Did You Fly The Vulcan?? (Merged)
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Originally Posted by forget
All flight crew were commisioned.
Mixed Formation
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
allisonCc.
Quite correct. Unfortunately this one crew/one crew chief had an unfortunate side effect. As there were rather more CC than crews I think that this meant that some CC did not get as many trips as the others. Certainly at Cottesmore they tried to break the cartel but there were ways and means . . .
Our Chief was Taff Skuse. The first time I came across him was in a p*ss*ng contest on Penang when we were on detachment. Back in UK he then became our CC. At Akrotiri once we 'assisted' a Blue Steel crew who had sliced their wing open with the upraised door of a safety razor. Bodge tape and a Libyan LL flown before a hasty skin repair. I don't think that one made the 700.
Same trip we had a fire tech box change. Real p*ss*r as it was a 200 series engine and we had to take the tail pipe cone off then slide the jet pipe out. I think this was pushing aircrew servicing rather further than the Broadhurst, original CinC had intended. Still Akrotiri, true to its present self, nothing was too much for them. They didn't do anything at all. We were assisted by an ex-V-force Chief on his time off.
Then Stateside we had the Western Ranger to end all WR although I know lots of crews tried. All hot to trot we went out to the aircraft only for Taff to explain that the alternator flashing warning was not working and we would need a box from UK. Week later, back to the jet, pitot-statics iced up. Wonder why? Nothing to do with removing the pitot covers the previous week
.
Aircraft now needs defuelling before it can go in the shed. Wether attrocious Looking Glass airborne and on AAR/Divert so no empty bowsers. Eventually system dried out, refuelled, hot to trot - Goose out. Next day Offutt out. Eventually, at Goose, HF u/s. Unable to fly across pond without HF.
Now disaster struck. Taff must have taken his eye off the ball. Some fairies 'borrowed' some co-ax from our cousins and we came serviceable at 2200 GT. (GT=Gin and Tonic).
Skipper was sick before we got airborne. Plotter had elected to fly southern route through St Mawgan. Skipper wakes up, takes command and calls Scottish. Pissed off London controller and skipped goes back to bye-byes.
I don't think they let us out with Taff again. Oh, and the flashing warning? NNF.
Quite correct. Unfortunately this one crew/one crew chief had an unfortunate side effect. As there were rather more CC than crews I think that this meant that some CC did not get as many trips as the others. Certainly at Cottesmore they tried to break the cartel but there were ways and means . . .
Our Chief was Taff Skuse. The first time I came across him was in a p*ss*ng contest on Penang when we were on detachment. Back in UK he then became our CC. At Akrotiri once we 'assisted' a Blue Steel crew who had sliced their wing open with the upraised door of a safety razor. Bodge tape and a Libyan LL flown before a hasty skin repair. I don't think that one made the 700.
Same trip we had a fire tech box change. Real p*ss*r as it was a 200 series engine and we had to take the tail pipe cone off then slide the jet pipe out. I think this was pushing aircrew servicing rather further than the Broadhurst, original CinC had intended. Still Akrotiri, true to its present self, nothing was too much for them. They didn't do anything at all. We were assisted by an ex-V-force Chief on his time off.
Then Stateside we had the Western Ranger to end all WR although I know lots of crews tried. All hot to trot we went out to the aircraft only for Taff to explain that the alternator flashing warning was not working and we would need a box from UK. Week later, back to the jet, pitot-statics iced up. Wonder why? Nothing to do with removing the pitot covers the previous week
.Aircraft now needs defuelling before it can go in the shed. Wether attrocious Looking Glass airborne and on AAR/Divert so no empty bowsers. Eventually system dried out, refuelled, hot to trot - Goose out. Next day Offutt out. Eventually, at Goose, HF u/s. Unable to fly across pond without HF.
Now disaster struck. Taff must have taken his eye off the ball. Some fairies 'borrowed' some co-ax from our cousins and we came serviceable at 2200 GT. (GT=Gin and Tonic).
Skipper was sick before we got airborne. Plotter had elected to fly southern route through St Mawgan. Skipper wakes up, takes command and calls Scottish. Pissed off London controller and skipped goes back to bye-byes.
I don't think they let us out with Taff again. Oh, and the flashing warning? NNF.
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Originally Posted by RevMan2
Can someone jog my memory? If I recall correctly (or perhaps not), 101 Squadron was represented at an RNZAF airshow at Ohakea in the mid-60s with a Vulcan (The same show where an RNZAF Sunderland did a slow (well, yes...), low flypast and grounded on the runway centreline)
Was 101 Finingley or Wittering based at the time? John Ramsden was STO at either (or both) stations, I believe.
Was 101 Finingley or Wittering based at the time? John Ramsden was STO at either (or both) stations, I believe.
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Originally Posted by eagle 86
Does anyone recall a Vulcan accident where the PIC was a RAAF chap on exchange tour with RAF and the circumstances surrounding it?
GAGS
E86
GAGS
E86
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Originally Posted by Pontius Navigator
Aircraft now needs defuelling before it can go in the shed. Wether attrocious Looking Glass airborne and on AAR/Divert so no empty bowsers. Eventually system dried out, refuelled, hot to trot - Goose out. Next day Offutt out. Eventually, at Goose, HF u/s. Unable to fly across pond without HF.
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eagle 86, further to the USAF exchange on Vulcans. One, Dick Shabot (sp?) was the ex on the Bomber Command Bombing School. Very old-school SAC and totally out of touch with typical brit irreverant humour.
Don't recall one at Finningley but that may have been the BCBS slot once Lindholme closed. Ops 2 at Bawtry was also USAF and nails the fact of USAF exchange. Because he was a foreign national Ops 1 needed a UK side-kick to cover for leave etc, hence Ops 1a was a Flt Lt slot. Whenever Ops 2 went into Ops 1/1a domain he would knock on the door "Lock up your Guard" so they could hide any UK Eyes stuff.
There were a number of NZ and Aussie in the V-force but they were RAF and not exchange.
Don't recall one at Finningley but that may have been the BCBS slot once Lindholme closed. Ops 2 at Bawtry was also USAF and nails the fact of USAF exchange. Because he was a foreign national Ops 1 needed a UK side-kick to cover for leave etc, hence Ops 1a was a Flt Lt slot. Whenever Ops 2 went into Ops 1/1a domain he would knock on the door "Lock up your Guard" so they could hide any UK Eyes stuff.
There were a number of NZ and Aussie in the V-force but they were RAF and not exchange.
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The one I met was more David Niven. A real gent, no side, Gp Capt Ulf Burberry. He took us 'up' in the lift to the underground command post.
We went up 2-3 floors, swapped lifts, and descended into the bowls of the earth. Lots of doors, lots of guards, lots of cameras. "What is your security clearance?" we were asked. Blank looks then Ulf supplied "UK Tops Secret" and the doors opened. We then passed down a large corridor/road hewn out of bed rock before entering the capsule. . . .
We went up 2-3 floors, swapped lifts, and descended into the bowls of the earth. Lots of doors, lots of guards, lots of cameras. "What is your security clearance?" we were asked. Blank looks then Ulf supplied "UK Tops Secret" and the doors opened. We then passed down a large corridor/road hewn out of bed rock before entering the capsule. . . .
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Two RAAF TPs flew the Vs at Boscombe Down in the late 50s.
Had a couple of close encounters in the Vulcan Mk1 taking one to the flight test corner of the envelope - 415 Kias, 0.98 IMN, 3.5g. Ran out of elevator and pitched hard nose down with stick hard against the rear stop. Was about to go under and roll upright up the other side but power off and speed brakes together with rapidly increasing air density eventually allowed for a pull out. Max IMN was about 1.05.
Then the second Valiant prototype broke a main wing spar soon after an AUW measured take off with Super Sprites. That's enough to give one a touch of PTSD.
Had a couple of close encounters in the Vulcan Mk1 taking one to the flight test corner of the envelope - 415 Kias, 0.98 IMN, 3.5g. Ran out of elevator and pitched hard nose down with stick hard against the rear stop. Was about to go under and roll upright up the other side but power off and speed brakes together with rapidly increasing air density eventually allowed for a pull out. Max IMN was about 1.05.
Then the second Valiant prototype broke a main wing spar soon after an AUW measured take off with Super Sprites. That's enough to give one a touch of PTSD.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Milt, very interesting. Certainly non-operational flying, such as TP, would not have been security embargoed. More interestingly is the 415 KIAS you mention. This was also the fabled once only Vne for our war mission. Now I wonder if that was the reason and wonder whether the Mk 2 or 1a were ever tested at 415 kts.
During one exercise our g/s at release was 415 kts at 500 feet. We were shaking fit to burst and the Calc 5 height carriage was jumping up and down causing the range marker to jitter. This was in 1965 over France with a Vatour in hot pursuit - we won. At that time the 415 kts was not widely known.
Our training LL speed was 250 kts for fatigue and 350 kts for simulated laydoww or popup attacks and not more than was necessary and no more than 10 minutes. Operationally our LL cruise was 325 kts with 375 kts max.
At Farnborough one year the display pilot apparently misread the ASI and accelerated to 475 rather than 375!
During one exercise our g/s at release was 415 kts at 500 feet. We were shaking fit to burst and the Calc 5 height carriage was jumping up and down causing the range marker to jitter. This was in 1965 over France with a Vatour in hot pursuit - we won. At that time the 415 kts was not widely known.
Our training LL speed was 250 kts for fatigue and 350 kts for simulated laydoww or popup attacks and not more than was necessary and no more than 10 minutes. Operationally our LL cruise was 325 kts with 375 kts max.
At Farnborough one year the display pilot apparently misread the ASI and accelerated to 475 rather than 375!
Samuel wrote:
Well you can bet your bottom (Canadian) dollar that it wasn't Finningley!
My reason for the reticence is that I am very curious to know if the story got out. I don't think it did, so I was wondering if anyone (other than the participants) would recognise the photos.
YS
Well...the two accompanying aircraft are CT-!!4 Tutors: Canadian, therefore it's Canada!
My reason for the reticence is that I am very curious to know if the story got out. I don't think it did, so I was wondering if anyone (other than the participants) would recognise the photos.
YS
Did Abbotsford Airshow, Aug 1983, Chris Lumb (OC 50) & John Laycock (OC Waddo) - last year of both Vulcan & Voodoo. Got some lovely shots (somewhere!) of XL426 with 2 Voodoos!!
Depends on the crew, location & authoriser
YS
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There's lots of stories out there [like the smoking crewchief with the AOC on board!] - I haven't heard about this formation thingy; why is it such a mystery and so sensitive? Surely enough time has passed and all players long out of reach of any action?
Come on, give us the dirt... Sounds like it might be interesting!
Come on, give us the dirt... Sounds like it might be interesting!