RAF Sharjah
The colour scheme looks reddish in the original size, but I must admit it takes on a bluish tint when magnified. I remember the MEA York re-supplying Tarif, Azaiba and a large oil company airfield further inland and south of Muscat who's name has deserted me. It alway paid to stay with the oily boys just after the York had been, when fresh food, steaks and beer from Beirut were plentiful 
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Syrian Arab Airlines.
The logo on the tail is rectangular (flag?) with rego(?) below, not circular with the MEA Lebanon cedar.
p.s. I don't think I'll be contradicted if I say the Caravelle is one beautifully proportioned aircraft.
The logo on the tail is rectangular (flag?) with rego(?) below, not circular with the MEA Lebanon cedar.
p.s. I don't think I'll be contradicted if I say the Caravelle is one beautifully proportioned aircraft.
By the way, with reference to Post #643 and the name of the SA navigator who went south with Prentice G-AOPL; I am now pretty certain that it was Dick Weldon who was serving on Twin Pins at Sharjah at the time.
Incidentally, and at the risk of a bit of thread drift, I actually witnessed the first flight of the Twin Pioneer (c/n 501 G-ANTP). Our kitchen window overlooked the Scottish Aviation empire and a first flight had been anticipated for several days. My memory is that it took place early on a sunny morning (when not too many people were around) and it was wonderful to witness the great event. Google tells me that the date was 25/06/55 - 60 years ago and I was at the time a 14 year-old founder member of the Prestwick Spotters Club.
In these days it is possible to register your aircraft with any registration that you like provided that the registration has not been issued before. In those days the Air Registration Board would not countenance out-of-sequence registrations and Scottish Aviation were considered to be exceedingly clever in managing to register G-ANTP when they did, so that they obtained "TP" as Twin Pioneer.
In these days it is possible to register your aircraft with any registration that you like provided that the registration has not been issued before. In those days the Air Registration Board would not countenance out-of-sequence registrations and Scottish Aviation were considered to be exceedingly clever in managing to register G-ANTP when they did, so that they obtained "TP" as Twin Pioneer.
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Twin Pins.
Nice you brought up the Twin Pioneer again JW411. While the Caravelle mystery is still waiting to be solved here are three photo's of the Nepalese Government a/c that staged through Sharjah(9N-RF6 & '7' in June 1965 and '8' in July) Thought they may interest you and the 152/B flt members.
Prestwick eh? Visited there in the early '60's and remember the Canadian A.F. Sabres and CF-100's dismantled behind the hangars. The second and only time I visited was when I was a PAX on a Bassett from Wyton to collect some spares from Scottish Avn. While pilot and nav went off to get said spares - I went off to the hangars to have a 'nosey' around. Found them full of Canadian A.F. CF-104's!
Sorry, I too went off on a bit of a 'drift!'
Here are my photo's at last, Sorry for the wait, had to have a quick "refresher course" on how to upload them!!(Just noted this post is numbered '666'....................)
Prestwick eh? Visited there in the early '60's and remember the Canadian A.F. Sabres and CF-100's dismantled behind the hangars. The second and only time I visited was when I was a PAX on a Bassett from Wyton to collect some spares from Scottish Avn. While pilot and nav went off to get said spares - I went off to the hangars to have a 'nosey' around. Found them full of Canadian A.F. CF-104's!
Sorry, I too went off on a bit of a 'drift!'
Here are my photo's at last, Sorry for the wait, had to have a quick "refresher course" on how to upload them!!(Just noted this post is numbered '666'....................)
Last edited by SAROSKEETERMAN; 21st Dec 2015 at 16:32. Reason: Adding photo's
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Caravelles and Sharjah
If I remember correctly, at one stage round about '71 Syrian Arab may have run Caravelles. through Sharjah
Though my one experience of them was at Dubai in about March '73 - and it was an 'Experience'!!!
PZU - Out of Africa (Retired)
Though my one experience of them was at Dubai in about March '73 - and it was an 'Experience'!!!
PZU - Out of Africa (Retired)
JW411, as we've established on PM, and for the wider audience, Dick Weldon it was who set off so bravely in G-AOPL, bound for South Africa.
My only Twin Pin story is that after a number of boring patrols/resupplies right down to the South, acting as guide for the pilot, Bimbo Ward, he asked if I would like to fly it back to Sharjah while he grabbed some sleep.
Well of course I would, so I settled into his seat and he went aft. I began chasing the pitch trim; I just could not get it right. Set it, hands off, steady for 30 seconds, then off we'd go again, nose down, nose up, like a switchback.
Eventually, I thought, I'll see if Bimbo's awake and ask him. So I turned round and saw him, propped up against the cabin side, sweat pouring off him, puffing like a walrus (he was always out of shape). "F**k me," he gasped, "I wish I'd never started that!"
(Bimbo Ward also showed me how to fly a Prentice; I had flown it from UK, but he had instructed in them years before. But even he was flummoxed when we took off from Sharjah towards the West one very hot day, and could neither retract the flap (which he had set) nor turn without risking an ... ummm... uncommanded ditching. He was thinking of going to Abu Dhabi or even Doha, when we went into some rising air, gained 50 ft, and could start milking the flaps in, very, very slowly while gaining some airspeed as well.)
My only Twin Pin story is that after a number of boring patrols/resupplies right down to the South, acting as guide for the pilot, Bimbo Ward, he asked if I would like to fly it back to Sharjah while he grabbed some sleep.
Well of course I would, so I settled into his seat and he went aft. I began chasing the pitch trim; I just could not get it right. Set it, hands off, steady for 30 seconds, then off we'd go again, nose down, nose up, like a switchback.
Eventually, I thought, I'll see if Bimbo's awake and ask him. So I turned round and saw him, propped up against the cabin side, sweat pouring off him, puffing like a walrus (he was always out of shape). "F**k me," he gasped, "I wish I'd never started that!"
(Bimbo Ward also showed me how to fly a Prentice; I had flown it from UK, but he had instructed in them years before. But even he was flummoxed when we took off from Sharjah towards the West one very hot day, and could neither retract the flap (which he had set) nor turn without risking an ... ummm... uncommanded ditching. He was thinking of going to Abu Dhabi or even Doha, when we went into some rising air, gained 50 ft, and could start milking the flaps in, very, very slowly while gaining some airspeed as well.)
Last edited by old,not bold; 20th Dec 2015 at 18:06.
Further to the above, here's Dick Weldon, just minutes after receiving his Nav brevet in December 1965, and a year or so before the G-AOPL flight. We'd gone through basic and Nav training together, and I recall seeing him during the transit south through Khormaksar.
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Dick Weldon
ICM. I was also a navigator on 152 (B) flight in 1966 and remember Dick very well. A very tall SA and an excellent navigator but lost touch when we went our different ways. For Old,not bold and post 640 Harry Bromley was OC (B ) flight 152 Squadron based in Sharjah. At that time Sqn Ldr Jim Tims was O/C 152 Squadron based in Bahrain. Sqn Ldr Alan Sheppard was O/C RAF Sharjah. Happy Days! Also out of interest Master Navigator Tony Melton was also at Sharjah at the same time on 152 and I had no idea until I read his obituary in the Daily Telegraph dated 31st Dec 15 of what a man he was. He certainly hid his light under a bushel!
Anyone with an interest in UAE history in the 1960s and 1970s, particularly the activities of the TOS and the Defence Forces that sprang up as the Trucial States morphed into the UAE, would find a new book interesting; it's by someone who was right there at the coal-face throughout most of the period, latterly in very senior roles.
I have no financial interest in it! I do know the author well, but this is an unsolicited recommendation.
I just think that it's a good read, and answers a number of questions about what really happened behind the scenes at that time.
Here's a link for anyone who is interested.
PS......Sqn Ldr Jim Tims (Timms?) was presumably the same Jim Tim(m)s who joined and became a senior officer in the Abu Dhabi Defence Force?
I have no financial interest in it! I do know the author well, but this is an unsolicited recommendation.
I just think that it's a good read, and answers a number of questions about what really happened behind the scenes at that time.
Here's a link for anyone who is interested.
PS......Sqn Ldr Jim Tims (Timms?) was presumably the same Jim Tim(m)s who joined and became a senior officer in the Abu Dhabi Defence Force?
Last edited by old,not bold; 24th Mar 2016 at 19:39.
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Jim Tims
Yes indeed he did go to the Abu Dhabi defence force and joined Twinkle Storey who had been Station Commander in Bahrain. Looking at my log book it is Jim Timms.
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"Sharjah Radio"
It's good to see this old thread still alive.
I just had a request from someone in Sharjah about the so-called "Sharjah Radio", as it was from 1972-1978. From the aerial views (from Kay 1995) it is clearly a building on the airfield site, and I am told it was built about 1965. I wonder if anyone remembers it, or can identify it from the photos, or even knows if it is still there. (captain_salman - are you still here?)
Thanks, Laurence
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I just had a request from someone in Sharjah about the so-called "Sharjah Radio", as it was from 1972-1978. From the aerial views (from Kay 1995) it is clearly a building on the airfield site, and I am told it was built about 1965. I wonder if anyone remembers it, or can identify it from the photos, or even knows if it is still there. (captain_salman - are you still here?)
Thanks, Laurence
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Last edited by l.garey; 11th May 2016 at 15:45.
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I have a 1972 UK MoD 1:100,000 map for the whole UAE, apart from western and southern Abu Dhabi (it's actually several sheets taped together, of course.)
This includes Sharjah, probably as it was a few years earlier when the data were collected. In fact, looking at some of the town areas, shown as black shading, I suspect that they are as they were in the mid-60s.
It's based on photosurvey overlaid with tracks and other topo.
You can probably do a lot better better, but if an A4 scan centred on Sharjah is any use I could provide it, towards the end of next week.
It would cover from Dubai to Hamriyah, more or less.
This includes Sharjah, probably as it was a few years earlier when the data were collected. In fact, looking at some of the town areas, shown as black shading, I suspect that they are as they were in the mid-60s.
It's based on photosurvey overlaid with tracks and other topo.
You can probably do a lot better better, but if an A4 scan centred on Sharjah is any use I could provide it, towards the end of next week.
It would cover from Dubai to Hamriyah, more or less.
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It's good to see this old thread still alive.
I just had a request from someone in Sharjah about the so-called "Sharjah Radio", as it was from 1972-1978. From the aerial views (from Kay 1995) it is clearly a building on the airfield site, and I am told it was built about 1965. I wonder if anyone remembers it, or can identify it from the photos, or even knows if it is still there. (captain_salman - are you still here?)
Thanks, Laurence
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I just had a request from someone in Sharjah about the so-called "Sharjah Radio", as it was from 1972-1978. From the aerial views (from Kay 1995) it is clearly a building on the airfield site, and I am told it was built about 1965. I wonder if anyone remembers it, or can identify it from the photos, or even knows if it is still there. (captain_salman - are you still here?)
Thanks, Laurence
[/URL][/URL]All the information has been really great we students from Manipal University Dubai are working Conservation project of Al Mahatta if we could speak to you or have your contact it would be of great help.
Thank you,
Shweta Gandhi
[email protected] is my email adress.
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hey can you share the drawings of sharjah as we are working on an university research projetc.
Just in passing; I found this photograph of Gulf Aviation Heron G-ANFE the other day and I thought that someone might like to see it. I took the photograph at Salalah. As far as I can remember, Gulf Aviation Herons didn't visit Salalah very often.
It must have been a charter. Salalah was not a scheduled destination in 59/61. We had a pilot on 152 who left the RAF, got his CPL and flew for an oil company in North Africa for a couple of years before he rejoined the RAF and was posted to Aden as an ops officer. We were very short of pilots on 152, so he was posted to 152. He flew for Gulf Aviation in his spare time for quite a lot of pocket money.
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Nice photo JW. At least it's the real 'NFE. There is a false 'NFE in the Al Mahatta museum, as I illustrate at https://sites.google.com/site/lgarey...lmahattamuseum
which was once a Sea Heron.
Trust you are well, Laurence
which was once a Sea Heron.
Trust you are well, Laurence
John: I have a feeling that the Heron was on a VIP charter.
Laurence: I am fine thank you.
In the meantime, still on the Gulf Aviation theme, here is a pretty average shot of DC-3 G-ANEG taken at Fahud International on 02.04.70. I was driving Argosy XP408 and you can see my navigator, Jim McEvoy, at lower left looking for MT dollars in the desert.