Vickers Varsity
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I learnt about flying from that!
First of many trips in the Varsity must have been around 1966, when I was a cadet in the school CCF. Annual camp to RAF Gaydon, then the home of basic navigator training.
I was told to report to Flying Clothing to get kitted out and then sat patiently waiting to be picked up by transport to the aeroplane. I was detailed to carry a large tin container, which I duly lugged aboard the Varsity.
I sat on one of the seats, can't remember where, but after about 45 minutes into a four hour slog to Ullapool and back, I was instructed to delve into the tin container and produce five cups of coffee. "Please sir, where are the cups?"
"No cups, laddie, there is a bunch of polystyrene beakers with the rations", said a hairy Signaller.
GULP "Nnnnnnn - Noooo there isn't sir, I think they are still in Flying Clothing, I was only told to carry the tin, sir!"
Signaller looks at me as if I am the most stupid cadet ever to don uniform (10/10 for observation) and produces a knife!!!! By now I am quaking in my shoes. He looks at me, crooks his finger, and beckons me forward towards the cockpit. My legs just about carry me the few paces to behind the pilots seats, whereupon he reaches up, and using the knife as a screw-driver, proceeds to remove the glass light fitting, which is shaped in the form of a half globe with just enough capacity to hold a slurp of coffee.
I spent the next 20 minutes ferrying coffee around the crew, careful not to spill any on the maps, charts, APs , nav-bags etc.
The debrief was interesting . . . . . .
I was told to report to Flying Clothing to get kitted out and then sat patiently waiting to be picked up by transport to the aeroplane. I was detailed to carry a large tin container, which I duly lugged aboard the Varsity.
I sat on one of the seats, can't remember where, but after about 45 minutes into a four hour slog to Ullapool and back, I was instructed to delve into the tin container and produce five cups of coffee. "Please sir, where are the cups?"
"No cups, laddie, there is a bunch of polystyrene beakers with the rations", said a hairy Signaller.
GULP "Nnnnnnn - Noooo there isn't sir, I think they are still in Flying Clothing, I was only told to carry the tin, sir!"Signaller looks at me as if I am the most stupid cadet ever to don uniform (10/10 for observation) and produces a knife!!!! By now I am quaking in my shoes. He looks at me, crooks his finger, and beckons me forward towards the cockpit. My legs just about carry me the few paces to behind the pilots seats, whereupon he reaches up, and using the knife as a screw-driver, proceeds to remove the glass light fitting, which is shaped in the form of a half globe with just enough capacity to hold a slurp of coffee.
I spent the next 20 minutes ferrying coffee around the crew, careful not to spill any on the maps, charts, APs , nav-bags etc.
The debrief was interesting . . . . . .
Missing Wildebeests? No gnus?
However, I don't get the "blind reindeer" reference. Anyone care to explain?
Santa's about to Launch - his one sector per year. Bloke jumps onto the sleigh, says "I'm an FAA Flight Inspector – this is a check ride."
Santa says - "What's the shotgun for ?" .....
Santa says - "What's the shotgun for ?" .....
Last edited by Lordflasheart; 3rd Jan 2013 at 08:54.
Inspector - "You're going to lose an engine after V1."
Rượu thuốc
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Aaahhh Varsity
I found myself posted to 115 Sqdn at Cottesmore when the "other" V-Force went to Cyprus and left me behind. Vulcan to Varsity in a couple of weeks! Initially, one felt somewhat miffed, 2 doses of Vulcans with a tour in 2TAF in between and then propellers and AVGAS!
'Kinell!
However I soon got quite attached to the "Pigs", gently grunting their way around the taxi-ways, freely dispensing oil (OMD 370??) on all and sundry. At that time 115 still had a good few Varsitys, being in the process of upgrading to Wheelbarrows.
Lots of fond (?) memories, both in the air and on the ground, including;
The occasion when one of our riggers (name withheld) mistakenly connected the ground air bottles supply to charge the radiator cowls (450 psi ?) to the filling point for the hydraulic reservoir (connections the same size and adjacent) resulting in the contents of said reservoir vapourising through the vent in the reservoir cap (thank Mr. Vickers that it had one) and filling the fuselage with a surreal pink OM-15 mist (like a Boeing roll-out ceremony, but 20 years ahead!).
Or when airborne (as rigger/looker-afterer of said flying machine) getting struck by lightning somewhere over the alps on the way to Luqa from Cott. (about 11 hrs with a refuel at Nice) amazingly impressive flash and matching bang which had me running forward from my seat at te rear to enquire of the driver as to our continued airworthiness (all OK - confirmed by a good look-over at Nice). Just as well, I recall my bale-out procedure involved donning the harness (in a bag on the floor by my side) collecting and attaching the 'chute (stowed "forrad" behind the pilots) returning aft and going out throught the entrance door, remembering to roll/somersault out to avoid denting the tailplane with me 'ead.
On the return flight, seeing the pilot wind open the triangular window at his side and throw the remains of his (fairly disgusting) in-flight sarnie out - somewhere over the med...
Or the occasion when we got a call to say that one had "done a wheels-up landing but he's OK and returning"!! Turned out that he was on approach (forget where - Shawbury?) and a JP had taxied onto the runway, the Varsity had initiated a go-around (wheels up etc) only to see the JP go across the runway and clear it. End effect was that our man recommenced the approach, forgetting the wheels. The aircraft actually contacted the runway (at the back of the "pannier/bomb bay) as the crew realised and opened up. They then landed for a look-see, minor damage to the fuselage and a broken downward ident light was the result. They then declared themselves fit to return home, hence the phone call. We reckoned there was about a foot-and-a-half between the prop tips and concrete as it lurched back into the air - close enough!
WJ 911 was a mystery to us all....it had all sorts of special racks installed which held strange kit, some of which was removed on landing and taken away by unknown persons (some in civilian clobber) who flew in it. I remember its door was secured with a SPECIAL Chubb padlock ( hardened steel, 1 : 10,000,000 key or similar) which was inserted through two alloy brackets firmly secured to the fuselage by 3 or 4 pop rivets. It did lots of multi-day "Navex's" and seemed to be attracted to Gatow...
For anyone interested, here's a list of 115's Varsitys mid 1969:
WF383, WJ911, WJ946, WL622, WL636, WL678, WL685, WL692.
Here are some Varsity pics dragged out from my old slides (please excuse the scratches/general quality and possible non-appearance!);
"X" at Wittering 1975/76
WL 692, landing at El Adem 1967 with the only tree for miles!
WL 692, El Adem 1967 - proving it wasn't the slowest thing there.
WF 382 at Wittering 1977
WF 379 Wittering 1976
Rigex
'Kinell!
However I soon got quite attached to the "Pigs", gently grunting their way around the taxi-ways, freely dispensing oil (OMD 370??) on all and sundry. At that time 115 still had a good few Varsitys, being in the process of upgrading to Wheelbarrows.
Lots of fond (?) memories, both in the air and on the ground, including;
The occasion when one of our riggers (name withheld) mistakenly connected the ground air bottles supply to charge the radiator cowls (450 psi ?) to the filling point for the hydraulic reservoir (connections the same size and adjacent) resulting in the contents of said reservoir vapourising through the vent in the reservoir cap (thank Mr. Vickers that it had one) and filling the fuselage with a surreal pink OM-15 mist (like a Boeing roll-out ceremony, but 20 years ahead!).
Or when airborne (as rigger/looker-afterer of said flying machine) getting struck by lightning somewhere over the alps on the way to Luqa from Cott. (about 11 hrs with a refuel at Nice) amazingly impressive flash and matching bang which had me running forward from my seat at te rear to enquire of the driver as to our continued airworthiness (all OK - confirmed by a good look-over at Nice). Just as well, I recall my bale-out procedure involved donning the harness (in a bag on the floor by my side) collecting and attaching the 'chute (stowed "forrad" behind the pilots) returning aft and going out throught the entrance door, remembering to roll/somersault out to avoid denting the tailplane with me 'ead.
On the return flight, seeing the pilot wind open the triangular window at his side and throw the remains of his (fairly disgusting) in-flight sarnie out - somewhere over the med...
Or the occasion when we got a call to say that one had "done a wheels-up landing but he's OK and returning"!! Turned out that he was on approach (forget where - Shawbury?) and a JP had taxied onto the runway, the Varsity had initiated a go-around (wheels up etc) only to see the JP go across the runway and clear it. End effect was that our man recommenced the approach, forgetting the wheels. The aircraft actually contacted the runway (at the back of the "pannier/bomb bay) as the crew realised and opened up. They then landed for a look-see, minor damage to the fuselage and a broken downward ident light was the result. They then declared themselves fit to return home, hence the phone call. We reckoned there was about a foot-and-a-half between the prop tips and concrete as it lurched back into the air - close enough!
WJ 911 was a mystery to us all....it had all sorts of special racks installed which held strange kit, some of which was removed on landing and taken away by unknown persons (some in civilian clobber) who flew in it. I remember its door was secured with a SPECIAL Chubb padlock ( hardened steel, 1 : 10,000,000 key or similar) which was inserted through two alloy brackets firmly secured to the fuselage by 3 or 4 pop rivets. It did lots of multi-day "Navex's" and seemed to be attracted to Gatow...
For anyone interested, here's a list of 115's Varsitys mid 1969:
WF383, WJ911, WJ946, WL622, WL636, WL678, WL685, WL692.
Here are some Varsity pics dragged out from my old slides (please excuse the scratches/general quality and possible non-appearance!);
"X" at Wittering 1975/76
WL 692, landing at El Adem 1967 with the only tree for miles!
WL 692, El Adem 1967 - proving it wasn't the slowest thing there.
WF 382 at Wittering 1977
WF 379 Wittering 1976
Rigex
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Germany
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Manning policy
Typical posting logic, there I was, only recently returned from a tour on 213 Sqdn (Canberra B(I)6) left aircraftless - see prev. post, and 2 sqdns Canberra + 1 Canberra OCU + 115 Sqdn. arrive at Cott...where do I get sent? Correct! 115 Sqdn, Varsitys and Argosys...I suppose there was a logic somewhere...?
Last edited by Rigex; 9th Jan 2013 at 21:45. Reason: punctuation
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WF 379
According to here;
File:Vickers 668 Varsity T1 (WF379 (cn 538)).jpg - Wikimedia Commons
- it was "Experimental AI radar"
File:Vickers 668 Varsity T1 (WF379 (cn 538)).jpg - Wikimedia Commons
- it was "Experimental AI radar"
One of my friends has just unearthed this photograph of the seven survivors of 11 V/V Course standing in front of WL623/K at Oakington on 22.06.62. The occasion was the awarding of our RAF wings.
L-R: P/O Jock Manson, F/O Colin Williams, P/O Alan Young, P/O Dave Bowen (behind), P/O Tony Sinclair (in front), P/O Bill Lowe, P/O Derek McLaughlin
Those of you who are interested in these things will notice that the aircraft still has the 4 FTS badge on the nose although we were by then 5 FTS.
.