WB627
 

Coff

I strongly suspect that might be me in the back seat of WB627 (picture above). If it was taken on 2 June 1973 then that connects me with the ac, according to my ATC Record of Service. Do you have any specific info from son of the pilot please?

Ed

Hi Ed ...

Thanks for making contact old chap ... I doubt Bill's Log Book will reflect individual cadet names ... that was what the old Cadet Manifest log was for which you may remember was completed by your Squadron Staff of the time.

I knew Bill very well. He flew Wimpey's and Dak's and took part in the Berlin Airlift. The pic here is before he acquired a Mk2 Bonedome ... on the back of his Mk2 he had a couple of big "eyes" ... which he acquired from his civilian job as a Sales Exec for Black & Decker :)

Very glad to see you went all the way with your career :D

Best ...

Coff.

PS ... More here on 1 AEF :ok:

http://www.pprune.org/military-aircr...chipmunks.html

RAF Manston SAR 1967
 

Hello All,
And apologies if this is deemed to be hijacking a thread!

An appeal for information re: RAF Manston SAR:

Am attempting to locate any surviving crew members of XP 347, who retrieved a Flying Saucer shaped object on Mon 4th Sept 1967.
Crew was:
Pilot Flt Lt Robson
Navigator Flt Lt Goodman
Master Signalsman Murphy
Unixdentified Fire Brigade expert from Manston Fire training School.

In addition, does anywhere know the whereabouts of Station Commander at that time, Wg Cdr D B Wills

Lastly, if any readers hknow of personnel contemporary to that time who may be able to add general insight, I would be very much obliged.

Thanks for your kind attention, best regards, John

Thanks!
 

Thanks to CoffmanStarter and all the other contributors to this thread - I have been researching No1 AEF for a short Facebook focus on the Flight on the rafa YOUTH page https://www.facebook.com/rafaYOUTH on 11 Jan 14 - and this provided a very rich seam of interesting and unusual information and photographs......which I hope will bring a new perspective to the young people privileged to fly with the Flight today!

Thanks again :ok:

Ah yes, the brilliant September 1967 RAE Farnborough students' prank! I remember seeing it on TV. 6 small 'saucers' were placed along the 51.5N line of latitude and caused mayhem to the establishment when they were discovered.

Full story here: UFO fever gripped Great Britain in the late Sixties - and a handful of students perptrated a very big hoax | Mail Online

But it raised £2000 for charity - and made officialdom look ridiculous!

The artwork was done by a wife of one one of the pilots, Nick Hibberd I think. Somewhere about 1967 probably when we had a revamp of the Ops room/crew room.

UFO on Isle of Sheppey
 

JK67saucer67
Hi. Checking my logbook, I see that I flew a sortie to the isle of Sheppey on 4th September 1967 with Flt Lt. Colin Goodman and Master Signaller Murphy to the UFO incident. I don't know if this in addition to the sortie with Flt.Lt Robson. I clearly remember examining the "saucer" and when someone shifted it, it immediately stated buzzing. Everyone promptly dived for cover. I seem to remember that when we got it back to Manston and opened it up, it was full of looked like a soggy flour substance with a buzzer activated by a tilt switch. Somewhere in the depths of boxes, I probably have a slide taken of it. If this of interest, PM me with your address and I will send it on if I can find it.
I remember Wg. Cdr "Bernie" Wills and that he had lost his flying category because of a medical problem, hence his tour at Manston.
Rotofossil.

From the Daily Mail:

:ok:

RAF Manston SAR 1967 Flying Saucers
 

Rotorfossil,

Hurrah! Thrilled to hear from you and have PM'd.
HUGE thanks to the website!

Best,
JK

Hi All.
Can anyone name some of the people in this photo of the 1 AEF Hunting aviation team taken at RAF Manston.

I know front left is Brian Stewart.

If anyone has any more pictures of 1AEF At Manston i would love to see them.

Kind Regards
Fire3

https://scontent-a-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/...fb&oe=54F42ECA

Hi Fire3 ...

Sorry I can't help you ... after my time :(

We had Regular RAF Ground Crew in the 70's ... The last SNCO was Sgt Ron Essam.

Airwork Groundcrew
 

Left to right standing on wing. Bob Still , sitting on fuselage, Colin can't remember surname.

Sitting on port wing closest to canopy. Ray Davis / Davies next to him Mark Fagg.

Standing in White. Brian Stewart standing to right Nigel Legg

Sitting on wheel. Derek Williams.

Don't recall when this was taken but there is one person missing who was there at the end of the AEF: Simon Fisher. Just can't recall when he joined.

Best guess at a date would be 1992 - 1996.

coffmanstarter
Is your thread for military only?
I was wondering if you may have any info/pics of the British Eagle Britannia wheels up landing at Manston in 1968 I think.
If you dont think my post is relevant to your thread I will remove it.
rgds

A couple of photos 1995
 

Hopefully this works. Here's some photos I took as a 15 year old cadet at 1AEF

WK554
https://www.flickr.com/photos/129612...7647053917213/


WP855
https://www.flickr.com/photos/129612...7647053917213/


WG458
https://www.flickr.com/photos/129612...7647053917213/

Selfie, Victor T, Gfunc ...

Just dropped in to check on this Thread (I mainly inhabit the Mil Thread).

Thank you all for adding pics and further information. Gfunc your pics are most certainly taken toward the end of 1 AEF's time at Manston ... OC then was S/L Pete Stonham (that may be him in the last pic :8).

Victor T ...

I may be able to help as I've just made contact with the Station Photographer from the 60's,70's and early 80's (a Civilian) ... I'll see what he might have ... he's currently digging out some early Chipmunk pics for me (not digital). Certainly leave your post on the Thread ... it's all part of 1 AEF/RAF Manston's rich History :ok:

Kind regards all ...

Coff.

PS. Also see this Thread ...

http://www.pprune.org/military-aviat...chipmunks.html

Thanks again coff
Our archivist was given some a/c parts from the crash by I think the fire dept.
I remember in 68 that the foamed runway wheels up landing was on the TV news and in the national press. Id love to be able to get copies of all that!

Hi to everyone who might still be following this Thread :)

A little while back I offered to help our good friend Staff Cadet post an image. That image is now to hand ... so in just trying to help I've re-posted his original contribution along with the pic ... I'm sure SC will pop by at some point to add a bit more colour :ok:

A fantastic and very important historic picture you have there Staff Cadet. I remember those old "Wire Frame Headsets" and dangly "Mic" ... By the early 70's we had the blue "Cloth Electric Hats" ... which then became green ... then by the late 70's cadets were issued with Mk1 Bonedomes minus the Visor.

Best regards ...

Coff.

Hi all ...

I've managed to make contact with the former Station Photographer at RAF Manston ... who has kindly shared some quite historic pictures relating to 1 AEF :ok:

The following two pictures were taken mid/late 60's in front of the Black Hanger on the old Western Taxiway. They are particularly interesting as they show the Blue Straps of the old 4 Point Seat Harness ... which was subsequently superseded by the 5 Point Seat Harness (the 5th Strap and Harness Release Box came up between your legs). Sorry to say, as yet, I'm unable to ID those individuals in the picture or the aircraft.

http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/...psoswdfekx.jpg

http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4e2sx3xw.jpg

Again mid/late 60's probably taken on one of the Pans just off the Western Taxiway. I believe the pilot is probably Dan Ludlow (but I need further verification).

http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/...psuiuqwxtx.jpg

Forward in time now to the late 70's WK642 on a Western Taxiway Pan.

http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/...psb4nbaw2e.jpg

WB569 which was affectionally known as the "Bucket of Bolts" ... so Christened by the Deputy Flight Commander Arthur Standen.

http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/...psgjkiuxiy.jpg

Difficult to see all the Serials ... but almost certainly WZ845, WB569, WK642 and WK518.

http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/...psm6u4xbkz.jpg

I'm hopeful that I may yet receive pictures from Biggin Hill, White Waltham and West Malling days idc.

Best ...

Coff.

Image Credit : Mr D Keep (All Images)

4 and 5 point harnesses
 

Coff,

Whilst on ULAS ( 69-72) I spent a lot of time at the RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine.
It was there that I saw a prototype 5-point Chipmunk harness. It was explained to me that the problem with the 4-point was of the occupant "submarining" down out of the harness into the cockpit innards in the event of a violent deceleration.
My comment of "so bloody logical and so simple to implement" was met with a polite smile.
It certainly wasn't implemented on any Chipmunk that I flew during my three years on them as a student.
P.S.When flying solo, the four straps tightened up in the rear cockpit showed the potential problem.

The 5-point harnesses had been introduced by the time of my last Chippy AEF in 1974.