they were good days .............

Danny.


It was a little musty shall we say each time I entered for the sole purpose of dusting the ARC52s and there were certainly no sanitary arrangements for the skilled man / maid in the tower to use. When the hooter when off as it did monthly my job was to run around with an SLR looking aggressive so quite what went on in them I will leave to those that know what I'm talking about to explain. Very much their purpose was to prevent the occupant being turned to dust in the event of the unmentionable happening but as to their effectiveness in that scenario I think we all know the answer. During the start of my tour the cupolae, the Ops Bunker and bits of the bomb dump were the only hardened structures on the Station but then the COC and HASs appeared, peace broke out and some time later it all became Weeze Airport.

I have a vague recollection of a CADF in the eastern end cupola but cannot recall any opening in the structure to pop off a flare. As said earlier I don't even remember if there was a caravan. Swinging the PAR was a regular task but no recollection of a caravan trundling up and down at the same time. Given that the Glide Path and Localiser occupied spots at both ends I'm sure if there was a caravan there I'd have been a regular visitor for a brew while fettling the ILS and while I fettled regularly there was definitely no tea drinking.
John

[Pontius Navigator]

Following on from INW copying Danny's post to this one, I have moved my comment here too:

Danny, as the Cold War evolved in to Flexible Response many idiocies were inflicted on the PBI. Hangar doors in UK were painted green. Hi Viz yellow bowers were painted green as were red fire engines and white ambulances. Then, as you couldn't see them, fluorescent yellow strips were attached. No one figured out that everything is GREEN on a bomber radar and jammers would have been more effective.

Everything had to have an alternate so that the chaos could continue when the taceval team took out the primary. Odd, but they never took out the alternate to see if the station could create another alternate. Extra brownie points if you managed to 'hide' the A team in the alternate thus only losing the B team.

[ricardian]

Hi Viz yellow bowers were painted green as were red fire engines and white ambulances. Then, as you couldn't see them, fluorescent yellow strips were attached. No one figured out that everything is GREEN on a bomber radar and jammers would have been more effective.

I was an RAF telegraphist who volunteered for 38 Group TCW in 1967. I was immediately sent on a 2 year detachment to 604 Forward Air Control Section who had an RAF Land Rover (I still remember the registration 95AA45 - how sad!). This vehicle began life painted gloss RAF blue but upon arrival at 38 Group it was painted matt blue (more tactical). When it was about to be despatched to 604 FACS it was painted gloss army green. Upon arrival at 24 Brigade (Plymouth) it was repainted matt army green. About six months later it was repainted matt army green with camouflage "splodges". I shudder to think how much the repaints cost in terms of manhours in sanding down, masking off headlights, etc

[Arclite01]

We used to paint our vehicles with a brush................no need for masking off............... The vehicles were painted every 2 years whether they needed it or not. I am sure ours were 2 inches wider than when they were built.

58KD41 was 'My' Sherpa......................

Arc

[langleybaston]

Alternates!

The Germans had a mobile Alter-Met [only one] which turned up at the next base for TACEVAL. I am not sure how they knew, or whether they rushed it to the base being evaluated in time for Day Two.

It was fully mobile and, I seem to remember, had a trailer as well.

Being a Met Evaluator had its funny side, as when I asked the German S Met O what the wheels were for ................

Very difficult to assess: whereas the vehicle could not be in two places at once, neither could I. We never managed to run two TACEVALs simultaneously.

[hunterboy]

What a pity there don't appear to be any accounts of the Cold War from the other side.I'd love to hear stories from ex Warsaw Pact members recounting their experiences.

[langleybaston]

Certainly the WP Met provisions were poor, as we discovered when the various organisations were open to a shufti. I can't remember the phrase for our planned broadcast blackout in the event of TTW [???? HELP ???] but, in a Westerly, the WP would have been badly served for information, and in an Easterly we were well practised at forecasting potential target weather.

Met BFG/RAFG regularly topped the NATO league tables for forecasting WP potential target weather, which was evaluated once a week or so. In effect it was a long period TAF that could be compared with ground truth after the event.

[Danny42C]

It's Not Working et al,

Seems that I retired at the right time (1972) when we were still discounting the idea of a nuclear kick-off and thought that it would be a re-run of WWII (at least at the start). Estimate was that the Tartar hordes would reach the Channel Ports in 48 hours. The Wise Virgins among the Patches ensured that the family car was full of fuel, and had a suitcase packed in the hall, ready for a quick getaway.

Now another Funny Caravan Story (Binbrook, ca. end 1949). Excerpt from my Post p.165 #3295 on "Pilot's Brevet" Thread:
And one dark night when the following cross-talk was heard: ....... (ATC): "Kingpin 23, clear line up & hold" ..... (23): "Can't - Caravan's giving me a steady red" ...... (Cpl on i/c to Twr.): "No, I'm not, sir ! ....... (ATC): "He says he's not" ...... (23): "I tell you, he is" ....... (Cpl on i/c): "No, I'm NOT" ........ "He says" ......... "I TELL YOU" ........ this went on for quite some time before ATC could convince 23 that what he was looking at was the obstruction light on top of the Caravan... (And this brings to mind an old "Tee Emm" tale of the WW2 chap who found a steady red in blacked-out Britain, thought "Pundit", circled for a while to wait for the ident and then realised that he was flying round his own navigation light). :*

(it happens !)

Danny.

[taxydual]

The Runway Caravan. Camouflage the damn thing and then stick it alongside the active runway so no-one could see it. A brilliant idea.....not.

Anyhow, having driven the beast back into Leeming MT yard one Friday, after the not camouflaged Jet Provost's had ceased annoying the local villages, I was accosted by the Duty MT Controller. "You'll have to wash it" says he. "Bugger" thinks I, "the bar's open".

The MT chappie then shows me this brand new all singing, all dancing diesel engine powered pressure washer. After a 30 second course of instruction, Cpl Taxydual set to work.

Within 10 seconds, the dirty green paint began to disappear and the original red/white squares began to re-appear.

Whoops.

[5aday]

ACW342 - Marham was a Master Div at the time I was there. I can recall laying the Goose Necks for SASO to check it could be done, local dollies from Swaffham enjoying the small bar in the Caravan, and most of the controllers bar one asleep in Monitors.
It was so easy, sometimes it was a pleasure to go to work to get some rest.

[ACW342]

5ADay, fortunately for me I arrived at Wattisham straight out of Shawbury whilst the runway wasn't. A runway that is, just a long but narrow hole in the ground full of contractors and diggers, mechanical as well as human, and after many weeks this hole in the ground was returned to the station as a pristine "new" runway. This was when I was introduced to the latest in high tech, emergency runway lighting, THE GLIM LIGHT! a battery powered lamp with a 6v car type battery and which was maintained IIRC by the ground engineering section.

[higthepig]

Leeming, late 80s in the caravan on Rwy 34. A Jag calls up for recovery with huge hydraulic problems, not sure he will be able to get the gear down. Lots of talk on the radios, aircraft still had droptanks on, it was decided he would run in, drop them on the airfield then try to lower gear, if they failed to lower it would do a wheels up. I thought the plan was to drop them on the west side of the runway nearest Leeming Bar, not the east side. Jag runs in, lots of R/T about the calls to be made about when to drop etc. I watch the Jag through the bins, sure enough, no gear but drop tanks on the wings. Jag gets closer, all I can see is it nose on running in, then hear the words "callsign, drop....". I didn't hang around for the rest of the call and legged it out of the caravan, faster than Eusain Bolt (and without starting blocks) for the old cottage next to the taxiway where we reared pheasants (another story). Lungs and legs bursting, glanced back to see the tanks gracefully falling away from the Jag and hit the grass just beyond the caravan and towards the Fire Section. When they hit the ground it was like a scene from Apocalypse Now, earth, bits of expensive metal and a huge cloud of fuel covered the area. The Jag did a circuit, dropped the gear, I ran back to the van to see it land from short finals. Managed to get my breath back and call the Tower on the Hadleigh Box to express my displeasure, the Tower controllers comment was " sorry I forgot to tell you to leave...." Flt Lt D* O****-D**, where are you now, I can still smell the Avtur? Always had the door open after that when she was upstairs!

[Danny42C]

higthepig (#55),

Read your harrowing tale this morning - and had a fearful shock ! ...... Your "where are you now ?" follows set of initials that would identify me perfectly ! Thankfully, seems it was a 'she' - and "in the late '80s", which lets me out on both counts (I retired from Leeming in '72).

What's this "Hadleigh" Box? From time immemorial, these have been known as "Squawk Boxes", a perfect name for them, if I may say so; and your:
...for the old cottage next to the taxiway where we reared pheasants (another story)...
recalls a Thornaby tale from '51. Jack Derbyshire (wartime F/Eng) and the Station Adj., kept day-old chicks in his (the only) room in the old Thornaby Hall, keeping them warm with electric fires as there was no CH in the place. Just thought I'd mention it ....

Wasn't it risky to drop the tanks on the airfield ? Leeming is not all that far from the sea, didn't he have the fuel to get there and back ? And the decision to drop on the W. side seems strange, given that God knows how far they would richochet - and the Tower is on that side ! Whereas to the E. there was only the CA/DF and (much farther out) the AR-1/PAR head. Could be wrong .

And what was a Flt. Lt. (he or she) doing in Local ? Were there no more hairy old Masters or F/Sgts left in the Branch ? ......

"Smell the Avtur ? - you should've been at Driffield in the early '50s, mate ! Only place in the country for Meteor and Vampire conversion, all the mechs wore green "paraffin" rubberised overalls, and the (downwind) little town of Driffield had to get used to it.

Danny.

[Pontius Navigator]

Hadley .

[higthepig]

Danny42C

Was not you! She may have been a Fg Off at the time. We were still in the old Tower then on the 'domestic side, the Happy Eater one on the A1 side was not finished.
I think the Jag was very close to jumping out and did not have the time to get his feet wet to drop the tanks.

PN
ack Hadley, I blame predictive spellchucker!

Never called them Squawk box, always called them Hadley Box, or the Box.

Cheers

[Danny42C]

.
higthepig (#58), (and ta, PN, for #57).

Either thee or me is going round the bend, (and I'm not at all sure about thee !)

ATC'd at Leeming Sep '67- Dec '72 (double-toured). All the time in pukka "Gaydon" pattern tower (Octagon on top) on A1 (E) side of runway, in front of hangars. (still on Google maps, or was last time I looked). What "old Tower" ?

Although all ended well in your case, can't help feeling your lad would've been better advised to trim it into a glide, power off (could you do that with a Jag ?), point it at Denmark, and bang-out ! We had a Vulcan (XM610) on fire in my time (1971), originally making for Leeming, but never got there. they baled the back office chaps out, then the pilots went out.

But they'd left it late: although they'd headed it out to sea, it curled back and could've taken out a good chunk of Wingate with hundreds of casualties, but by the grace of God made a big hole, but no one hurt. Lucky !

Did you ever see the 1 Hangar Ghost ?

Danny

[Herod]

Danny, it was still where you say in '90

[higthepig]

Danny42C

Yup called the Old Tower as we moved across to the new one (Happy Eater) on the Leeming Bar side during my time there. Old Tower was next to the Met Office and Ops WG HQ in front of the Gaydon hangars. Had hours of fun sending soft fruit through the pneumatic tube (Lanson?)when certain Met Observers were on duty. Old Tower had a concrete balcony at the first floor around the side of the SATCOs office and the back of the Approach Room (airfield side). Remember a box van from Menwith Hill (US Listening Base near Harrogate) pitching up to pick up stuff from a regularly visiting C12 (bubblegum run and crypto) and park underneath the balcony. Man gets out of van, he must have been nearly 20 stone and built like a barn door. Van suspension relieved of the weight, promptly jams itself under balcony, man gets back in van but it remains stuck. MT had to rescue him by letting tyres down and dragging it out. By this time the C12 had arrived and bags of Top Secret stuff (now probably freely available on Wikileaks) or Ben & Jerry's ice cream was left on the edge of VAS whilst the big bloke was fretting about the van roof. He never came back again!
Happy Days

[goudie]

XM 610. Danny was that the Vulcan that featured in the opening pages of 'Black Buck'?

[taxydual]

Crash of Avro Vulan XM610 over County Durham (http://www.neam.co.uk/wingate.html)

The crash of XM610

[Danny42C]

higthepig (#61),

Got the picture now - we were in the "old" Tower ! (when did they move, btw ?). And why would they need a new Tower anyway ?
...Old Tower had a concrete balcony at the first floor around the side of the SATCOs office and the back of the Approach Room (airfield side)...
Which had been put to good use. On the S. side (W. end), this balcony had been boxed-in to create a small room, and a door led into the Approach Room. Leeming was a Master Airfield, so there was a full crew on 24/365. But, though Approach and Local were "waking" Watches, Radar Controller had a bunk in ths cubby-hole where he/she slept the night when not needed (it had a stout bolt on the door !)

"I wonder" mused SATCO to me one day: "how many of our wives know that their husbands are sometimes spending the night on duty with an attactive girl sleeping only feet away ?" ....... (My guess is "none"). But our loyal girls didn't "shop" us - not even in the powder-room natter on WAG nights in the Mess (AFAIK). At least, mine didn't know - or I would never have heard the end of it !

We lived dangerously ....

Danny.

[Pontius Navigator]

Danby,Leeming maybe but not at Kinloss, nor was there a door in ASI ops.

[hoodie]

...with an attactive girl sleeping only feet away ?"

Now that we know the Mode distance, I can't be the only stats nerd wondering what the Mean, Median and (especially) Range were. :8

[Danny42C]

Pontius Navigator (#65),

Nor at Thorney Island (1960). Cubby-hole on ground floor along corridor from Met office. No WRAF. Kipped in it many a night (CPN-4 radar was out on the field, but Landy could get me out there in a couple of minutes).

(Leeming [1970] had the AR-1 and PAR consoles in Approach).

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
hoodie (#66),

"Range" immaterial - where there's a will, there's a way ! Always highest standard of professional behaviour when I rostered myself on in those circumstances. On occasions when I was not present, never heard of any untoward happenings during night. No doors ever found broken open. So assume nothing ever happened. Or at least hope not !

But .... "What the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve over" ........

Once found suspicious new young WRAF Controller closely examining door and frame for drill-holes ! (no, not Section Officer Harvey) - none found !

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Cheers, both. Danny.

[ACW342]

I was posted from Brüggen to Leeming for my second tour there, just in time to partake in two momentous happenings, one was the beginning of Desert Shield and the other, of course, the move from the old tower to the new tower, unofficially christened by the staff as "The Happy Eater", due to its architectural similarity to a travellers rest further along the A1. I suspect that if asked for an opinion, a certain member of the Royal Family may have likened it to a carbuncle. But hey, what do I know about architecture?
One day, not having been tasked with caravan duty and saving flying airmen from themselves,I was otherwise busy, along with a few other tower staff in returning to the old tower to remove items on a list provided by the admin Seargent for removal to the Happy Eater and to scavenge for anything that may have been missed from the list but which might have been "useful" I espied a piece of Gucci looking kit (no, don't ask, I can't remember). Said Gucci piece was obviously mains powered, considering the size of the wire it was permanently attached and which disappeared under the floor of local. Now, I considered myself as a cautious type so, before attacking this mains wire, I asked the ground radio guy, who, like ourselves, was busy plundering things, if the power had been disconnected. Assured by his confirmation that the power was off, I used my trusty pliers (my own, from the tool kit in our beloved Mazda 626) to cut through the mains wire which resulted in, of course, a loud BANG! a bright blue flash and my pliers, having totally shorted out the 240v AC, fell to the ground with a ginormous hole burnt in them, never to cut another cable and my so called colleagues laughing their heads off.

[NutLoose]

Hahaha, mine was unplugging a none working fluorescent tube in a vc10 which was still plugged in one end and I will be blowed, it lit up when my hand crossed the other end terminals, it also threw me across the cabin lol.
The other was on nights unplugging the stores printer to plug into my PC and crashing the whole of the stores system.


I trust you carried on unplugging it and helped yourself to it.

[ACW342]

Nutloose, yes indeed. Piece of Gucci kit was removed and now over 27 years later, I expect that it is still doing sterling service in the Happy Eater (I wish i could remember what it was!!)

Anyway, enough of this tower talk already… This thread is in recognition of those stalwart fellows who will sit in their caravan 75’ from the edge of the runway and trust in their binoculars and verey pistols to stop those aircraft from taking off that shouldn’t ought to and to stop those aircraft from landing that shouldn’t ought to. (Wheels up landings are very noisy and very expensive, as can be Lightening departures with a ruptured ventral tank. Somebody tried to bollock me on that one, but I stood my ground).

Another time, yet again at Brüggen, one Tonka crew found out who their friends were. Tartan formation (I use Tartan as a generic c/s ‘cos there’s lots of different colours in there) a flight of 4 Tornados lined up on 27 and went through the usual things with the throttles and things prior to departure. As the lead pair got to the bit where they went to full dry and just before the brakes off/ burner in bit, the no2 aircraft port wing tank (the big ones, 1500 litre?) ruptured with an impressive oomph and sprayed Avtur everywhere. I made a call on the R/T - “STOP,STOP,STOP Tartan 2 your port tank has ruptured!”

Well, I tell you, it was like the Tartan 2 crew had rung a bell and called out “Unclean - Unclean” as Lead rapidly moved up the runway and off at the first exit while 3 & 4 managed to turn around from where they were and scuttled off somewhere safe.

Meanwhile our unclean crew had shut down and raised the canopy, discussing, I should imagine, as to whether it was better to drop off the aircraft or wait for Crash 1. AFAIR Crash 1 got there pretty swiftly and got a ladder up to the crew who were taken back to the sqn, 17 or 31, as I seem to remember they came from the north side.

As for me, I managed to convince the DATCO that It wasn’t really safe sitting less than 150’ from 1500ish L of AVTUR and where I was safely able to have a drag on one of my No6 fags. As your man says on the TV program “The Chase”. Just another day at the office.

ACW342 or McG

[ACW342]

Things seem to be slowing down a little on this thread so come on, lets not turn Danny into a Dutchman. Apart from all the stories from inside the 'van, there must be some stories from outside the 'van, you know, all those drivers airframe and their Directional Advisors in the back seat, or the loadie asking 'why are we going round?' or what was that red firework for? So dig deep for those little gems (and, possibly, confessions) from days gone bye.

[ACW342]

Yep, yet again just another day at the office, situated, as per “The Book”, 75’ from the runway edge and 150’ from the threshold. The morning waves had been and gone, visitors and PDs throughout the morning and early afternoon, a spotters heaven I suppose. Mid afternoon and a pair of Tonkas break into the circuit, Lead rolls but no.2 calls “No Nose wheel Low light” (Tonka drivers can explain what the means and what the ramifications are). For me it means there’s going to be an approach end RHAG (Rotary Hydraulic Arresting Gear) engagement and I’ll have to visually confirm that the aircraft arrestor hook is in the down position prior to landing. No real drama here, i’ve watched plenty of these.

The tannoy goes out from the tower, “Emergency State Two” etc etc, The fire section races into action positioning themselves at the RV point by the “Deafen Inn” (Air Traffickers own pub on the airfield, near the runway, hence the name). Crash one out onto the runway after the lead aircraft lands and raises the approach end cable up onto its grommets, as the cable normally sits in a slight groove etched across the runway surface. Round about now the duty squadron engineers are arriving at the RV point with a tug and tow bar and some other kit that I can’t quite remember.

All is now set to receive the problem aircraft which calls downwind, three greens and hook down, which I confirm to the tower having checked with my trusty 7x50s, and continue to follow the aircrafts path downwind and onto base, calling finals 3 greens and hook down. All looks good, rolling level, nice approach, right on the numbers……..right on the numbers? Uh oh…..

In my time, on most RAF Airfields, the main instrument runway had a great big net at the runway ends, called the barrier, and while up is usually 12’ 6’ (3.8M) tall. Normally the departure end is either UP or on STANDBY (Like the good old Duke of York, neither up nor down) and, of course, at the arrivals or approach end it is DOWN. That is that the stanchions at either side are level with the ground clear of the runway, and the net forms a nice tidy heap about 2’ tall, with the steel top cable resting on this heap and all of which are the full width of the runway. Normally arriving aircraft float over the down barrier on their way to touch down on said numbers.

However, with the hook down the bottom most part of an aeroplane is now several feet closer to the ground and which meets said ground many many feet before the wheels touch down. That is why pilots are instructed to land, IIRC, 1000’ or so into the runway in order to ensure separation from the barrier. In this case however, our hero was right on the numbers and as Murphy would have it, the hook touched down just short of the barrier and picked up the net and, disastrously, the top cable.

Sat in my office and with the realisation that “Uh Oh” was about to turn into “WTF” and my right hand only half way to the roof mounted Verey pistol, I could only watch in slow motion as 16 tons of Tornado at a speed of 146 Kts. proceeded to totally destroy the barrier, catching the net and the top cable, which snapped both stanchions out of their mountings, and ripped out cable drums and break units and their associated concrete foundations and scattered them all over the airfield and down the runway before the top cable snapped, leaving the Tonka to continue on its way to the RHAG.

As the jet went past me my eyes were drawn to the nearest bit of barrier kit, a piece weighing several hundred pounds, which managed to reach a great height and accelerated almost to the arrival speed of the aircraft and was describing a parabola that looked like it was about to arrive at the caravan, just about where I was sitting. Fortunately for me, and my Wife and children, it hit the ground just short of the ‘van and stopped about 3’ away from my pink and trembling body.

As for the Tonka, it engaged the RHAG as per normal and came to a safe stop. Once stopped the pilot made the usual call giving the speed and weight of the aircraft on cable engagement and made a comment saying “ I felt a retardation just before the RHAG, did I catch something?”

Now that his airfield was “Black” and the barrier scattered all over the runway and other station aircraft diverted, the Station Commander came out to survey the damage and, most unusually, paid a visit to the ‘van where he realised how close this incident came to being a fatal accident. Shortly thereafter I was relieved and after making a statement as to what I had witnessed, was stood down.

Strangely enough, when I was describing the days main event to my family over dinner that evening, downplaying things, as you do, my wife thought it was quite hilarious. However the following day she was quite perturbed to find out from her work colleagues that she was almost widowed. The other strange thing was that in place of the normal gift of something alcoholic, the pilot sent me a multi pack of new underpants.

Just another day at the office?

[MPN11]

Good tale ... glad you're still here to share that ;)

Those Barriers and RHAGs were nasty things, best kept a long way away from.

[Danny42C]

ACW342 (#72),
...Shortly thereafter I was relieved....
I'm not surprised ! (but a miss is as good as a mile).


The Y-fronts were a bonus !








[/QUOTE]

[threeputt]

You might also remember that our "Goldstar" hero took the opposite end barrier whilst trying to do another RHAG engagement to the opposite runway! D*** D*****!

3P

[threeputt]

In another era and whilst a young Plt Off ATC type at Lyneham back in 1970 ish. I was on duty, in local, one Saturday afternoon (very quiet shift) when I had a call from either Crash 1 or the caravan controller (can't remember if we had one or not, anyone remember?) saying that there was a car and caravan combo parked by the marshalling point! Told him to get owner of said combo up to local pronto. Turns out the bloke was from Birmingham, en-route to Cornwall, with his family and had decided to take a break for lunch and though it would be a good idea to watch the aeroplanes at close quarters.........he said that nobody queried him when he drove onto the camp!

3P

[MPN11]

Hmmm ... who are you? I shall consult OH, who was Adj of 216 around that time.

[Always a Sapper]

Good tale ... glad you're still here to share that ;)

Those Barriers and RHAGs were nasty things, best kept a long way away from.


While on the subject of Barriers I seem to remember that around the mid 90's they started a nasty habit of popping up of their own accord without any input from the local controller.

We certainly had to disable the remote for the barrier at RAF Leuchars to prevent any chance of it doing it's own thing.

Was the true cause ever found?

[MPN11]

After my time, Sir. I was NATS or MoD by then. Last airfield was Stanley in 83 :(

[taxydual]

Sapper.

Leeming's southern barrier picked up the 'habit' of raising itself. Finally diagnosed as water getting into the electrics.

Speaking of the southern barrier. After a 4 ship Vulcan scramble (the V's had dispersed on exercise) the southern barrier had taken a bit of a jet efflux beating. I informed the Local Controller who cycled the thing. Sure enough it was tangled to hell.

"Could you nip out of the Caravan and see what you can do to untangle it?" came the reply from the young Flying Officeress in Local.

Being young and keen (and an idiot) I obeyed.

After 5 minutes of unravelling what I could, herself promptly dropped the barrier netting on me! After extricating myself from the nylon? (and learning the hard way of how a North Sea Haddock feels after an encounter with a Grimsby trawler) I regained the safety of the Caravan.

"Oh sorry" herself apologised, "but I've traffic joining".

The traffic was a Gazelle helo joining visually at the mid point of the runway.

Such fun.

[chevvron]

While on the subject of Barriers I seem to remember that around the mid 90's they started a nasty habit of popping up of their own accord without any input from the local controller.

We certainly had to disable the remote for the barrier at RAF Leuchars to prevent any chance of it doing it's own thing.

Was the true cause ever found?
Unlikely for the barrier, but the RHAG cable, if using bowsprings rather than grommets, was raised by er 'bowsprings' which were normally stretched so the cable was flat. If the power to stretch them was lost, they would spring into their 'normal' configuration and raise the cable.

[ACW342]

Talking of barriers, I'm sure there are many here who remember Ex Lionheart/Crusader/Curry Express et al It was a very hot summer in RAFG and the worlds premier Jaguar wing was tasked with sorties requiring a full simulated war load. So, max AUW Jag.. temperatures more reminiscent of Deci rather than Northern Europe.. runway just over 8K' and.. a barrier at 12'6"!

After several controllers in local had to hit the barrier DOWN button, as it looked as if the departing aircraft weren't going to clear the net, it became, IIRC, SOP to have the barrier in the standby position for the duration of the exercise or to keep it down unless called for.

[threeputt]

MPN 11 see PM's

3P

[MPN11]

MPN 11 see PM'sI did, but nowt there! Retransmit, please!

[Danny42C]

taxydual (et al),

Your (#'80) .... Grrrr !

Never realised you led such an exciting life in your "Little red 'n white mobile home in the West". Strange things happened from time to time. At Shawbury in my day, the School Instructors also did the ATC for the airfield.

One sunny morning, a Vampire took off. "Do you know", quoth the (Marshall's) pilot, "you've got a dead hare on the runway ?" "I can see it, sir", piped up eagle-eyed RWC, "it's about 500 yards up". Accusing eyes all turned on Local. "It wasn't there when I did my inspection this morning, I swear, Sir" he quavered. Nobody believed him.

There was no movement for 20 minutes. "Get on your bike", we told RWC, "and shift it onto the grass". Off he pedalled - but when he got close to the "dead" hare it shot up and streaked away off the airfield. Seems it had been sun-bathing on the warm tarmac, and was so accustomed to aircraft that even the row of a Vampire at full chat didn't faze it. But a chap on a bike was "Clear and present Danger" !

Ain't Nature wonderful.

[Onceapilot]

Chevvron,
Always a Sapper is correct. UK RAF barriers were usually remote operated UP or Down and, I do remember a series of "barrier incidents" to do with possible unreliable operation. Likewise, most RAF RHAG were manually raised on grommets. Yes, the RHAG cable was required to be tensioned whether UP or DOWN. If the RHAG cable could not be tensioned, it needed to be removed. Occasionally, I have landed "beyond the cable" when the trampling criteria could not be met.:) BTW, the NWS low light on Tornado shows if the NWS is functioning correctly. I made several RHAG engagements and I was very grateful for their availability. Never needed the Barrier but, again, thanks to everyone who maintained and operated this kit for us!:ok:

OAP

[Pontius Navigator]

Danny, indeed it is 'man shape' that alarms animals. Tin cans are not seen as a threat. On safari we were told to keep arms inside the perimeter of the vehicle. Wave an arm outside and the lions would bite.

[ACW342]

Most Brüggenites, whose duties took them onto the airfield will , I'm sure, remember the Brüggen flock of sheep and the elderly Shepherd and his dog. Put a four ship on and not a bit of notice as they afterburner into the sky. Airfield attack with Dutch F5s blasting around the trees and departing via Goldstars overhead.. not even a Baa. However, if you're landing a glider over the top of them then oh boy, watch how high they could leap! I always gave myself a few feet extra because they really did get quite high.
I remember one time when our T.A. Signals Sqn. were with us on their summer camp and one signalman, working on the tower balcony, passed a remark about the clever airfield camouflage using imitation sheep and who was dumbfounded when told they were real.

[Fareastdriver]

At the Artillery ranges at Sennybridge the farmers could free range sheep on MOD land.

When the pistol (range gun) fired it's shot they would all bolt and crowd around the targets.

[Always a Sapper]

ACW342... Leuchars had rabbits instead of sheep, zillions of the wee things. It was 'bunny' slaughter driving out to the AGL workshop/hut next to 111's haz site when on earlies. Same when doing the lighting checks as well.

DCRE had a concentrated cull of them before putting the new security fence in (18" high, same depth down) about 2 mtrs in from the perimeter fence. It was designed to keep them (the bunny's, not DCRE) out of the site and in the bunny MQ's in the woods. It didn't work, just another well spent lump out of the station maintenance budget :D

[ACW342]

AaS,
As a young Air Cadet (2178 Holywood Sqn.) We did our AEF at Aldergrove where there are to this day large numbers of Hares. That's the only time I've ever seen Braised Hare on the menu in the airmen's mess (oops, Junior Rank Restaurant) Quite delicious it was too.

[Onceapilot]

At the Artillery ranges at Sennybridge the farmers could free range sheep on MOD land.

When the pistol (range gun) fired it's shot they would all bolt and crowd around the targets.

I have seen the same thing firing .303 on 600yd range! Stoopid sheep!

OAP

[Onceapilot]

ACW,

Yes, operating there, it always amazed me that the sheep were kept off the runway. Never, ever saw one bolt across!:)

OAP

[ricardian]

A friend of mine who kept sheep for several years was of the opinion that sheep were highly intelligent creatures who were forever discovering new and ever more inventive ways of killing themselves

[The Oberon]

Sheep!, sheep!. It was camels on the runway at Masirah.

[BEagle]

On the topic of remote barrier raising, I was in the tower once at pre-pongo Wattisham having a cup of tea with one of the controllers. Then we were joined by one of her colleagues, who was proudly showing her father around the station...

"If there's an aircraft having trouble, I can raise the runway barrier by operating this switch", she told him, then did so - and the barrier sprang up to attention as advertised.

Followed a few seconds later by some rather choice words on the Storno from the people who'd been working on the barrier at the time...

Fortunately no-one was hurt - just Sue's pride!

[26er]

There used to be a shepherd with his flock at Templehof who always gave a friendly wave to taxying aircraft.

[Danny42C]

On my Cannanore strip we were plagued (inter alia) by ****ehawks, which quickly grew accustomed to the Vengeance, and would lazily hop about in front of us until the last possible moment, much as crows do on our roads today.

One mistimed it: I was charging along on take-off, a long way past V1, there was a heavy thud and a cloud of feathers flew out of the cowl gills and flashed past my cockpit. I'd taken one in between the cylinders. The engine didn't seem to be bothered, but I flew a quick circuit and put it down again.

Panels off and fish the bird out (still in one piece). But half-plucked (wind blast) and lightly browned (cylinder heat). Engine OK, bird Cat 5.

Coming back, there was always a herd of goats on the strip, we had to buzz them off and then do a quick circuit to get down before they drifted back).

Then there were the rats which dug holes in the strip every night - but that's another story. .......

[MPN11]

I don't recall any wildlife on Gemas Strip in Malaya. Just an Army General who dropped in unannounced in the middle of it, with no call from the pilot of his Gazelle. After providing him with a mug of hot soup (it was quite early in the morning) he and his portable obstruction hovered off to the HLS on the edge of the ulu.

ATC ... we are here to serve. :)

[Pontius Navigator]

Danny you remind me:

As the Shack slowly waddled down the taxy way the Captain, John Elias, asked of no one in particular if we knew the difference between Crows and Rooks - pause - Crows are solitary birds and Rooks are in a group.

At this point a solitary Crow flew from one side to the other where there was already a number of birds.

"Captain - Lookout, that Crow has just become a Rook"

[Herod]

OK, quiz time. This may be apocryphal, and I may be totally wrong, but:

At which RAF airfield, now disused, was an aircraft forced to overshoot due to a sheep having been hit by a train?

[MPN11]

oooh ... are we in to GROVE and DEEPDENE territory here?

<pokes distant memory cells>

Damn ... where was that place with the proximate railway?

[ACW342]

Herod,
At a guess, Ballykelly, where the Belfast - Stroke City (Londonderry) main line crossed the main drag several hundred feet up from the threshold. My Vigilant school, 664VGS, used to hold summer camps there when we were based at Belfast City (BHD) where I noticed that the runway had been shortened to bring the threshold inside of the railway line and which was heavily fenced off with razor wire and other security devices.

Our operation there sometimes caused a bit of confusion for those operating into Eglinton airfield about five miles to the west, which was at the time trying to get itself sorted out as a regional hub and had one or two Ryanair flights a day. Teaching circuits to a student one day and listening out on the Eglinton tower frequency, I heard the controller warn an inbound Ryanair flight that "Ballykelly is active and there is traffic downwind for 26" the pilot asked Eglinton "Where is BallyKelly?" and before the controller could answer I just said on the radio "Look out your left window" as an Airbus or a 737 sailed past us sliding down the ILS.
And, of course, in 2006 there was the EirJet Airbus, the crew of which, due I believe to a lack of appropriate nav plates/maps or whatever, landed on R/W 26 and much to the surprise of the crew and passengers was almost immediately surrounded by green land rovers and people in camouflage fatigues who were pointing guns at them. Oooops.

Oh, and talking of apocryphal, I did hear that it all depended as to who pressed the right button first, signalman/controller as to whether the train got right of way or the traffic on finals.

[MPN11]

That sounds familiar!

An 'overseas tour' I happily avoided.

[Fareastdriver]

Gemas Strip in Malaya pilot of his Gazelle

When was that? The Gazelle didn't enter Army service until 1973.

[ACW342]

MPN, I don't understand why. From what I understand, it was a much sought after posting and the airfield was a delight, tucked out of sight of the main camp and MQs at the bottom of the hill and overlooked by Binevenagh Mountain.

[Herod]

Well, that didn't take long, did it?. There may be others but, yes, it was Ballykelly I was thinking of. Home to the original 72 Sqn N.I. detachment in August '69.

[langleybaston]

Guetersloh certainly had a railway, and I seem to remember cattle on the airfield, but not sheep. If not within the perimeter, then certainly only just outside. We could see them from Met., which was at the base of the control tower/ wing ops.
During a spectacular thunderstorm, a lightning strike earthed in a bunch of cows ............ as to injuries, I know not, but the event was recorded for posterity in the Obs Book.
Amost every sort of weather phenomenon could be recorded within the coding system, but "cattle struck by lightning in the vicinity" defied attempts to encode it.

[Dan Gerous]

Talking of barriers, the one at Lossie was the source of endless amusement to the inmates of Gordonstoun, who thought it was funny to jump the fence and raise it during the night. The heavies, getting fed up with this, wired the case to the mains. It must have worked, as they were commended on their initiative, but had to un-wire it.


If we were working on the barrier, we would isolate it locally, so nobody at the tower could raise it whilst we were working on it.

[ACW342]

Strange place that Gordonstoun. We had a period of intense activity at Lossie once, but because there were exams being held just across the fence, circuit patterns were changed and certain flying curtailed. And on another occasion a foreign student was discovered to be partaking of certain illegal substances and was expelled. Daddy sent his no.2 private aeroplane, a Boeing 737, to Lossie to convey him home, somewhere east of Cyprus.

[MPN11]

When was that? The Gazelle didn't enter Army service until 1973.
Ah, probably a Scout, then. It was 1969, Exercise Square Hole.

[chevvron]

Herod,
At a guess, Ballykelly, where the Belfast - Stroke City (Londonderry) main line crossed the main drag several hundred feet up from the threshold. My Vigilant school, 664VGS, used to hold summer camps there when we were based at Belfast City (BHD) where I noticed that the runway had been shortened to bring the threshold inside of the railway line and which was heavily fenced off with razor wire and other security devices.

Oh, and talking of apocryphal, I did hear that it all depended as to who pressed the right button first, signalman/controller as to whether the train got right of way or the traffic on finals.
I was there as a cadet on ATC camp in 1963 and we were told trains had priority.

[Captain Dart]

...only if the train was departing on track?

[Pontius Navigator]

We liked Ballykelly. We had the only flushing toilets on the airfield. We knew when we had a 'scramble free' window when the train was due, but the hovercraft down the runway was unpredictable in all senses.

Then after a few beers in Limavardy, a steak butty in the mess, before a late night supper back at the dispersal.

Bomber Command crews were never underfed.

[chevvron]

We liked Ballykelly. We had the only flushing toilets on the airfield. We knew when we had a 'scramble free' window when the train was due, but the hovercraft down the runway was unpredictable in all senses.

Then after a few beers in Limavardy, a steak butty in the mess, before a late night supper back at the dispersal.

Bomber Command crews were never underfed.
Flushing toilets were installed in airman's barracks by '63.
I know because I was sitting on one one day when one of my mates reached over from the next cubicle and pulled the chain!!

[ACW342]

sooo.... someone pulled your chain then?

[Pontius Navigator]

chevron, unless the barracks were situated in the dispersal areas, only the V-force dispersal had flush toilets there.

[NutLoose]

This should bring back some memories.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/235308925294?hash=item36c981416e:g:GzsAAOSweg5lXOQM

[Krystal n chips]

This should bring back some memories.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/235308925294?hash=item36c981416e:g:GzsAAOSweg5lXOQM

I like the bit about "low mileage " but, probably wisely, doesn't mention "one careful owner / never raced "etc . I recall one at Bruggen that tried some "off roading " one day.

[212man]

“Ideal glamping pod”. I guess their view of glamorous differs from mine!

[NutLoose]

“Ideal glamping pod”. I guess their view of glamorous differs from mine!

I did wonder if it would clear some bridges.

[Krystal n chips]

“Ideal glamping pod”. I guess their view of glamorous differs from mine!

To be fair, it probably will, either static or mobile. There are some very good, and comfortable, conversions around....you wouldn't, for example, class a Sea King as the last word in luxury in its operational form, or a Lynx for that matter, and people will happily pay for the quirky aspect.

This show is worth a visit to get an idea of just what can be done...

Adventure Overland Show – Stratford-upon-Avon Racecourse (adventure-overland-show.com) (https://adventure-overland-show.com/)

[Out Of Trim]

I like the bit about "low mileage " but, probably wisely, doesn't mention "one careful owner / never raced "etc . I recall one at Bruggen that tried some "off roading " one day.

Hmm, I plead guilty to a bit of “off roading” in our Runway Caravan at Wattisham during a runway change. I was cleared to cross the active and proceed along the northern taxiway to the RWY 05 end. Unbeknown to me and without any warning from Local, 2 visiting F-15s taxied out of the Northern HAS site heading towards me. I had nowhere to go to get out of the way except a narrow track to a small airfield building that I decided to try and reverse along. Well, that didn’t quite work out and got stuck with rear wheels in the mud.

The F-15s departed from RWY 23 and I had to be towed out by a version of a Scorpion tank! 👀😬

[langleybaston]

Hmm, I plead guilty to a bit of “off roading” in our Runway Caravan at Wattisham during a runway change. I was cleared to cross the active and proceed along the northern taxiway to the RWY 05 end. Unbeknown to me and without any warning from Local, 2 visiting F-15s taxied out of the Northern HAS site heading towards me. I had nowhere to go to get out of the way except a narrow track to a small airfield building that I decided to try and reverse along. Well, that didn’t quite work out and got stuck with rear wheels in the mud.

The F-15s departed from RWY 23 and I had to be towed out by a version of a Scorpion tank! 👀😬

And it didn't/ doesn't just happen to service drivers.
On a fair few airfields where I worked I was required to hold a local permit or licence and be briefed and tested on taxiway/ runway incursions, red lights, stop signs, the works. Met. was often on the wrong side of the tracks.
Legal, happy and confident until I was a TACEVAL evaluator at Liege. Closely pursued on a taxiway by Mirages [probably fly to survive]. The bonddhu was the only way to go. A nice RAF Rheindahlen big saloon stuck in the clag and a nasty RAF Rheindahlen evaluator slightly ill-disposed towards the hosts.

[POBJOY]

It so happens that the Air Cadets (Gliding) eventually inherited some of these said caravans which was an amazing luxury compared to standing around in the freezing cold. They were used to 'Aldis' the winches for launching, plus performed a wonderful secondary duty of providing tea & buns and preventing hypothermia whilst waiting to be 'catapulted' skyward. It is a shame the 'vans' do not have serial numbers as (as this thread shows) they have a history every bit as interesting as the aircraft they looked after. Not Shure how they were kitted out when new (just a bare shell with greenhouse for us) but a gas cooker and a couple of batteries sufficed to do us proud. Our 'Boss' (always the inventor) actually made up a multi vane windmill out of dural sheet and coupled it up to a 12 volt generator to charge said batteries. This was mounted aloft on a suitable frame but had no speed control so if the wind got up it was 'interesting' and very noisy. The caravans allowed us to replace the 'Bat System' of winch signalling with a simple light control that used a green filter to send a slow flash for take up slack and then quick pulse's for 'All Out'. A steady Red indicated stop winching.
It was amazing how many 'bodies' could be crammed in the space available when it rained or snowed.

[chevvron]

It so happens that the Air Cadets (Gliding) eventually inherited some of these said caravans which was an amazing luxury compared to standing around in the freezing cold.
These 'original' caravans were eventually replaced by a 'new build' towed variant built in the '80s specifically for Air Cadet ops and used for both winch launched and SLMG units. The batteries were kept charged by a small wind driven fan.
Some of these were withdrawn and ended up as surplus and sold in about 2016 but rumour is that somewhere in a hangar there are some brand new ones which have never been used along with some brand new winches.
www.airfieldresearchgroup.org.uk/forum/airfield-vehicles/2787-runway-caravans

[xtp]

0745 on a Monday morning at 3FTS Leeming around 1970 was time to test the crash alarm. It was also time for the weather ship to get airborne.

34 threshold at Leeming was not visible from the tower.

Crash alarm test coincided with the engine of the weather ship JP deciding to disassemble itself spraying rapidly-rotating compressor blades, some of which narrowly missed the caravan and reportedly made a very worrying noise as they sped past..

Tower pressed crash alarm for real after call from QFI. Rest of station assumed finger trouble on test button, which didn't help.

QFI leaped out and broke 100m sprint record. Student was brought short after a few feet by attached dinghy lanyard.

No-one physically hurt, but I never did find out what the caravan occupant thought of it all.

[langleybaston]

0745 on a Monday morning at 3FTS Leeming around 1970 was time to test the crash alarm. It was also time for the weather ship to get airborne.

34 threshold at Leeming was not visible from the tower.

Crash alarm test coincided with the engine of the weather ship JP deciding to disassemble itself spraying rapidly-rotating compressor blades, some of which narrowly missed the caravan and reportedly made a very worrying noise as they sped past..

Tower pressed crash alarm for real after call from QFI. Rest of station assumed finger trouble on test button, which didn't help.

QFI leaped out and broke 100m sprint record. Student was brought short after a few feet by attached dinghy lanyard.

No-one physically hurt, but I never did find out what the caravan occupant thought of it all.

Drat! I missed the fun. Although my permanent post was Leeming I was on det. to Topcliffe ..... much more sedate. As standard procedure, a Crash Alarm caused the observer to do a "Crash Ob". I wonder if he he did two in short order? Followed very soon by the routine 0800?

[Fortissimo]

To continue the crash alarm thread drift, the practice at Valley in the late 70s was to test the tannoy and alarm at midday. This was followed rapidly by the sight of the bridge over the railway line being clogged by administrators, suppliers etc heading off for lunch.

And then came the Royal Visit, when someone realised the test would occur right in the middle of the programme. Answer, test it at 10:00 instead. Result, a Pavlovian response that saw the administrators, suppliers etc. totally confused, milling about trying to go for lunch when they weren’t hungry and when it wasn’t going to be ready for another 2 hrs.

[POBJOY]

These 'original' caravans were eventually replaced by a 'new build' towed variant built in the '80s specifically for Air Cadet ops and used for both winch launched and SLMG units. The batteries were kept charged by a small wind driven fan.
Some of these were withdrawn and ended up as surplus and sold in about 2016 but rumour is that somewhere in a hangar there are some brand new ones which have never been used along with some brand new winches.
www.airfieldresearchgroup.org.uk/forum/airfield-vehicles/2787-runway-caravans
Come on Chev give us a clue, a MB Winch would be great, plus any crated MB Jeeps.
On my first ever visit to Halesland in 1066 (1965) there was a MB 'Wilde' twin drum winch in use, but in the small hangar there lurked a brand new condition V8 Balloon winch which of course had been the original equipment for schools. It was immaculate (not a scratch) and never used. I was a staff cadet on my next visit and had determined to rescue the said equipment and get it out on the field, alas it had gone. Do you know anyone who could use a slightly tatty Dart 15 !!! PM

[chevvron]

At a guess I would say they are at either Stafford or possibly Ruddington; maybe even Syerston.
I've never seen the present winches used by Air Cadets; I believe they can have up to 6 cables.
I remember the days at Halton during a course when we would have 2 x twin drums parked side by side and the driver would jump in and out operating all 4 cables one after the other. We could sometimes use 2 x single drum V8 powered winches side by side too but usually that was normally on a separate 'line' some distance away; we were able to use the whole of the grass airfield in those days rather than just the narrower strips used nowadays.

[POBJOY]

At a guess I would say they are at either Stafford or possibly Ruddington; maybe even Syerston.
I've never seen the present winches used by Air Cadets; I believe they can have up to 6 cables.
I remember the days at Halton during a course when we would have 2 x twin drums parked side by side and the driver would jump in and out operating all 4 cables one after the other. We could sometimes use 2 x single drum V8 powered winches side by side too but usually that was normally on a separate 'line' some distance away; we were able to use the whole of the grass airfield in those days rather than just the narrower strips used nowadays.

The V8's had departed Kenley in the 60's but the 'folklore' they left behind suggested that they could 'shed' fan blades which promptly mated with the next door radiator. This would normally finish operations for the day, but on one occasion a decision was made to repair the rad with matchsticks to try and finish the days operations. Apparently this worked ok and yet another victory was claimed by the 'weekend warriors' .