I don't believe that there are still so many of us former CL44 drivers in here!

Anyone got the link for the association?

Or remember when Teemack took lose portland cement down to Lagos? or transported ***** ******'s circus to Oman?

Edited the name out, CR2.

Nopax Thanx, it's not what you earn, it's what you keep from the taxman ( so the scots boss keeps telling me!). Well at least the Allisons will wake you all up at 5.30.
Ramp Tramp, well I like the story of the Captain who had a stiff neck that needed manipulating in BKK and tried to put it on the bar bill. Except I doubt it was ever put thro petty cash as 'lots of beers and 1 sh@g'. Hopefully flying on the Sally B on Wednesday with Wah Wah, so I will hear more no doubt.:)

:) The Guppy was converted by Conroy I first flew N447T as an F/E on the 24.04 .74 for TMAC It was converted by cutting the fuselage frames just above floor level and then bolting larger horse shoe shaped frames to the bit that was left which gave it its double blister shape it could carry some big sized loads I think we even carried a BAC 1-11 fuselage on one trip.But boy did that flight deck get cold on long sector but it paid the morgage.
;)

If they do get another one, I hope it's better than the one they were involved with when I worked for them. It rarely got anywhere and back without being tech at some godforsaken place. HLA didn't own it, just did all the Flight watch etc and it was registered in so many places it should have flown under UN auspices! Last I heard it was Azerbaijan registered.

Glad it didn't fly very often. What a heap.

Doc C.

Skytrucker,

Oh God, do I remember ***** ****** circus to Oman!
Had to be there for the Sultans wife's birthday on the Wednesday,
planned to fly on the Sunday, animals in one aircraft and
big top in another.
Trouble was, southern UK cloased that weekend in fog for 3 days and
we finally got it away on the Tuesday. Somehow it all happened on
time. That & many other stories should be written down for the
education of future freight dogs!

FDD,

Amazing what got put in the 'Misc.' box on the flight expence form!

Edited the name out, CR2.

RampTramp et all, it sounds like some good stories are lurking in the shadows there. How about starting a thread for them.....

Maybe you'll have to censor the names to protect the guilty :D

Good one, freightdoggy.......takes me back to my contractin' days - had to pay £93.00 tax in my first year! Wouldn't mind hearing Allison's at 0530 - but I live 42 miles from Stansted!!:D

I'm sure there's a joke here about being woken by Alison early in the morning:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

There is a Guppy site with some good stuff in............

http://www.allaboutguppys.com/aag.htm

For a graphic account of the last moments of 9Q-CTS (ex G-ATZI) see page 22 of the May issue of Aircraft Illustrated. It sounds as if Captain Snow had his hands full! For the un-initiated, there's also a piccy of the mighty beast with tail swung.

CL44
 

The secretary of the Canadair CL44 Association can be reached on [email protected]. A tenner a year brings the Swingtail newsletter, full of war stories and contacts. Video available, Book out soon, and organised formation drinking at decent intervals.

Pullusapint,

Thanks for the contact, I'm signing up!

Skytrucker,

To be strict, I wasn't a driver. Operations, Loadmaster & some time
Station Manager in the sh**ty places of the world. I guess that should give some clues to my identity!!

CR2,

THe name you edited out was actually a very famous circus at the time.
Dunno if it's still going but was certainly a household name at the
time &, bearing in mind the 'fun' we had with a freight shed full
of elephants, lions & horses for 3 days until we finally got them away,
I wouldn't have thought they would object to being named. However,
that's why you're the moderator.

Still come across the odd bod from those days. I still play at loadie
on the odd occasion & did a trip to the Middle East a couple of
years ago & found an F/E from the old days flying the panel.
We worked out that last time that combination was airborne was 20 years
previously in deepest darkest!
Had a few, very enjoyable, beers after landing!

Rampie,

The story you refer to has been written and features in a soon-to-be-published book.

Oh, and the edited name is not Monty Python although the number of letters is the same!

Like the book, names have to be changed to protect the innocent!