Vickers Varsity
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The Valetta was very similar to the Varsity, the obvious difference was the Valetta had a tricycle undercarriage.
Forgive the thread drift but this one crashed in Hertfordshire near Tring killing 16 16 Die In R.A.F. Crash - British Pathé
Forgive the thread drift but this one crashed in Hertfordshire near Tring killing 16 16 Die In R.A.F. Crash - British Pathé
Once upon a time at RAF Oakington ,a silly "erk"who wanted out of the RAF went round the airfield one night and removed all the towing pins from the nosewheels thus preventing the aircraft from taxying!On the morm he then gave the groupcapt an ultimatem,let me out the RAF or I will not tell you where the pins are !!Of course the group capt won by threatening him with several years in Colchester and the "erk"saw the errors of his ways and duly gave the hiding place up!!So no flying that morning!!He still saw the inside of that correction centre!!!
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FlyPast
July was too early for the closure of Strubby and the formation was for AOC's,
The Varsities and Dominies were lined up on the short runway at Strubby, we had to get them all evenly spaced, we then stood in front of the machines along with the crews for inspection, after that they all left to join up with the JP's for a fly past at Manby, I have photo of the Varsity line up at Strubby.
One of the best displays was the Canberras leaving, SQDN LDR Sweet or Love can't remember which one, the names always caused amusement, took off and looped the Canberra as it passed opposite the Control Tower.1966
On the day the Pigs left(1972Oct) Fl Lt Rolfe, his reputation was one of very long starts, the record marked on the crew room window was one hour forty five minutes.
His start on the last day he had number one turning as the student was pulling the ladder in and number two as the student was getting in his seat and nearly had the front wheel off the ground taxiing, after take off he turned straight towards the Control Tower and cleared it by about fifty feet.
Great sights and many memories.
The Varsities and Dominies were lined up on the short runway at Strubby, we had to get them all evenly spaced, we then stood in front of the machines along with the crews for inspection, after that they all left to join up with the JP's for a fly past at Manby, I have photo of the Varsity line up at Strubby.
One of the best displays was the Canberras leaving, SQDN LDR Sweet or Love can't remember which one, the names always caused amusement, took off and looped the Canberra as it passed opposite the Control Tower.1966
On the day the Pigs left(1972Oct) Fl Lt Rolfe, his reputation was one of very long starts, the record marked on the crew room window was one hour forty five minutes.
His start on the last day he had number one turning as the student was pulling the ladder in and number two as the student was getting in his seat and nearly had the front wheel off the ground taxiing, after take off he turned straight towards the Control Tower and cleared it by about fifty feet.
Great sights and many memories.
Last edited by donald d; 11th Feb 2017 at 19:53. Reason: correction
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donald d.
I beg to differ.
AOC's had been earlier in the year and I was 'nominated' for the Guard of Honour.
I don't recall the flypast in my photos including Manby although the JPs took-off and landed there.
The formation was scheduled for mid-morning but that was delayed until lunchtime due to weather.
The routing was to include Coningsby, Cranwell, Waddington, Scampton and Binbrook. All the stations were overflown with the exception of Binbrook because that was still socked-in.
My memory is that the Varsitys left Strubby shortly after and the Dominies operated from Manby.
I don't recall any Canberras at Manby/Strubby during my time there from Sep 70/Sep 72.
I beg to differ.
AOC's had been earlier in the year and I was 'nominated' for the Guard of Honour.
I don't recall the flypast in my photos including Manby although the JPs took-off and landed there.
The formation was scheduled for mid-morning but that was delayed until lunchtime due to weather.
The routing was to include Coningsby, Cranwell, Waddington, Scampton and Binbrook. All the stations were overflown with the exception of Binbrook because that was still socked-in.
My memory is that the Varsitys left Strubby shortly after and the Dominies operated from Manby.
I don't recall any Canberras at Manby/Strubby during my time there from Sep 70/Sep 72.
Last edited by lauriebe; 10th Feb 2017 at 08:01. Reason: Typo.
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Yes Canberras departed from Strubby in 66 the Meteors had left in the beginning of 65.
The Varsity's moved from Manby to Strubby early 65, the Canberras moved from the Hangars and Pans near the Tower to the other side where the Meteors had been.
Strubby closed in October 1972 and I with other ground crew attended the ceremony held at the flagpole, in the photograph taken at that time 1SQDN Varsities are to be seen in the background. The Dominies moved to Manby a few days before Strubby closed I also have a pic of one of the Dominies taking off.
I don't doubt that the flypast took place but the timing was not just before the pigs left as the June date leaves at least three months before closer.
The pigs left piecemeal leaving the last four to go after the closing ceremony, I was one of the people who formed one of the start crew.
I will try to look through the local newspaper to clarify dates.
We did a detachment at Binbrook whilst Strubby's runways were resurfaced, that was for six very noisy weeks, when the pigs flew back to camp it was billed as the most piston engine aircraft in formation since the war and was on the front page of the local comic.
So no Canberras at Manby 1970-2, don't know where that came from but I do recall them being there for servicing in 1956 along with the Lincolns, at that time a Meteor bellied in on farmland at Stewton.
Interestingly we had a Meteor still in camouflage from the Korean War, the guns were still fitted, it had been in store in Hong Kong, unfortunately it was quickly painted into the dayglow and silver and guns and ammo boxes removed.
I thoroughly enjoyed working on the Meteors it evoked thoughts of the early jet era.
The Varsity's moved from Manby to Strubby early 65, the Canberras moved from the Hangars and Pans near the Tower to the other side where the Meteors had been.
Strubby closed in October 1972 and I with other ground crew attended the ceremony held at the flagpole, in the photograph taken at that time 1SQDN Varsities are to be seen in the background. The Dominies moved to Manby a few days before Strubby closed I also have a pic of one of the Dominies taking off.
I don't doubt that the flypast took place but the timing was not just before the pigs left as the June date leaves at least three months before closer.
The pigs left piecemeal leaving the last four to go after the closing ceremony, I was one of the people who formed one of the start crew.
I will try to look through the local newspaper to clarify dates.
We did a detachment at Binbrook whilst Strubby's runways were resurfaced, that was for six very noisy weeks, when the pigs flew back to camp it was billed as the most piston engine aircraft in formation since the war and was on the front page of the local comic.
So no Canberras at Manby 1970-2, don't know where that came from but I do recall them being there for servicing in 1956 along with the Lincolns, at that time a Meteor bellied in on farmland at Stewton.
Interestingly we had a Meteor still in camouflage from the Korean War, the guns were still fitted, it had been in store in Hong Kong, unfortunately it was quickly painted into the dayglow and silver and guns and ammo boxes removed.
I thoroughly enjoyed working on the Meteors it evoked thoughts of the early jet era.
Hi d d - was at Manby Sep 64 till Nov 64 as a co on the Varsity and then was on the last Meteor AFTS course at Strubby Nov 64 till Apr 65. In Apr 65 we flew the Meteors down to Kemble for storage/disposal. Were you there at that time? I think that John Scambler was the boss of the Meteor Squadron at that time. We lived in the Nissan huts at Strubby. Great times!!
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Yes I was there at that time but returned to Manby as the Meteors disbanded and went off to Kemble.
Did you witness the aircrew race from the Guardroom to the hangar in their cars but driving backwards, it was a non flying day due to bad weather and they had all been to Alford for lunch.
Scambler I remember, he was a stickler a few years later he showed up on a Varsity refresher course, there was also Ray Hanna who went to lead the Red Arrows, Fl Lt Lewis, Fl LT Goadby, Fsgt Soames Waring , Fl Lt Tindall, stretching the memory a bit now.
The domestic site was quite big, its a Golf Course and Caravan site now.
Did you witness the aircrew race from the Guardroom to the hangar in their cars but driving backwards, it was a non flying day due to bad weather and they had all been to Alford for lunch.
Scambler I remember, he was a stickler a few years later he showed up on a Varsity refresher course, there was also Ray Hanna who went to lead the Red Arrows, Fl Lt Lewis, Fl LT Goadby, Fsgt Soames Waring , Fl Lt Tindall, stretching the memory a bit now.
The domestic site was quite big, its a Golf Course and Caravan site now.
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donald d,
Have a look at the penultimate post on the thread on the link below.
Date of flight; 20 July 1972.
Jet Provost teams
Have a look at the penultimate post on the thread on the link below.
Date of flight; 20 July 1972.
Jet Provost teams
Beautiful pictures of the Jet Provost, Lauriebe.
It struck me, that the tailplane arrangement of the Jet Provost is very similar to the tailplanes of the Fokker S-14, see enclosed pics.
Has anybody an idea if this was intentional? Did Percival and Fokker had contacts or co-operation on this subject? Or is it coincidence, same mission leading to similar configuration?
It struck me, that the tailplane arrangement of the Jet Provost is very similar to the tailplanes of the Fokker S-14, see enclosed pics.
Has anybody an idea if this was intentional? Did Percival and Fokker had contacts or co-operation on this subject? Or is it coincidence, same mission leading to similar configuration?
December 65 some of from our entry at the Towers went to Manby for a quick "top up" as we had finished the JP course in October and were off to Valley in Jan 66. I flew with a Flt Lt Bliss then a solo.
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Wcdr Scambler on Varsity course 1972,Scan_20170214.jpgyou will of course remember his hair.
I apologise for the orientation but was unable to correct
, maybe you can your end 
I apologise for the orientation but was unable to correct
, maybe you can your end
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I had a trip in a JP, a low level navigation exercise over Yorkshire at 250 feet mostly, it was memorable ride at such low level, I've got the Pilots name in my log. The trip was meant to be a ride in a Meteor 7 so was disappointed when told it was in a jeep.
At this time I worked at Strubby but was also in the Air Training Corps.
I used to get lots of trips in the Varsity over the years there was even a long weekend at Wildenrath, left on Friday back on the Monday there were Harriers there at that time, the camp,Wildenrath is now a Locomotive test track for Siemens.
The trip over Lincolnshire airfields you mentioned it doesn't really mean a lot to the people on the ground, we saw them off and we saw them back in, as it was work these episodes are looked upon as a break in routine.
All the years I was there I didn't get many photographs as officially you were not allowed
To take pictures.
At this time I worked at Strubby but was also in the Air Training Corps.
I used to get lots of trips in the Varsity over the years there was even a long weekend at Wildenrath, left on Friday back on the Monday there were Harriers there at that time, the camp,Wildenrath is now a Locomotive test track for Siemens.
The trip over Lincolnshire airfields you mentioned it doesn't really mean a lot to the people on the ground, we saw them off and we saw them back in, as it was work these episodes are looked upon as a break in routine.
All the years I was there I didn't get many photographs as officially you were not allowed
To take pictures.
It struck me, that the tailplane arrangement of the Jet Provost is very similar to the tailplanes of the Fokker S-14, see enclosed pics.
Has anybody an idea if this was intentional? Did Percival and Fokker had contacts or co-operation on this subject? Or is it coincidence, same mission leading to similar configuration?
Has anybody an idea if this was intentional? Did Percival and Fokker had contacts or co-operation on this subject? Or is it coincidence, same mission leading to similar configuration?
I was a development of the original Provost T1 design.
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