Did You Fly The Vulcan?? (Merged)
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@ BEagle
"It didn’t take much for them to ring McConnell and the next day there were heavens knows how many TV and radio journos waiting to greet the other crews when they landed."
Yeah, and before we set off, we were all given strict instructions not to do any more 'flypasts'!
My logbook says: Nov-7 / XM571 / GV Semi-Final - Land McConnell / 6.15 Day.
Great pleasure reading this thread. I'm just amazed at the long memories you all have. I can remember hardly anything from that long ago!
Ooh, look! A picture of us having just arrived at Barksdale!
"It didn’t take much for them to ring McConnell and the next day there were heavens knows how many TV and radio journos waiting to greet the other crews when they landed."
Yeah, and before we set off, we were all given strict instructions not to do any more 'flypasts'!
My logbook says: Nov-7 / XM571 / GV Semi-Final - Land McConnell / 6.15 Day.
Great pleasure reading this thread. I'm just amazed at the long memories you all have. I can remember hardly anything from that long ago!
Ooh, look! A picture of us having just arrived at Barksdale!
Last edited by brianlj; 5th Apr 2007 at 12:57.
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Did you Fly in XA903?
I own and am currently restoring the cockpit & nose section of XA903, a mk1 Vulcan used to test the Blue Steel, the Olympus 593 (Concorde) engine and the RB199 (Tornado) engine. It is being restored to its Olympus 593 test configuration.
Although the aircraft is fairly well documented and photographed from the outside, there doesn't seem to be any info or pictures of what it looked like inside.
I would love to hear from anyone who flew in XA903, and especially anyone who has any photos, drawing or notes of the internal layout to help with ensuring that the restoration is as accurate as possible. This includes the pilots consoles and the rear desk (epecially the AEO side).
I have started a web site, and although its in its early days, it may help to jog a few memories. www.2av8.co.uk
Although the aircraft is fairly well documented and photographed from the outside, there doesn't seem to be any info or pictures of what it looked like inside.
I would love to hear from anyone who flew in XA903, and especially anyone who has any photos, drawing or notes of the internal layout to help with ensuring that the restoration is as accurate as possible. This includes the pilots consoles and the rear desk (epecially the AEO side).
I have started a web site, and although its in its early days, it may help to jog a few memories. www.2av8.co.uk
Thread Starter
scorpion63 - what happened to 361 at Goose? Did someone put the 1-to-7 transfers into the 'aft' gated position for too long?
brianlj, sorry if we queered your pitch at McConnell! It seems the 'flypast' at KICT, great big noisy wingover over the top of Wichita city and visual join at KIAB must have really woken the locals up! Then the departure, teardrop around and max perf. climb an hour or so later had them falling off their sisters again. Yee-hah, as they say in that (red) neck of the woods....
brianlj, sorry if we queered your pitch at McConnell! It seems the 'flypast' at KICT, great big noisy wingover over the top of Wichita city and visual join at KIAB must have really woken the locals up! Then the departure, teardrop around and max perf. climb an hour or so later had them falling off their sisters again. Yee-hah, as they say in that (red) neck of the woods....
Something like that, crew chief must have spent to much time in the Bulldog Club.
The Red Steer cone was boarded up with a plywood cover and flew back like that, can't lay my hands on the temporary repair pictures at the moment.
The Red Steer cone was boarded up with a plywood cover and flew back like that, can't lay my hands on the temporary repair pictures at the moment.
what happened to 361 at Goose? Did someone put the 1-to-7 transfers into the 'aft' gated position for too long?
YS
Thread Starter
There was also a well-known instruction NOT to 'dip' the tanks during refuel as that would cause the refuelling system to think that a tank had been refilled when it was only partially full........IIRC!
Sit, watch, don't touch!
Sadly it still happens today. Recently, we spent ages sorting out a new tanker aircraft's Mission Computer system after 'hangar pilots' had given themselves some 'training' on the system overnight.............
Sit, watch, don't touch!
Sadly it still happens today. Recently, we spent ages sorting out a new tanker aircraft's Mission Computer system after 'hangar pilots' had given themselves some 'training' on the system overnight.............
XJ781
.............
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Hills Crew
Brianlj
That was the infamous Hills Mob, including old Two Ton,Two Pints,Tight Turn Tooley RIP.
I have a memory of JH being "Rommeled" in Stavanger during a JMC when the weather closed in in 1979.
That was the infamous Hills Mob, including old Two Ton,Two Pints,Tight Turn Tooley RIP.
I have a memory of JH being "Rommeled" in Stavanger during a JMC when the weather closed in in 1979.
Thread Starter
Yes, on that day we were also flying. Asked how much fuel we had, I was just working out an answer which would have meant an immediate diversion to Stavangar when the captain came out with an answer which gave just enough for an approach at Kinloss first. They were just finishing off snow clearance when we landed.....
Then stuck in the sodding place for another 4 days in goon suits instead of spending blats aplenty in Stavangar....as did the 617th Bombardment Wing crews.
Thanks, Pat.............NOT!
Then stuck in the sodding place for another 4 days in goon suits instead of spending blats aplenty in Stavangar....as did the 617th Bombardment Wing crews.
Thanks, Pat.............NOT!
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
It was always a mistake leaving div fuel to a pilot. On the Nimrod we used to plot the Iso-dollar line. Made sure we were always the right side of the line when we were short of fuel.
Cunning Artificer
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That was the infamous Hills Mob, including old Two Ton,Two Pints,Tight Turn Tooley RIP.
There's a photo of former fellow "Ton-Five" JH with a quite different infamous Hills mob at Barksdale on John Leitch's "Vulcans in Camera" website (See the "Vulcan People" section)
Our "other shift" toppled "Happy Jack" Helmsleys B1A up like that one swing shift at Waddo. As it started to tip up, the refueller cut the flow and a lecky and a fairy grabbed the nose leg. It was enough to stop it sitting completley on its backside and the refueller was sent up the steps to keep the nose down until they could get a picket shackle onto the nose leg. Phew! Happy Jack was even more miserable than usual next morning.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Blacksheep,
I can't recall the aircraft number but at Akrotiri we were taxiing past the sooty area near the tower, well away from the Bomber Dispersal, as we saw the nose wheel come off the ground and the luckless chief throwing himself onto the towing arm.
He had been faced with a stark choice, race for the bowser and stop the refuelling or jump on the tow arm. As the aircraft was already tipping he chose the tow arm.
He was, IIRC, on his todd and the inevitable happened. I don't remember any great fuss so maybe it was only a gentle touch. Be about 71-72.
I can't recall the aircraft number but at Akrotiri we were taxiing past the sooty area near the tower, well away from the Bomber Dispersal, as we saw the nose wheel come off the ground and the luckless chief throwing himself onto the towing arm.
He had been faced with a stark choice, race for the bowser and stop the refuelling or jump on the tow arm. As the aircraft was already tipping he chose the tow arm.
He was, IIRC, on his todd and the inevitable happened. I don't remember any great fuss so maybe it was only a gentle touch. Be about 71-72.
Cunning Artificer
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"I didn't do it." as Bart might have said.
I was safely on VC10s by 71 so it wasn't me....
Not that long ago someone wrote off a VC10 when they got more in the Fin Tank than they had in the inboard wings. There's always one on every squadron isn't there.
I was safely on VC10s by 71 so it wasn't me....
Not that long ago someone wrote off a VC10 when they got more in the Fin Tank than they had in the inboard wings. There's always one on every squadron isn't there.
Yes, Him
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Pontius,
That one was written off and given an M number. It then sat out behind the Q shed on 56's patch (Golf pan?) and was used as a christmas tree and for plumber training (bombs on/bombs off). The Chief Tech was CM'd and busted IIRC. I suppose it was scrapped in situ at some point.
Didn't the Tehran one fall foul of a bondu drain after it went off the runway?
That one was written off and given an M number. It then sat out behind the Q shed on 56's patch (Golf pan?) and was used as a christmas tree and for plumber training (bombs on/bombs off). The Chief Tech was CM'd and busted IIRC. I suppose it was scrapped in situ at some point.
Didn't the Tehran one fall foul of a bondu drain after it went off the runway?
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Didn't the Tehran one fall foul of a bondu drain after it went off the runway?
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The Hills Mob
I reckon every crew led by JH was infamous for their antics!!
My leader - Ron " I've been sick in better taxis than this" Chivers - was bad enough but JH surpassed him in Stavanger
My leader - Ron " I've been sick in better taxis than this" Chivers - was bad enough but JH surpassed him in Stavanger