Did You Fly The Vulcan?? (Merged)
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617 certainly were the premier. In fact ISTR that one year, 35 gave 617 a huge amount of support, effectively forming the Scampton wing against all the Wadd Sqns. That year 617 and Simon Baldwin's mob [sorry, forgot the Sqn number] swept the board between them.
The stylised 35 badge was designed by one of the Sqn pilots, who's name is on the tip of my tongue.....
The stylised 35 badge was designed by one of the Sqn pilots, who's name is on the tip of my tongue.....
Beagle may know some the crews here. They were about his era and many went on to serve at Akrotiri.
Try this for some guys who did fly/maintain the vulcan. 35 Squadron taken in Feb 66 at RAAF Darwin. The crews were from 9/35 squadron if my memory serves me right. The CO was Wg Cdr (Later Air Cdr) D.A. Arnott, DFC. He won his DFC in Korea while serving with the Australians I believe.
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...uadron1966.jpg
Aaron
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Aaron, BEagle is not THAT old 
The exercise would have been Moonflower to the Far East. IIRC the whole Cottesmore Wing was put on notice - 24 ac - and all flying ceased as ac were prepared. After 8-10 days reduced essential training was recommenced then, possibly on a Tuesday, we were ordered to send 16 ac or 2 sqns. As 12(B) had done the first Det in 1964 we were the stay behind sqn and had to cover all 3 QRA ALN.
I don't recognise Don Arnott in that picture but the one with th eplaque at his feet could be just possibly be Mr Pastry if he has scrambled egg on his hat.
The exercise would have been Moonflower to the Far East. IIRC the whole Cottesmore Wing was put on notice - 24 ac - and all flying ceased as ac were prepared. After 8-10 days reduced essential training was recommenced then, possibly on a Tuesday, we were ordered to send 16 ac or 2 sqns. As 12(B) had done the first Det in 1964 we were the stay behind sqn and had to cover all 3 QRA ALN.
I don't recognise Don Arnott in that picture but the one with th eplaque at his feet could be just possibly be Mr Pastry if he has scrambled egg on his hat.
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Pontious Navigator
The photo was taken in Feb '66 at RAAF Darwin. The detachment had arrived from RAF Tengah. We stayed for 2 weeks if I recall correctly. The V force detachment had been at Tengah for some months before this. I am on this photo and I arrived in Singapore from Cottesmore in Nov '65 when the detachment OC was Sqn Ldr D.B.R. Harris. There had also been an exercise at Darwin involving the detachment during Dec '65 I think it was.
We, the ground crew were on a 3 month detachment but had the option of staying on a further 3 months if desired. I think that the aircrew were on a different timetable and rotated independently of the ground crew. 9 and 35 squadron rotated 6 months about and the ground crews came from engineering wing at Cottesmore. 9 Squadron were deployed to Tengah from Aug '65 to Feb '66 then 35 took over. I left in May '66 to return to Cottesmore. The squadron plaque lies at the feet of Wg Cdr Arnott. The guy with the slouch hat was F/L H............ (I forget his name) Eng Off and F/O Martin (Arm Off) sits to his left.
This may have been before Beagle's time but lots of these guys went to Akrotiri where I believe Beagle spent some time. But I could be wrong.
Philrigger
Just to correct you, F/O Martin is sitting between W/Cdr Arnott and the Sqn Eng W/O whose name I cannot remember but he got me out of trouble a few times. Other faces I can put names to are Ken Tomsett, Pete Crowe, Dick(?) Oliver, Dave Williams, Chris Bogg, Mick Hobbs. To think that all the guys on this photo must now be over 60 if they are still with us!! Yes Gainsey lots of white knees and look at all the different colours of KD.
Aaron
Just to correct you, F/O Martin is sitting between W/Cdr Arnott and the Sqn Eng W/O whose name I cannot remember but he got me out of trouble a few times. Other faces I can put names to are Ken Tomsett, Pete Crowe, Dick(?) Oliver, Dave Williams, Chris Bogg, Mick Hobbs. To think that all the guys on this photo must now be over 60 if they are still with us!! Yes Gainsey lots of white knees and look at all the different colours of KD.
Aaron
Thread Starter
LONG before my time!
I didn't know that 'Caligula' once served on 35 Sqn - clearly standards were lowere back then....
I didn't know that 'Caligula' once served on 35 Sqn - clearly standards were lowere back then....
Cunning Artificer
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Ah yes, the K.D.
Officers received the nicely proportioned tailor mades. Stores issued we ground crew with 8th Army surplus "four yarders" and being the cunning stunts that we were, we retaliated in the only way we could - by wearing them in public.
Oh! how the FEAF and Aussie resident personnel laughed. The SWO at Tengah once tried to stop a bunch of Waddington ground crew from walking out of the gate...
Officers received the nicely proportioned tailor mades. Stores issued we ground crew with 8th Army surplus "four yarders" and being the cunning stunts that we were, we retaliated in the only way we could - by wearing them in public.
Oh! how the FEAF and Aussie resident personnel laughed. The SWO at Tengah once tried to stop a bunch of Waddington ground crew from walking out of the gate...
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The SWO at Tengah once tried to stop a bunch of Waddington ground crew from walking out of the gate .....
Thread Starter
Good to see that lots of people have made pledges towards the £1M needed to keep '558 on the air show calendar for 2009.
Over £100K raised in less than 24 hours, the pledge total at 1700 today stood at £685745. At 1800, it stood at £693945.
Over £100K raised in less than 24 hours, the pledge total at 1700 today stood at £685745. At 1800, it stood at £693945.
Last edited by BEagle; 3rd Mar 2009 at 17:03.
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XH558
G'day all,
It seems we are again approaching the end of the airborne life of XH558.
It will be a sad day to see the end of the Vulcan's flying career.
VTST achieved the near impossible task of returning XH558 to a flying condition. They managed to do it, and to see the aircraft perform at Waddington last summer was an earth moving and heart thumping experience. It was magnificent to see the Vulcan back home in the skies over Lincolnshire again.
The Vulcan gave me the opportunity to visit many places around the world. Westabout; Labrador (the Goose of course) Omaha, San Francisco, Honolulu, Midway, and Eastabout; Gemany, Lybia (Idris and El Adem) Malta, Cyprus, Aden, Masirah, Gan, Singapore, Malaya and HK.
These trips certainly expanded my perspective on the world as did the Cold War aspects of the job, not to mention the fallout from a certain flight over Coniston Water!
Perhaps we could all look back on the effect of operating this great machine had on our lives and make one last minute effort to put some more pennies in the kitty to keep XH558 flying.
Even a small pledge from enough of us coulld make the difference - say £5.00/month - that's one less packet of fags , or one less bottle of wine, or forego 2 pints of beer or miss out one takeaway per month!
It might just make the difference.
One of my younger sons gets his wings at Linton on Friday 6 Mar and it would be wonderful to hear on the day that XH558 would fly again.
Here's hopefully a way of doing it. Contact all who might help.
Attention, attention, this is the bomber controller...........!
It seems we are again approaching the end of the airborne life of XH558.
It will be a sad day to see the end of the Vulcan's flying career.
VTST achieved the near impossible task of returning XH558 to a flying condition. They managed to do it, and to see the aircraft perform at Waddington last summer was an earth moving and heart thumping experience. It was magnificent to see the Vulcan back home in the skies over Lincolnshire again.
The Vulcan gave me the opportunity to visit many places around the world. Westabout; Labrador (the Goose of course) Omaha, San Francisco, Honolulu, Midway, and Eastabout; Gemany, Lybia (Idris and El Adem) Malta, Cyprus, Aden, Masirah, Gan, Singapore, Malaya and HK.
These trips certainly expanded my perspective on the world as did the Cold War aspects of the job, not to mention the fallout from a certain flight over Coniston Water!
Perhaps we could all look back on the effect of operating this great machine had on our lives and make one last minute effort to put some more pennies in the kitty to keep XH558 flying.
Even a small pledge from enough of us coulld make the difference - say £5.00/month - that's one less packet of fags , or one less bottle of wine, or forego 2 pints of beer or miss out one takeaway per month!
It might just make the difference.
One of my younger sons gets his wings at Linton on Friday 6 Mar and it would be wonderful to hear on the day that XH558 would fly again.
Here's hopefully a way of doing it. Contact all who might help.
Attention, attention, this is the bomber controller...........!
Last edited by Capmac08; 4th Mar 2009 at 10:03. Reason: grammar
Thread Starter
That would indeed be a double celebration for you and your son, Capmac08!
The LIVE pledge data can be seen at Vulcan to the Sky Trust - Avro Vulcan Bomber XH558 - Vulcan To The Sky Trust
It has just reached £750000!!
Go to Bomb, advise demand!
The LIVE pledge data can be seen at Vulcan to the Sky Trust - Avro Vulcan Bomber XH558 - Vulcan To The Sky Trust
It has just reached £750000!!
Go to Bomb, advise demand!
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BEagle:
How quaint...
Much more civilized:
"On my mark, three, two, one, keyturn..."
And no long boring flight home either, just wait the estimated 5-25 minutes before Ivan's salvo arrived...
Go to Bomb, advise demand!
Much more civilized:
"On my mark, three, two, one, keyturn..."
And no long boring flight home either, just wait the estimated 5-25 minutes before Ivan's salvo arrived...
Thread Starter
I thought the W.O.P.R. had replaced all the silo-rats?
Or was that just in 'War Games'? With Ally Sheedy...
Wouldn't you lke to play a nice game of chess?
Or was that just in 'War Games'? With Ally Sheedy...
Wouldn't you lke to play a nice game of chess?
maybe a silly question...
if someone offered let's say £15-20,000 to be a passenger for a half hour flight they wouldn't take them aboard (after a training session on bailing out)?
seeing as only the AEO sits in the back with possibly the crew chief there's space for 1 passenger isn't there?
i'm sure there's a few rich people out there that could be taken up and earn the trust a few quid.
if someone offered let's say £15-20,000 to be a passenger for a half hour flight they wouldn't take them aboard (after a training session on bailing out)?
seeing as only the AEO sits in the back with possibly the crew chief there's space for 1 passenger isn't there?
i'm sure there's a few rich people out there that could be taken up and earn the trust a few quid.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Andoip, you could, I guess, take 3 pax and a hostie.
The hostie would do all the usual non-smoking, no toilet, fasten your seat belt but most importantly:
In the unlikely event of . . . follow me.
The hostie would do all the usual non-smoking, no toilet, fasten your seat belt but most importantly:
In the unlikely event of . . . follow me.