El Adem 23rd September 1969

[airpolice]

Hi.

At the risk of being accused of teasing...


If the date means anything to any Hunter drivers of the period, please get in touch. The incident involved a 1 (Fighter) Squadron Hunter FGA 9 as far as I can tell.

Or, if you were at EL Adem in September 69, working on the line or in Crash n Smash, you may well feature in this event.

My late brother was a Snowdrop, and an avid photographer, so he has left some interesting pictures from an incident that day, which I want to share.

[MPN11]

Tease :).......

[Barksdale Boy]

That, of course, is roughly when Gadaffi seized power - I remember because our crew had a Conventional Bombing Lone Ranger (CBLR) planned for the last week of September; it was abruptly cancelled.

[jindabyne]

Oops, there's a hill in the way?

[kenparry]

There is something odd here. No 1(F) Sqn had begun Harrier conversion at the end of June 1969, had moved from West Raynham to Wittering, and no longer had any Hunter FGA9s. Nor, according to the information I have, did they go to El Adem in Sept 69.

However: their Hunters were still at West Raynham, as was 54 Sqn, whose Harrier conversion (and renumbering as 4 Sqn) did not start until about early 1970.

It is possible that 54 were using an ex-1 Sqn airframe, still in 1 Sqn colours.

I have checked listed losses, and no Hunter is shown for that date; so, if one was bent, it seems to have been repairable.

[Davef68]

That, of course, is roughly when Gadaffi seized power - I remember because our crew had a Conventional Bombing Lone Ranger (CBLR) planned for the last week of September; it was abruptly cancelled.

The coup was 1/9/69, but I think it was early 1970 before we left El Adem

[MPN11]

the OP says “as far as I can tell”, so until he/she presents some evidence of what he/she is talking about it all seems a bit of a wind up.

[airpolice]

the OP says “as far as I can tell”, so until he/she presents some evidence of what he/she is talking about it all seems a bit of a wind up.


It's a single seat Hunter with a 1 (F) Squadron crest on the side. So... as far as I can tell, it looks like an FGA9 to me.

The only photo I have of aircrew, has his back to the camera, but leg restraint straps on, so I think he will be the hunter driver involved.

The aircraft certainly should have been repairable, a little T-Cut and polish, and some paint, and some filler.

I just wanted to share the pictures with people who were there, before making them public. I also wanted to know a bit more about the reason for the Hunter being there, at that time.

I only have two prints here, dog eared and showing signs of having been printed in 1969, so understandably not in great condition. I hope to obtain boxes of old negatives in the coming weeks, which might produce better images from my brother's time at Waddington and El Adem.

[kenparry]

Oops, there's a hill in the way?

If you are thinking of S***y A*****n bouncing off the escarpment about 5 miles short of rwy 33 at night: I think that was the previous year and a 54 Sqn airframe. As I recall, the aircraft was not damaged, though the pilot's pride was; and two wheelmarks were found at the bounce site.

[Chugalug2]

If it was indeed in 1968, I was at El Adem in July 1968 doing the night flying part of a Hercules conversion course (there were too many retired admirals living in the Thorney Island (242 OCU) area to do it there). We were flying in the same circuit as a Hunter, but flying much wider ones than he was accustomed to. As a result he ended up on an extended final (for him) and got far too low, resulting in the cart tracks mentioned by Ken Parry above.

I think he was doing a refresher course himself, so we felt some sympathy for him. The two a/c types doing night flying training together were incompatible in my view, and better planning might have prevented what could have been far more serious than some dented pride.

[MPN11]

WOT NO PAPIs?

[Chugalug2]

Our night flying training would have included full and restricted lighting (ie no VASIs/PAPIs, no Approach lighting, and limited/omni r/w lights). What the lighting config was at the time of the incident I cannot remember, but suspect that the restricted lighting would not have been a factor or I would have associated that with what happened. Those who have operated at night at El Adem would know that the only lights visible were in the main at El Adem itself, so no horizon or surface orientation available. You might just as easily have been practising night carrier landings, with the added advantage of the lack of surrounding hills or dunes. :E

[MPN11]

hmmmm ... say no more. :(

[Bill Macgillivray]

Agreed!!
Bill

[airpolice]

The incident to which my pictures refer, seems to have happened in bright sunshine.

C'mon guys. There must be Hunter Pilots from September 1969 still out there.

[kenparry]

Yes we are here: at least two of us in the above replies

[kenparry]

I also wanted to know a bit more about the reason for the Hunter being there, at that time.

That bit is easy. The West Raynham Hunter sqns, 1 and 54, each went to El Adem a couple of times a year, 2-3 weeks each time, for Armament Practice Camps, concentrated periods of weapon training on the nearby range in almost constant good weather - as opposed to the almost constant bad weather (I exaggerate slightly) on the UK ranges at Cowden (Yorks) and Theddlethorpe (Lincs).

The El Adem range was also used by 2 & 4 Sqns from Gutersloh, and Canberras from Germany and Cyprus; possibly other sqns as well.

[airpolice]

Bump:

Nobody else from that time?

[Imagegear]

Well yes, but not with much to add to the above. Other than the "ridge bounce", the only other thing I remember was a collapsed nose gear on the short runway I believe.

I heard the crash alarm go and went outside to look but it was too far away to be seen from the Comcen.

IG

[airpolice]

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/871x468/ea1_34d39c90dabda75a83929263dad9d79cdc56e89b.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/855x458/ea2_ef6a30498eccb4d27ce36de9b37419d7e7061c67.jpg
Well yes, but not with much to add to the above. Other than the "ridge bounce", the only other thing I remember was a collapsed nose gear on the short runway I believe.

I heard the crash alarm go and went outside to look but it was too far away to be seen from the Comcen.

IG

That'll do for me.

Here are the scabby prints. I hope to produce much better quality if there is any interest.

You might just make out part of a name on the side of the aircraft.

[Imagegear]

Well blow me down, did we really look like that in those days?

The story went around at the time that the pilot only had main gear greens on his return from the range, A mate said that as soon as the aircraft stopped, he observed a shower of maps, papers, and other bit's and pieces ascending above the cockpit, closely followed by a fast moving pilot sprinting away across the bundu. (Rumour is a wonderful thing)

Thanks for publishing Airpolice, very good pictures by your late brother who was quite talented.

I was often able to watch returning aircraft from my deckchair about 200 yds from the centreline. 1 Sqn and others featured regularly.

A good one for the caption competition me thinks

IG

.

[Pontius Navigator]

Love the pilot (?) pose back to camera, long hair but wearing his SD hat, as one did in those days.

"Nothing to do with me chief"

[Fareastdriver]

But of course. He was a capable navigator as well.

[airpolice]

As soon as I get the negative box from the loft, I'll know if we have more pictures of the incident, but I'm confident there will be all sorts of images from El Adem up until the last day.

[Imagegear]

Ooooer, this might be a print too far??

It wasn't me boss, honest !!!! :eek:

IG

[Pontius Navigator]

But of course. He was a capable navigator as well.
​​​​​​As capable as a pilot too 😀

(Joking that it was PE and not nose wheel failure)

I remember a flight of Hunters from HK to Brunei - they had a real navigator to lead them in a Canberra.

[kenparry]

Love the pilot (?) pose back to camera, long hair but wearing his SD hat, as one did in those days.

"Nothing to do with me chief"

Probably was nothing to with him. For a range trip ex El Adem, nobody would take their SD cap on board. My guess is that he is the auth, gone out by Land Rover, to inspect the mess and try to find out if he himself is in any trouble.

[airpolice]

He's certainly dressed for flying, g-trouser tube sticking out as well as leg restraints.

I'm now really keen to see what other images we have in the box.

[rlsbutler]

​​​​​​ I remember a flight of Hunters from HK to Brunei - they had a real navigator to lead them in a Canberra.

My crew did one of those trips in the early 60s. I am sure they were happy to have someone do the nav for them, but it was ideal weather and whoever was navigating could see clearly to the horizon in all directions. I felt we were principally a mobile Ops Room in case one of the Hunters chose to drop out.