Best/worst holds?
Thread Starter
Red On, Green On
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 6,490
Likes: 2
From: Between the woods and the water
Best/worst holds?
The topic is often discussed, but I've not seen many direct references.
Way back in the last century I had to hold whilst waiting for a new course to arrive for BFT on 705 at Culdrose.
After some faffing, I was sent as a supernumery to HMS Sabre, a fast patrol/training boat based at Portland. Her prime role was to simulate Excocet bearing Russian fast attack forces for ships "working up".
With two Avon gas turbines consuming a gallon a minute at 45 kts, and an open bridge she was, even for a WAFU, quite good fun.
Your stories of boredom or exhilaration whilst waiting for HM's training machine to catch up, please!
Way back in the last century I had to hold whilst waiting for a new course to arrive for BFT on 705 at Culdrose.
After some faffing, I was sent as a supernumery to HMS Sabre, a fast patrol/training boat based at Portland. Her prime role was to simulate Excocet bearing Russian fast attack forces for ships "working up".
With two Avon gas turbines consuming a gallon a minute at 45 kts, and an open bridge she was, even for a WAFU, quite good fun.
Your stories of boredom or exhilaration whilst waiting for HM's training machine to catch up, please!
Joined: Jul 2003
Aviation Qualifications: Military (Retired)
Posts: 2,691
Likes: 1,526
From: Near the coast
Aaah, the joy of holding.
Whilst holding after IOT and awaiting the start of JEFTS myself and a friend were sent to hold at RMB Chivenor.
It had it's moment, but the highlight had to be using a squadron Astra estate to develop the official rules of 'Ghost Car'!
Simple rules really. Set it in gear (third gear was about right - roughly 15 mph), then jump out leaving only the boot/sunroof/rear passenger window open and then dispatch other juvenile holding officer in hot pursuit to regain control before it ran off the runway!!
The perfect tonic on a hot June afternoon!
BV
It had it's moment, but the highlight had to be using a squadron Astra estate to develop the official rules of 'Ghost Car'!
Simple rules really. Set it in gear (third gear was about right - roughly 15 mph), then jump out leaving only the boot/sunroof/rear passenger window open and then dispatch other juvenile holding officer in hot pursuit to regain control before it ran off the runway!!
The perfect tonic on a hot June afternoon!
BV
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Joined: Dec 2002
Aviation Qualifications: Military (Retired)
Posts: 16,700
Likes: 54
From: Lincolnshire
Did a hold at Tehran once. After we left the hold they asked us to confirm the NDB was serviceable.
It wsn't, we had used the radar to do an NDB hold using the radar to home on to the NDB position!
Oh, sorry,wrong sort of hold. Never had to do a hold on the ground in several decades.
It wsn't, we had used the radar to do an NDB hold using the radar to home on to the NDB position!
Oh, sorry,wrong sort of hold. Never had to do a hold on the ground in several decades.
Joined: May 1999
Aviation Qualifications: ATP+Mil
Posts: 27,398
Likes: 857
From: Quite near 'An aerodrome somewhere in England'
Waiting for the early morning fog to clear at KKIA in GW1, we refuelled a Herc in the hold......
Holding at Wildenrath with 20 Sqn Harriers in 1975 was good!
Even holding at Biggin Hill in 1977 after reselection following my 'short Buccaneer course' had its advantages
Holding at Wildenrath with 20 Sqn Harriers in 1975 was good!
Even holding at Biggin Hill in 1977 after reselection following my 'short Buccaneer course' had its advantages
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: uk
ARC Cell
I held in the ARC Cell at Brize for 4 months- I was never in the UK for more than a week at a time and flew the equivalent of 3 and a half times around the world visiting 11 countries (including Las Vegas, twice in 2 weeks) and crossing the Atlantic and back in one day. A great hold, very much appreciated and enjoyed (except by my waistline!!!).
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 1,415
Likes: 90
7 months in Berlin (when the wall and Hess were still there)... any longer and I would have probably died there from a surfeit of things generally accepted as being very bad for you ... as Richie Bbenaud would say - "Marvelous, absolutely marvelous"
Joined: May 2002
Aviation Qualifications: ATP+Mil
Posts: 18,633
Likes: 1,072
From: Downeast
Recuperating from being wounded...made a platoon leader in the Casual Company at Fort Bragg. Not-Para....Not-Infantry....Not-Interested....with a platoon filled with young fire breathing Para's fully versed in derision for non-Jump Boot wearing "Leg's"! (Non-Para's for the unknowing!).
I would have been better equipped for the job if I had been issued a chair, whip, and pistol.
I would have been better equipped for the job if I had been issued a chair, whip, and pistol.
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
From: UK
Sorry to blow you all out of the water but I'm holding in Tokyo! Spend at least every other week on a certain peninsula beginning with K or a tropical island beginning with O!
UC-35/C-21 Private Jets, CH-56/UH-60 Helo's, my own driver and sh!t loads of LOA. Anyone would think I was an ACM not an APO! When work finishes, I step out of my free flat into down-town Tokyo.
I might have to do a bit of bag carrying every now and again but its bag carrying in the Far East and its better than where I held last summer - RIAT!!
Happy Holding!
NFS
UC-35/C-21 Private Jets, CH-56/UH-60 Helo's, my own driver and sh!t loads of LOA. Anyone would think I was an ACM not an APO! When work finishes, I step out of my free flat into down-town Tokyo.
I might have to do a bit of bag carrying every now and again but its bag carrying in the Far East and its better than where I held last summer - RIAT!!
Happy Holding!
NFS
Joined: May 1999
Aviation Qualifications: Military (Retired)
Posts: 2,033
Likes: 6
From: Sunny (or Rainy) Somerset, England
Hmmmmmm. The only hold I ever had was between valley and Chivenor. I was forced to spend 2 weeks standing next to a Gnat mock up (in No 1s) answering questions from Joe Public. The good bit? The mock up was in the basement of John Lewis in Bristol ------- in the perfume and make-up department!!!!!
Never had such an interesting set of evening dates made during the day!!
(Those were the days when being a pilot ensured interest from the ladies)
Never had such an interesting set of evening dates made during the day!!
(Those were the days when being a pilot ensured interest from the ladies)
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 85
Likes: 0
From: Clouseau's apartment block
280 SU Troodos in 1987 in the Summer. What a holiday!
The question does call to mind Pete and Dud talking about the worst job they ever had which, for Pete, involved a lobster and Jayne Mansfield I believe!
The question does call to mind Pete and Dud talking about the worst job they ever had which, for Pete, involved a lobster and Jayne Mansfield I believe!