Belfast

[HZ123]

Question; How many crews are there for the a/c. Are they UK guys now living down route. If they were to reintroduce the SEN parked a/c where would they get the extra crews from. This issue intriques me particularly as the a/c has been around for a long time but only two of them.

[Hockham Admiral]

HZ 123, Hi
There are just three crew members; two pilots and the FE who is also a qualified LM (and was an LM on the Belfast for many years before he switched to FE).
They currently live in Oz and I believe they may have been granted citizenship.
Where they would get another crew is debateable as most of the other ex-Belfast crews are now retired or have other jobs. We used to say that it would take about 3-6 months to train a crew to safe standards; with the ground school taking up to 2-3 weeks as she is so old and complex to keep going. No sim so it's all hands on training...usually about 10 hours to achieve an IR/Base check.(they operate to SL regs which are the same as the CAA of 10-20 years ago).
Hope this helps!

[Bert Stiles]

Aside from the crews. I'd like to know where all the spares will come from. Not that it's any of my business of course, it's just that the likes of the VRUs, Moog valves, wheel rims, Tynes, windows, compass controllers etc, etc, etc were all endangered species 10 years ago. How much dosh to recondition them or reproduce them now ?.

Hi Admiral, who's the F/E - I'm guessing AR. I know who the drivers are. And if there's only one crew, who does the checking? Not that I doubt that it can be done. Somehow.

BS

[HZ123]

Thanks for the info. Just another question that you old sorts might answer too. Re BAC 1-11's how do they crew these a/c's now as at the last count there are still 20+ privates flying, albeit most are in the USA.

[Hockham Admiral]

Bert, Hi
Yes Al is the FE on her and both Pilots have Inst ratings from SL. How Al is checked I don't know, perhaps by an SL CAA pilot as our FE's were renewed by our CAA Flt Ops Inspector.
When we finally bought FT from Deloitte and Touche we found enough spares in the "Aladin's Cave" at SEN to rebuild another two Belfasts! HLA didn't know what they had in there! But then I'm afraid the last few years after the A300 fiasco were pretty disastrous...and I'm NOT blaming it on the workers!

[Bert Stiles]

Yeah, I should have read the other thread it's on there. - but no need to shout John. I would never have expected you to blame the workers. I was lucky to escape. How many got conned in the A300 debacle?.

[Engineer]

Were those spares not lost after the Southend fire which consumed the old Belfast simulator.

All ways wondered if that was an insurance job

[Hockham Admiral]

Bert, sorry, but I particularly didn't want any of our ex-A300 guys to think I was implying criticism of them. They were a very hard working bunch of guys who I think enjoyed some of their time with us. I certainly enjoyed their company! The Dorint bar near SPL was a favourite watering hole of both Belfast and A300 crews! When did you escape?
As to how many got conned, well they took all our final month pension contributions from our salaries but they never made it to the Fund!

Engineer, Aladin's cave survived the Sim fire and yes, the insurance claim rebuilt all the offices and the hangar to a very high standard!

[Bert Stiles]

Ah yes the Commodore Suite at the Dorint and was it the Dragt at Aaalsmeer ?.... And many more.

Didn't know any of the A300 operators bar those who converted and those who returned from long before. PW, DW among others. Saw a few crews at Burgess Hill.

I escaped after a base check to Skavsta with a mashed finger. The check was yours. Maybe that places it.

It's still a wonder how they find all those little bit and pieces you need. BF can't make all of them surely?

rgds from Bert

[Hockham Admiral]

Bert, of course!
Baz is (well) out of it and still manufacturing his loco...yes, the same one!
If you drop me an e-mail I'll let you know more, but can't do here due to libel laws..............
Plus ce change, rien................

[Bert Stiles]

All functioning satis thanks MJ... and I'd forgotten that you got hauled out to cover that. The HR guy was still trying to get me to pay for the hossie visit months later. I declined.

Rgds from Bert.

[classjazz]

So the A-300 business was a fiasco .........well Goodness Me...I would never have guessed..and after all that hard work I put in learning the aircraft!!!!
(tongue in cheek there Admiral)

As is often said, it is the guys you work with that makes it worth while. Until the writing on the wall became even more obvious and a certain person with absolutely no knowledge of the industry started flexing his muscles - well I enjoyed working with both the A-300 and the Belfast guys.
Fortunately the right opportunity at the right time came up and I went.
Still follow the threads with interest. Now I look on from afar (well Spain anyway)
Regards to all.