Buccaneer Low level
Ich bin ein Prooner.
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BEagle,
As a civvie, but avid supporter of our Armed Forces (but mainly an aero nut), I'd just like to say yours is a very creditable record.
But I am very sad to have to agree with your final comment. I am sure it is folly.
N.Z.
As a civvie, but avid supporter of our Armed Forces (but mainly an aero nut), I'd just like to say yours is a very creditable record.
But I am very sad to have to agree with your final comment. I am sure it is folly.
N.Z.
Join Date: Jul 2003
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Ark Royal
Thank You, Archimedes! That makes sence (S 1 overboard for the film). It sure got my attention, but I always wondered about the far too good quality of the "shooting" 
Take off picture.
As a Dutch F-104 pilot told me: "Then we retract the undercarriage and descent to operational altitude".
Laarbruch, 1977, to visit "Shiny Two" 's shiny new recce Jaguars. Wot!? A crashed Canberra just off the runway? But that was only for firepractice. And then the unforgettable sight of 15 and 16 Sqn Buccaneers departing.
We had a guided tour of the Bucc. simulator. A TV-camera "flew" across the model landscape and lots of fans to take away the heat, when the sun (hundreds of lamps) was "shining".
Those were the days
Take off picture.
As a Dutch F-104 pilot told me: "Then we retract the undercarriage and descent to operational altitude".
Laarbruch, 1977, to visit "Shiny Two" 's shiny new recce Jaguars. Wot!? A crashed Canberra just off the runway? But that was only for firepractice. And then the unforgettable sight of 15 and 16 Sqn Buccaneers departing.
We had a guided tour of the Bucc. simulator. A TV-camera "flew" across the model landscape and lots of fans to take away the heat, when the sun (hundreds of lamps) was "shining".
Those were the days
Last edited by normally left blank; 12th Jan 2004 at 07:54.
Hardly that - just answering his question.
Still consider 237 OCU to have been the worst place I was ever unfortunate enough to serve at, mind you. Utterly appalling 'us and them' attitude from most of the alleged instructional staff.
Still consider 237 OCU to have been the worst place I was ever unfortunate enough to serve at, mind you. Utterly appalling 'us and them' attitude from most of the alleged instructional staff.
No chest thumping...
Thanks for answering my question Mr Beagle!
I'm glad to hear that you were simply shafted, and were not passed around due to disciplinary reasons
I hope that others are now benefiting from your experiences (aviation-wise, not shafting wise).
I'm glad to hear that you were simply shafted, and were not passed around due to disciplinary reasons
I hope that others are now benefiting from your experiences (aviation-wise, not shafting wise).
foldingwings, thank you for the kind offer of Pledge.
But perhaps you'll need it for your halo?
Runaway Gun (had one of those once in an F4 - SUU23 fired out before I could get to the center station selector to turn it off!) - thanks for your kind words. But I wasn't shafted really, just the way things were back then.... At least I got the chance to fly some interesting classic jets!
Anyway, back to the Bucc. What's the full SP on the one at Scampton? Does it stand any chance of flying again? B£oody hope so!
But perhaps you'll need it for your halo?
Runaway Gun (had one of those once in an F4 - SUU23 fired out before I could get to the center station selector to turn it off!) - thanks for your kind words. But I wasn't shafted really, just the way things were back then.... At least I got the chance to fly some interesting classic jets!
Anyway, back to the Bucc. What's the full SP on the one at Scampton? Does it stand any chance of flying again? B£oody hope so!
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Was the Buccaneer's TFR solely based on MkI eyeball or did you have any electric aids?
Also what was the training for the roll inverted over a ridge technique for keeping low level over the bumps in the ground? Did you have some knowledge of what was on the other side of the bump or how wide the bump was before tackling it (besides normal pre-flight planning) or rely on being able to see the ground ahead whilst inverted to then decide your next moves?
Also what was the training for the roll inverted over a ridge technique for keeping low level over the bumps in the ground? Did you have some knowledge of what was on the other side of the bump or how wide the bump was before tackling it (besides normal pre-flight planning) or rely on being able to see the ground ahead whilst inverted to then decide your next moves?
Standard low level training teaches to pull up quite early, use your eyes to see what is over the ridge, then rolling and pulling over. Looking well ahead for future obstacles (and up for the mountain top itself).
Join Date: Aug 2003
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Oh, the memories.
The work-up out of Machrihanish for the 1st Red Flag (1977) ....fantastic .
Briefed close formation with Tornados at low level ,IMC whilst tornado is TFRing (soft mode) ...Pave spike ops.
Generally Fatastic.. probably the BEST EVER flying possible anywhere.
As for a previous comment.. I think it was V.B'wood who once said ( and I think it was during the 1st Red Flag) "S..t ,I thought we were going to have to fold the wings to get through THAT gap" commenting on "shambles yarrow" chosing a particularly narrow gap to fly through
The work-up out of Machrihanish for the 1st Red Flag (1977) ....fantastic .
Briefed close formation with Tornados at low level ,IMC whilst tornado is TFRing (soft mode) ...Pave spike ops.
Generally Fatastic.. probably the BEST EVER flying possible anywhere.
As for a previous comment.. I think it was V.B'wood who once said ( and I think it was during the 1st Red Flag) "S..t ,I thought we were going to have to fold the wings to get through THAT gap" commenting on "shambles yarrow" chosing a particularly narrow gap to fly through
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Time to stick in my tuppence worth.
I had a Bucc up to 615kts IAS once (at v low level). The shock wave of the quite thick wing travels up the tailplane until the whole rudder is blanked thus moving the ball firmly to one side. You could kick the ball back into the middle but it would just rocket over to the other side! Once the shock wave hit the T tail, the stick would start buffetting about which is quite alarming at 50ft! Having said that, the aircraft was a peach to fly even as it tried to shake you to death.
Yes, quite a handfull in the cct but then so is the Tornado (have flown both)
No, there were no electronic aids to low flying but the jet was so stable, you could take your hands off the controls and it wouldn't crash - the Tornado would!!
I remember a Sqn exchange to Twenthe in Holland during which we flew some of the Dutch F-16 pilots in the back seat. One of my mates was cruising along at 100ft and the mate in the back looked forawrd and said ,"Do you always fly with your left hand, Smithy?" (He could see Smithy's right hand resting on the coaming).
"No" came the reply as Smithy held both hands up to show the cloggy!
After 25 years flying in the finest air force in the world ( and I have experienced my fair share of some of the others!), the Bucc will always rank high in my affections.
What a beast!!
I had a Bucc up to 615kts IAS once (at v low level). The shock wave of the quite thick wing travels up the tailplane until the whole rudder is blanked thus moving the ball firmly to one side. You could kick the ball back into the middle but it would just rocket over to the other side! Once the shock wave hit the T tail, the stick would start buffetting about which is quite alarming at 50ft! Having said that, the aircraft was a peach to fly even as it tried to shake you to death.
Yes, quite a handfull in the cct but then so is the Tornado (have flown both)
No, there were no electronic aids to low flying but the jet was so stable, you could take your hands off the controls and it wouldn't crash - the Tornado would!!
I remember a Sqn exchange to Twenthe in Holland during which we flew some of the Dutch F-16 pilots in the back seat. One of my mates was cruising along at 100ft and the mate in the back looked forawrd and said ,"Do you always fly with your left hand, Smithy?" (He could see Smithy's right hand resting on the coaming).
"No" came the reply as Smithy held both hands up to show the cloggy!
After 25 years flying in the finest air force in the world ( and I have experienced my fair share of some of the others!), the Bucc will always rank high in my affections.
What a beast!!
A certain Bucc pilot whose name referred to rivers overflowing reckoned that he held the world low level, high speed penny whistle playing record - 200 ft and 550 kts. But then he did always fly a little high!
No-one has mentioned any of the Buccaneer songs yet! (Whatever happened to singing in the bar on a Friday night?)
No-one has mentioned any of the Buccaneer songs yet! (Whatever happened to singing in the bar on a Friday night?)
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Bucc South China Sea
From “Air Clues, the Royal Air Force Magazine” (my favourite bedtime reading for many years) June 1980:
I learnt about flying from that
Some years ago I had the good fortune to fly Buccaneers with the Royal Navy during a tour embarked on a venerable aircraft carrier. The Mk. 2 version of the Buccaneer was very new in those days. In fact our squadron was the first to be equipped with it, and we had to put up with numerous engine modification programmes involving many engine changes - not always an easy task on board. However, at the end of one session of engine changes when almost every aircraft had undergone another double engine change, our stalwart squadron junior engineer, who was known as Split Pin, was offered a sortie as a reward for all his hard work. It was, naturally, a double engine flight test.
Now Split Pin was not a keen aviator. But he duly accepted the offer and was eventually strapped into the rear seat of a Buccaneer by a couple of grinning ratings. Not surprisingly he found the accommodation in the rear cockpit rather uncomfortable. Meanwhile I jumped in (you couldn’t really do external checks with half the aircraft sticking over the South China Sea) and started up. Half way through the after start checks a voice from the back seat said “Is it serviceable then?” “Of course not” I retorted, “None of the lot you service ever are!” I was joking of course, but unfortunately Split Pin believed me.
At that point Split Pin unstrapped because he was uncomfortable. He was not surprised when I taxied forward towards the catapult because the SOP for unserviceable aircraft was to keep their engines running and to taxy forward to park clear of the flight deck landing area. However, he was considerably surprised when the aircraft was tensioned up on the catapult. “Hey, what’s happening? Are we going to be launched?” he enquired. “Of course!” said I, busying myself with the engine checks before launch. I didn’t know that Split Pin was unstrapped - he didn’t dare tell me!
Anyway, off we went, and I flew the whole flight test profile chanting out all the figures to a strangely silent passenger. Eventually we recovered back on board without incident and only after shutting down did I discover that Split Pin had spent the whole sortie trying to strap himself in again. Needless to say his attempts weren’t very successful - and he hadn’t taken down any of the readings required by the flight test schedule!
The moral of this sad story is firstly, always say what you really mean when you are in an aircraft, and secondly never joke with engineers about the serviceability of their aircraft - they always take it too seriously.
First frontline Royal Navy S.Mk 2 Sqn: No. 801 Squadron, 7 Oct. 1965, formally commissioned 14 October with seven aircraft. The disbanded No. 700B Flight formed the nucleus of 801 Sqn. HMS Victorious 14.5.66 - 8.6.66 Home/Med. 8.7.66 - 13.6.67 Far East cruise (Three shore calls at Changi) . (Wings of Fame, Vol. 14).
Best regards
P.S.
Overheard at Headley Court:
"I'm a little stiff from Rugby."
PTI:
"I don't care where you come from, sir, get those knees bent!"
I learnt about flying from that
Some years ago I had the good fortune to fly Buccaneers with the Royal Navy during a tour embarked on a venerable aircraft carrier. The Mk. 2 version of the Buccaneer was very new in those days. In fact our squadron was the first to be equipped with it, and we had to put up with numerous engine modification programmes involving many engine changes - not always an easy task on board. However, at the end of one session of engine changes when almost every aircraft had undergone another double engine change, our stalwart squadron junior engineer, who was known as Split Pin, was offered a sortie as a reward for all his hard work. It was, naturally, a double engine flight test.
Now Split Pin was not a keen aviator. But he duly accepted the offer and was eventually strapped into the rear seat of a Buccaneer by a couple of grinning ratings. Not surprisingly he found the accommodation in the rear cockpit rather uncomfortable. Meanwhile I jumped in (you couldn’t really do external checks with half the aircraft sticking over the South China Sea) and started up. Half way through the after start checks a voice from the back seat said “Is it serviceable then?” “Of course not” I retorted, “None of the lot you service ever are!” I was joking of course, but unfortunately Split Pin believed me.
At that point Split Pin unstrapped because he was uncomfortable. He was not surprised when I taxied forward towards the catapult because the SOP for unserviceable aircraft was to keep their engines running and to taxy forward to park clear of the flight deck landing area. However, he was considerably surprised when the aircraft was tensioned up on the catapult. “Hey, what’s happening? Are we going to be launched?” he enquired. “Of course!” said I, busying myself with the engine checks before launch. I didn’t know that Split Pin was unstrapped - he didn’t dare tell me!
Anyway, off we went, and I flew the whole flight test profile chanting out all the figures to a strangely silent passenger. Eventually we recovered back on board without incident and only after shutting down did I discover that Split Pin had spent the whole sortie trying to strap himself in again. Needless to say his attempts weren’t very successful - and he hadn’t taken down any of the readings required by the flight test schedule!
The moral of this sad story is firstly, always say what you really mean when you are in an aircraft, and secondly never joke with engineers about the serviceability of their aircraft - they always take it too seriously.
First frontline Royal Navy S.Mk 2 Sqn: No. 801 Squadron, 7 Oct. 1965, formally commissioned 14 October with seven aircraft. The disbanded No. 700B Flight formed the nucleus of 801 Sqn. HMS Victorious 14.5.66 - 8.6.66 Home/Med. 8.7.66 - 13.6.67 Far East cruise (Three shore calls at Changi) . (Wings of Fame, Vol. 14).
Best regards
P.S.
Overheard at Headley Court:
"I'm a little stiff from Rugby."
PTI:
"I don't care where you come from, sir, get those knees bent!"
Last edited by normally left blank; 23rd Jan 2004 at 22:16.
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Scuse me if this is a repeat, but couldn't be hassled wading thru all the replies!
I remember my CO, a few years ago, telling me a lovely story about his time on Buccs. He was in Akrotiri, on 5 mins readinnes during the beirut crisis, and things turned real nasty for the Brit UN force there.
So off they went (just 2 of em), loaded with 1000lb 'ers (I think - although this story is second hand), and wired the city....apparently the lebaneese warring factions papped their panties and backed off, the Brits were pulled out then it all ent to mary hell and back (US Embassy bombing etc).
I told him I hear a story that they came back with TV aerials embedded in the fuselage, to which he replied 'Thats rubbish...we were flying below the aerials, between the apartment blocks....'
I began respecting older people from then on....
I remember my CO, a few years ago, telling me a lovely story about his time on Buccs. He was in Akrotiri, on 5 mins readinnes during the beirut crisis, and things turned real nasty for the Brit UN force there.
So off they went (just 2 of em), loaded with 1000lb 'ers (I think - although this story is second hand), and wired the city....apparently the lebaneese warring factions papped their panties and backed off, the Brits were pulled out then it all ent to mary hell and back (US Embassy bombing etc).
I told him I hear a story that they came back with TV aerials embedded in the fuselage, to which he replied 'Thats rubbish...we were flying below the aerials, between the apartment blocks....'
I began respecting older people from then on....
Grandpa Aerotart
Know a chap, ex RN Buccs, with headon, very low level picture of a Bucc....taken through the periscope of a submarine
See if I can point him towards this thread.
Chuck.
See if I can point him towards this thread.
Chuck.