Pontius Navigator

[Janda]

Has anyone on here have info about Pontious Navigator. He has been a prolific poster but seems to have been silent for many months. He would be 80+ so maybe he could be navigating in the heavens.

[NutLoose]

I hope not :(

[mopardave]

Has anyone on here have info about Pontious Navigator. He has been a prolific poster but seems to have been silent for many months. He would be 80+ so maybe he could be navigating in the heavens.
Apologies for possibly hi jacking things a little, but so was Smujsmith........he's gone quiet too????

[SLXOwft]

Funnily enough I was thinking the same recently. (PN)

According his profile he will be 81 on April 25th.

Last Activity: 14th Aug 2023 19:33

Also I can't remember seeing any posts from the slightly younger TTN since he thanked those who had expressed concern during his absence due to caring for his wife and said he hoped to be back on frequency more often.

[RubiC Cube]

Unfortunately I fear the worst. I can’t remember his wife’s name, but I saw a funeral notice last October for Gillian aged 82 wife of the late Roy in Lincoln.

[Janda]

Unfortunately I fear the worst. I can’t remember his wife’s name, but I saw a funeral notice last October for Gillian aged 82 wife of the late Roy in Lincoln.
Rubic I believe his wife was/is called Helen. Met her a couple of times at crew parties in the 70's.

[longer ron]

Yep I was thinking about PN,TTN and Smuj just the other day - keeping fingers crossed they are ok.

[RubiC Cube]

Yes, you are correct, I remember now. We must have been on the same squadron?

[Janda]

Yes, you are correct, I remember now. We must have been on the same squadron?
I was with Roy on 201 and 8 Sqns.

[NutLoose]

We should all leave a note for someone just in case of our demise, to please post on here to inform people who might wish to morn / attend.

[MPN11]

We should all leave a note for someone just in case of our demise, to please post on here to inform people who might wish to morn / attend.
Added to my checklist for the OH/Executors!

[DeanoP]

Smuj's Last activity on this site was 15th Nov 2019. I fear the worst.

[Barksdale Boy]

He was certainly called Roy.

[NutLoose]

The only Roy I could find in the rough timeframe is

https://funeral-notices.co.uk/notice/deaney/5162769

Is the surname correct?

[Janda]

The only Roy I could find in the rough timeframe is

https://funeral-notices.co.uk/notice/deaney/5162769

Is the surname correct?
That is not him Nutty. As he hopefully is still with us I cannot confirm his surname.

[RubiC Cube]

I was with Roy on 201 and 8 Sqns.
201 it was

[Janda]

I have found out that PN was fine and in good spirits at the end of last year. It seems my concerns were unfounded.

[RubiC Cube]

Roy was alive and well on 7 Mar 24 when he gave a presentation at King’s College London (along with Robbie Woolven)

[Janda]

Roy was alive and well on 7 Mar 24 when he gave a presentation at King’s College London (along with Robbie Woolven)
Good to know Rubic. I also flew with Robbie on 201 Sqn. Sent you a PM.

[NutLoose]

Good to hear, so the classic case of another Navigator who simply appears to have got lost…

..

[son of brommers]

Good to here, so the classic case of another Navigator who simply appears to have got lost…
never lost, merely exploring alternative locations?

[SLXOwft]

Never lost, merely temporarily mislaid due to receipt of insufficient or inaccurate data.

[212man]

never lost, merely exploring alternative locations?
I thought in a temporary circle of uncertainty, of unknown radius.

[treadigraph]

We should all leave a note for someone just in case of our demise, to please post on here to inform people
I'd ask them to start posting the occasional sepulchral message on my behalf...

[dead_pan]

It may come as a shock to some that PPRuNe may not necessarily be the centre of people's social lives. Just sayin'

[Four Turbo]

My Nav was never 'lost'. When he went quiet I knew he was 'uncertain of our position'. He then went into a long and complicated 'most probable position' plot on the Gibson method. This kept him busy until something useful turned up. Alastair Naysmith - best man I ever flew with.

[ORAC]

Not sure of his position - but on time….

[reynoldsno1]

All hail the multi-transferred single position line and multiple MPP ....

[oxenos]

And the fix consisting of an ASR boundary, an isogonal, and a bearing the nav found in his nav bag left over from the trip before last.

[Cornish Jack]

QTE IMI (barred)
QTG IMI (barred)
"Thanks Siggy, got another couple of those ?"

"One degree port, Skip"
"... can't be arsed with small course changes like that !"
"OK - 6 degrees port, please "
"that's more like it"
"Thanks Skip, now, 5 degrees starboard "
" ...???"
:p

[Biggus]

Aircraft currently heading 355, call from navigator... "come right 6 degrees onto 361"...

[Herod]

"I recognise this place; I've been lost here before"

[cliver029]

I too have been wondering about Pontius Navigator and TTN, their knowledge of the V Force and as a pair of Nav Radar aces, (my interest in them is as an L-FIT NBS man) their knowledge of parts of the system that were not even in my (“top secret) :-)” tech manuals.

On a more somber note every so often someone will resurrect an old thread and you will remember names that dropped off without being noticed. In earlier times there would be threads in Jet Blast dedicated to say an individuals ailments (often terminal) and other posters would share experiences often in a similar position staying with them, that doesn’t seem to happen anymore, yes there are people posting on JB relating to their daily happenings but not to the extent as before.

As some above say above it’s a idea if there could a flag of sorts, should people want one?

thanks

Clive

[NutLoose]

I too have been wondering about Pontius Navigator and TTN, their knowledge of the V Force and as a pair of Nav Radar aces, (my interest in them is as an L-FIT NBS man) their knowledge of parts of the system that were not even in my (“top secret) :-)” tech manuals.

On a more somber note every so often someone will resurrect an old thread and you will remember names that dropped off without being noticed. In earlier times there would be threads in Jet Blast dedicated to say an individuals ailments (often terminal) and other posters would share experiences often in a similar position staying with them, that doesn’t seem to happen anymore, yes there are people posting on JB relating to their daily happenings but not to the extent as before.

As some above say above it’s a idea if there could a flag of sorts, should people want one?

thanks

Clive

Cliff nemo was one that quietly left us, he of gaining my wings in the ww2 RAF thread.

[stevef]

Wander00 hasn't posted since Dec 22. He'd be 80 now.

[Tengah Type]

WanderOO was alive and well when I had lunch with him on 2 March this year.

[NutLoose]

Did you let him know he was no more?

[ETOPS]

cliver029

that doesn’t seem to happen

There is a new section for that..

https://www.pprune.org/departure-lounge-141/

[BEagle]

It may come as a shock to some that PPRuNe may not necessarily be the centre of people's social lives. Just sayin'

That's hardly surprising, considering the utter drivel so frequently posted on PPRuNe these days.....

[Gordon Brown]

That's hardly surprising, considering the utter drivel so frequently posted on PPRuNe these days.....

I couldn’t agree more. What this site needs is more Vulcan stories.

[Navaleye]

I couldn’t agree more. What this site needs is more Vulcan stories.
I met PN (Roy) on the QE2 about 15 years ago. We had a long chat and he told me about intercepting the same Bear twice on one sortie in a Shack. He lectured on V bombers on board and very good they were too.

Much missed

​​​​​​

[Barksdale Boy]

I couldn’t agree more. What this site needs is more Vulcan stories.
SkyNews yesterday showed a clip of David Cameron meeting Xi Jinping in a British pub in 2015. In the background was a framed picture of a Vulcan. It looked like a Squadron Prints depiction of 390 or 392 with 617sqn markings. Any thoughts?

[Navaleye]

I met PN (Roy) on the QE2 about 15 years ago. We had a long chat and he told me about intercepting the same Bear twice on one sortie in a Shack. He lectured on V bombers on board and very good they were too.

Hopefully just a keyboard brwak

​​​​​​

I understand he's still in the left seat

[Navaleye]

SkyNews yesterday showed a clip of David Cameron meeting Xi Jinping in a British pub in 2015. In the background was a framed picture of a Vulcan. It looked like a Squadron Prints depiction of 390 or 392 with 617sqn markings. Any thoughts?

I can tell you exactly how and from where that picture got there - me!

It used to hang in the officers mess at RAF North Front (Gib). It is signed by several members of Dams raid.

I was staying on the Sunborn and it was given to me by an old boy who was night security there. Ex RAF.

At the same time, the owners of that pub near Chequers were staying there also. We got drinking and talking. Turns out that the pub is an RAF pub so I donated it to them for safe keeping with instructions to keep it out of the sun to stop it fading.

I hope that answers your question!

[Not Long Here]

Officers Mess North Front - what a great little mess it was

[kenparry]

Sadly long gone: many years ago it became a joint-service NCOs mess, but Google Earth now shows the whole area to have been redeveloped.

[NutLoose]

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1200x769/_u_http_3a_2f_2fi_huffpost_com_2fgadgets_2fslideshows_2f4595 62_2fslide_459562_6197342_free_bfecc9eb7278a6de3ad9e015500f8 4b555b824cc.jpg

[Barksdale Boy]

I can tell you exactly how and from where that picture got there - me!

It used to hang in the officers mess at RAF North Front (Gib). It is signed by several members of Dams raid.

I was staying on the Sunborn and it was given to me by an old boy who was night security there. Ex RAF.

At the same time, the owners of that pub near Chequers were staying there also. We got drinking and talking. Turns out that the pub is an RAF pub so I donated it to them for safe keeping with instructions to keep it out of the sun to stop it fading.

I hope that answers your question!
It does - precisely!

[treadigraph]

That would make a good caption contest pic...

[Navaleye]

That would make a good caption contest pic...
Dave: "What do
​​you fancy for lunch Xi me ole mucker?"

​​​​​​Xi: "I'll have a 14, a 7, a 9 and lychees please Dave and a bag of chips"

[Asturias56]

"personally I prefer 'Spoons Dave"

[Barksdale Boy]

I think P/N got accelerated promotion to Flight Lieutenant. Does that still happen?

[Not Long Here]

As a Flying Officer First Nav on 42 Sqn the boss got me accelerated to Flight Lieutenant by a year. That occurred in 1979 when we also got a big pay rise. My salary nearly doubled overnight and was promptly wiped out as SWMBO announced she was pregnant and had to give up work.

[phil9560]

I can't wait for the man himself to reappear.

[Old-Duffer]

But is there any news on TTN? I served with him in Hong Kong, where he was station 'Rock' before he left to be a Nav. Reunited through pprune and I know he sold medals and stuff and I think his son was in the army. His wife was a QA nurse

Old Duffer