F14 intercepts Space Shuttle, ah no it’s a Vulcan

[Bagheera S]

A nice little tail.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-fUsuFRGdhc

[Wensleydale]

Back in 1981, a Shackleton stumbled across a USN Battlegroup in the SWAPPs and was intercepted by said F-14s. Listening to the radios, the Shack crew heard "Gee Sir, I don't know. I think its a Liberator".

[NIREP reader]

Brilliant, thanks for posting.

[Shackman]

Not for the first time. landing at Souda Bay in '72 we were described by a couple of USAF aircraft behind as a Liberator, and again in '75 on the way into Mildenhall. Recognition never seemed to be their (US) strongpoint - even in a Chinook we were described as hostile on one occasion.

[BEagle]

Pottering about at low level over the Med once in a Vulcan, we were intercepted by an F-14. No doubt our meandering MRR boat-spotting had raised their concern, but a friendly wave and away they went back to the 'boat'. On another occasion the ItAF scrambled a couple of F-104s when we'd climbed back up to high level on our way back to Malta - from the south, which must have sparked interest as it would have looked like something of Gaddafi's heading towards Italy!

Although our VC10K was described by a couple of Keflavik-based Sloe Gins as 'a British Nimrod' and the TriStar which came to take over 'our' Bear as 'an airliner', the aircraft recce skills of our own phighter mates weren't too hot. Out of Cyprus one crew spotted a 'weird 4-tailed aircraft' and had no idea what a USN Greyhound was. My captain in the F-104 intercept thought the F-104s were Libyan Floggers....

Tragically, the 1994 mis-ID of a couple of Blackhawks as Hinds by a pair of F-15s wasn't picked up by the E-3 crew, with the devastating consequence of 26 deaths. It was probably rather unfortunate at a later OPC mass brief to reply "Hind - waste the mutha!" when the aircraft recce quiz briefer put up a slide of an F-15...…

During Desert Storm, one crews replied in the affirmative when asked if a USN aircraft could have some fuel - and promptly cleared an EA-3B Skywarrior to refuel from a wing pod...at night. That must have been interesting!

While it's amusing to note peacetime recce goofs, it's a subject which fighter crews should take very seriously!

[megan]

cleared an EA-3B Skywarrior to refuel from a wing pod...at night. That must have been interestingWhy so Beags? Physical size of the Skywarrior?

[Just This Once...]

Presumably the size - 'The Whale' was not your typical wing-pod receiver.

I think it was the last USN carrier aircraft fitted with twin turreted hand-warmers:


https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1334x1151/9a943de040d036dc9cddcb47f7c88781_ea42127d4a1e03ba031fe7e0cad 2bf3f0fd6ae0c.jpg

Deleted in later versions in favour of a small coffee pot and/or ECM system.

[Wensleydale]

I reckon that happens when you fly some vintage kit. Do fast jets fly close to stall speed when shadowing a Shackleton? :}

It sometimes put them off kilter when you overtook a "fast" jet though.....

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x800/shack_1deab4c39ac65d8a38c406a20716ed7332c9f06d.jpg

[lsh]

Back in 1981, a Shackleton stumbled across a USN Battlegroup in the SWAPPs and was intercepted by said F-14s. Listening to the radios, the Shack crew heard "Gee Sir, I don't know. I think its a Liberator".

"The Final Countdown"?!

lsh

[Jump Complete]

"The Final Countdown"?!

lsh

The F14 pilot in the Vulcan intercept WAS one of the F14 pilots for that film.

[Kimmeros]

In around 1985, whopping along over the US in a VC10 about as high (430?) and fast as it would go, the controller asked in some astonishment "So what the hell kind of airplane is a VC10?". The captain very drily and quickly: "It's an all-metal monoplane with a fully enclosed cockpit" which h summed it up nicely.

[Tashengurt]

The F14 pilot in the Vulcan intercept WAS one of the F14 pilots for that film.

Was he the one who had the brown adrenaline moment?

[Janda]

Wensleydale any idea when this was take? I flew on Shacks in the 80's and did several Red Can exercises (exercise defecting aircraft). Note the Star on rear door. I think that is a 41 Sqn Jag so would it have been Conningsby?

[Jump Complete]

Was he the one who had the brown adrenaline moment?
No, he was the other one! The clip shown above is part of a long interview where he goes into more detail about the film and other parts of his career. One thing he mentions was that they wanted the F14s to have the wings swept (cos it looks cool) flying behind the T6s, acting as Zeros, which obviously wasn’t going to work!

[ORAC]

Wensleydale any idea when this was take? I flew on Shacks in the 80's and did several Red Can exercises (exercise defecting aircraft). Note the Star on rear door. I think that is a 41 Sqn Jag so would it have been Conningsby? You remind of a story.....

Sitting there at Neatishead during a major SIMEX, thinking myself lucky I was at work whilst Coltishall was on TACEVAL, using the SIMEX as a background for injects but with a list of simulated inputs to pass down the line to them (Reinforced Alert measures, air raid warnings etc.)

During all this a Shaklebomber pops up on check-in and asks the FM to tell Coltishall we have a defecting Bear-B with Nukes on board which we have been instructed to escort to Coltishall with an ETA of XXXX. FM calls bridge and CONEX (older name for MC) who tells me to go ahead and pass message. Pick up phone and dutifully tell Colt ATC and ask them to advise Ops.

A couple of minutes pass and CONEX phone rings and it is the COC at Colt who as if this is Exercise or Live. CONEX, working on assumption that they are asking if this is a paper inject or a real aircraft replies live.

Coltishall, working on assumption this means it is real bear as opposed to an exercise Bear immediately call ENDEX, call out real live-armed guards, put station on lockdown and prepare to have Nuke armed Bear stuck in middle of runway.

Great tension at Coltishall - until Shaklebomber slips of the fence and lands on runway where crew (with red stars stuck on SD hats and cotton wool around the toes of their boots, then vacate the aircraft and scatter.

At which stage the brown stuff hits the fan....

[Haraka]

"I think that is a 41 Sqn Jag so would it have been Conningsby?"
41 were Recce Phantoms at Coningsby , the Jags started up at Coltishall in 1976 or so, and the badge transferred

[NutLoose]

Having to fly for hours in a Shack, one could understand why they would want to defect ;)

[Janda]

"I think that is a 41 Sqn Jag so would it have been Conningsby?"
41 were Recce Phantoms at Coningsby , the Jags started up at Coltishall in 1976 or so, and the badge transferred
Thanks Haraka memory is fading!!

[Janda]

Having to fly for hours in a Shack, one could understand why they would want to defect ;)
We had to fly those hours so we could eat all the rations.

[Airbubba]

Back in 1981, a Shackleton stumbled across a USN Battlegroup in the SWAPPs and was intercepted by said F-14s. Listening to the radios, the Shack crew heard "Gee Sir, I don't know. I think its a Liberator".

I saw a Shackleton in Gibraltar in the 1970s and asked if it was a Lincoln.

[Tashengurt]

I saw a Shackleton in Gibraltar in the 1970s and asked if it was a Lincoln.

Not far off really.

[megan]

Thanks JTO, only affiliation with the A-3 was our swim/water survival instructor at basic, rode through a ditching in one after a hook/wire fail or cold cat, forget which. Nothing like having a guy teach who has been there.

[Lookleft]

Would the Vulcan really have had no idea that the F-14s were intercepting?

[Timelord]

Very unlikely to have picked them up visually given the size of the windows. Electronic detection would have depended on what was fitted / serviceable and being monitored. If they were simply on a transit they may well not have been paying too much attention.

[walbut]

The mention of the Vulcan pilot eating an egg sandwich reminded me of a 1970's incident report of an RAF Phantom pilot or navigator, who was about to eat a cheese sandwich when it spontaneously combusted as a result of its proximity to the oxygen flow from his face mask.

[JonnyT1978]

Presumably the size - 'The Whale' was not your typical wing-pod receiver.

I think it was the last USN carrier aircraft fitted with twin turreted hand-warmers:

<img redacted>

Deleted in later versions in favour of a small coffee pot and/or ECM system.

Wasn't the Skywarrior nicknamed 'All 3 Dead' by crews, in reference to the original A3D designation and the lack of ejection seats, especially when compared to its' cousin the B-66 Destroyer?

[50+Ray]

Back in the early/mid 70s I recall being claimed as a kill by an F14 at 90 miles range on the nose. We were at FL430 doing a bit of boring MRR on Ex Dawn Patrol)?) out of Malta. Some AI radars we could not hear when in particular modes, and I certainly did not hear that one coming.

[Boeing Jet]

I have read of a case involving a Vulcan & UFO in the Bay Of Biscay 1970's. In which they saw the object through the cockpit window, and the nav had picked it up on his radar & the crew filed a report.

[NutLoose]

The Secret Files The Unidentified (http://www.uk-ufo.org/condign/secfilunid2.htm)

[ShyTorque]

During the late 1970s, as part of my OCU course on the Puma helicopter, we did a Germany “trainer” flight. My instructor booked us into the US Army helicopter base at Heidelberg for a night stop because he had friends there. As we ground taxied in, it seemed that almost half the base personnel came out to watch us. We were very impressed with such hospitality until we discovered that most of them thought we were flying a defecting Warsaw Pact “Hip” helicopter.....

At that time, there were no Pumas based in West Germany and there is a vague resemblance, I suppose. I wouldn’t have fancied our chances in the event of the Cold War going “hot”; we’d have been shot at by both sides!

[Blue_Circle]

Not for the first time. landing at Souda Bay in '72 we were described by a couple of USAF aircraft behind as a Liberator, and again in '75 on the way into Mildenhall. Recognition never seemed to be their (US) strongpoint - even in a Chinook we were described as hostile on one occasion.

The armour identification skills of their pilots are equally dubious as many friendly crews have found out to their cost.

[Ascend Charlie]

The mention of the Vulcan pilot eating an egg sandwich reminded me of a 1970's incident report of an RAF Phantom pilot or navigator, who was about to eat a cheese sandwich when it spontaneously combusted as a result of its proximity to the oxygen flow from his face mask.

Is this a variation of the Urban Myth of the Sabre pilot on climbout, whose moustache caught on fire when the oxy made it to 100%? He had eaten a peanut butter sandwich before taking off.

[Finningley Boy]

Would the Vulcan really have had no idea that the F-14s were intercepting?
It was during the lunch break evidently.

FB

[geo10]

Well, that was a great interview

[NutLoose]

During the late 1970s, as part of my OCU course on the Puma helicopter, we did a Germany “trainer” flight. My instructor booked us into the US Army helicopter base at Heidelberg for a night stop because he had friends there. As we ground taxied in, it seemed that almost half the base personnel came out to watch us. We were very impressed with such hospitality until we discovered that most of them thought we were flying a defecting Warsaw Pact “Hip” helicopter.....

At that time, there were no Pumas based in West Germany and there is a vague resemblance, I suppose. I wouldn’t have fancied our chances in the event of the Cold War going “hot”; we’d have been shot at by both sides!

And having some Colonials laughing at our Wessex and pointing out they had them in Vietnam, I replied erm... and those? pointing at their Chinook behind them.

[chopper2004]

And having some Colonials laughing at our Wessex and pointing out they had them in Vietnam, I replied erm... and those? pointing at their Chinook behind them.

Went to visit SK in Jan 94 with my best mate (who ended going in and retiring as a Wing Commander end of last year) on holiday to see family in HK. Anyhow picked up a copy of the last ever Gai Lung, base magazine. The front cover showed one of the Tarawa class LHD in dock at HMS Tamar on a visit with 28 Sqn mount flying over it as welcome. Flight deck full of Post Desert Storm Battle grey Air Combat Element (CH-46E Phrogs, AV-8B Harrier II, AH-1W SuperCobra/UH-1N and CH-53E Super Stallion).

28 Sqn crews laughingly said the Flying Leathernecks thought they thought they were in a time warp looking at the Wessex thinking of their generation before flying the UH-34D Seahorse from Da Nang 2 and half decades earlier...

cheers

[chopper2004]

No, he was the other one! The clip shown above is part of a long interview where he goes into more detail about the film and other parts of his career. One thing he mentions was that they wanted the F14s to have the wings swept (cos it looks cool) flying behind the T6s, acting as Zeros, which obviously wasn’t going to work!

Filming on the Nimitz was cut short as the carrier had to sail at speed to the Arabian Gulf response to the Iranian hostage situation / Eagle Claw as I recall. The opening scene was at NAS Key West with the pair of F-14A lift off and when the SH-3D touched down to resemble NAS Barbers Point. There was filming also at Pearl with Tydeman Industries limo with Martin Sheens character inside entering the base.

The A-7E emergency was actually a real incident as they were filming and kept the scene in...

cheers


cheers

[geo10]

I have now watched the full two hour interview, and there are some great stories and advice in there -not only for aviation.
(cannot provide a link here but it's in the same channel as you probably already know)

[olddog]

Do interceptors sometimes fly close to their stalling speed? Yes. Sometimes the target is more manoevrable at those speeds than the Interceptor. I recall a Lightning was lost in the 70s whilst shadowing a Shackleton posing as a defector duringm a Taceval. The Lightning was eventually found with the canopy open and the ejector seat on board but the pilot (a US exchnge officer) was never found.

[Finningley Boy]

Do interceptors sometimes fly close to their stalling speed? Yes. Sometimes the target is more manoevrable at those speeds than the Interceptor. I recall a Lightning was lost in the 70s whilst shadowing a Shackleton posing as a defector duringm a Taceval. The Lightning was eventually found with the canopy open and the ejector seat on board but the pilot (a US exchnge officer) was never found.
Would that be Captain Schaefer? back in September 1970? The story widely reported was that he had gone up to chase down a UFO. His aircraft was later seen floating on the surface of the North Sea and was spotted by the Shackleton, initially they saw him getting out of the cockpit but he had disappeared on the second pass.

FB

[isaneng]

For Beags, Megan, etc

You COULD fit 2 EA-6B on the pods on a 10.

If they both held about 20-30 degs bank to raise the inboard wingtip.

Yep. Sowwy. You live and learn.

[Wensleydale]

Would that be Captain Schaefer? back in September 1970? The story widely reported was that he had gone up to chase down a UFO. His aircraft was later seen floating on the surface of the North Sea and was spotted by the Shackleton, initially they saw him getting out of the cockpit but he had disappeared on the second pass.

FB

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1361/lightg_7e2e5e32c9b6b11e6be2bf67c05dccf55b85434c.jpg

[geo10]

Here is a BBC story on the Lightning accident ^. The title can be a bit misleading.
BBC Inside Out - Disappearance of RAF pilot (http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/yorkslincs/series1/alien-abduction.shtml)
(thread jack off)