Did You Fly the Nimrod?
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: A Barren Featureless Wasteland
Posts: 106
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Biggus,
Same (as Aussie) in North America - which is great unless you have an RAF log book and have to re-un-convert back to the nearest 5 minutes (because the ops computer spits out intervals of 0.1hr)!
MT
Same (as Aussie) in North America - which is great unless you have an RAF log book and have to re-un-convert back to the nearest 5 minutes (because the ops computer spits out intervals of 0.1hr)!
MT
Yes - those with weak mathematical skills do indeed use decimal hours. Whereas those who can add duodecimal figures use hours and minutes.
Just use a DMS>DD calculator and it'll save a lot of snopake!!
Just use a DMS>DD calculator and it'll save a lot of snopake!!
When the Mighty J arrived at the secret Wiltshire airbase, the statties had to learn to count again. The J logs its own flight times to the minute.
If airframe life is measured in Flying hours, and they are rounded up to the nearest 5 minutes, how many hours has the Canberra fleet been robbed of real airframe life.
Furthermore, how many aircrew woul not qualify for their proudly worn 10 000 + Hrs patches?
If airframe life is measured in Flying hours, and they are rounded up to the nearest 5 minutes, how many hours has the Canberra fleet been robbed of real airframe life.
Furthermore, how many aircrew woul not qualify for their proudly worn 10 000 + Hrs patches?
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: NEAR TO ISK
Posts: 208
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Buoy15, OK can,t beat that, (long day though) and somone in deep poo for Gliding back to blighty.
So....enough of the 5 minutes stuff, try this then.
I was sent from ISK to Glasgow International post Gulf #1 for the memorial parade et al, they parked me nose in onto a standard stand. No problem that was until we decided to go home,
Now the Mighty War Platforms detachment tow bar is a two piece affair with no wheels and needs a couple of bods to lift it, and is joined with about 20 odd 1/2 inch allen nuts, push back off stand no problem straight onto the taxi way, now I had to dismantle said tow bar and get it on board without steps, now it takes a good 5 to 10 minutes to break and secure, (with the prudent use of the tow trucks roof to get it on board) in the mean time a very nice queue of civil types had formed right behind us, we had of course conveniently blocked the taxi way...oh and were they p????d..the airwaves were quite rude, slots lost, wasted fuel, the whole lot, I didn,t realise jocks could be so rude, it of course took a good few minutes more to load and secure and then get the two left engines going. Said Norman eventually trundled to the hold after making sure we had a proper traffic jam, and was made to wait, flight time home, low level 30 minutes.
What an ungrateful lot these civil types were, rush rush rush
BT
So....enough of the 5 minutes stuff, try this then.
I was sent from ISK to Glasgow International post Gulf #1 for the memorial parade et al, they parked me nose in onto a standard stand. No problem that was until we decided to go home,
Now the Mighty War Platforms detachment tow bar is a two piece affair with no wheels and needs a couple of bods to lift it, and is joined with about 20 odd 1/2 inch allen nuts, push back off stand no problem straight onto the taxi way, now I had to dismantle said tow bar and get it on board without steps, now it takes a good 5 to 10 minutes to break and secure, (with the prudent use of the tow trucks roof to get it on board) in the mean time a very nice queue of civil types had formed right behind us, we had of course conveniently blocked the taxi way...oh and were they p????d..the airwaves were quite rude, slots lost, wasted fuel, the whole lot, I didn,t realise jocks could be so rude, it of course took a good few minutes more to load and secure and then get the two left engines going. Said Norman eventually trundled to the hold after making sure we had a proper traffic jam, and was made to wait, flight time home, low level 30 minutes.
What an ungrateful lot these civil types were, rush rush rush
BT
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: UK, sometimes!
Age: 74
Posts: 436
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If airframe life is measured in Flying hours, and they are rounded up to the nearest 5 minutes, how many hours has the Canberra fleet been robbed of real airframe life.
Furthermore, how many aircrew woul not qualify for their proudly worn 10 000 + Hrs patches?
Furthermore, how many aircrew woul not qualify for their proudly worn 10 000 + Hrs patches?
MadMark!!!
bluetail - I can't believe that the aerodrome authority at Glasgow allowed you to block the taxiway whilst you farted about with the tow bar.
Really rather amateur - did you tell them what you wanted to do beforehand, or just assume that it'd be OK to block commercial flights in the way you did.
Might have been a good excuse to give a couple of groundcrew chaps an opportunity to drive over from ISK for a day or so to sample deep fried Mars bars etc before bringing back your tow bar...
Really rather amateur - did you tell them what you wanted to do beforehand, or just assume that it'd be OK to block commercial flights in the way you did.
Might have been a good excuse to give a couple of groundcrew chaps an opportunity to drive over from ISK for a day or so to sample deep fried Mars bars etc before bringing back your tow bar...
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 181
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
D807
CIRCLE RADIUS=10.00 CENTRE=N575800 W0025000
Now, back to Nimrod tales.... who WAS that AEO who, despairing at his radar operators inability to find the radar buoy one night, kicked them off the set and carried out a series of radar homings to the on-top 'to show them how it SHOULD be done'?
How we laughed on RTB when shown a late-arriving NOTAM stating that the raday buoy in D807 had been removed for repair two days earlier.
Now.... if I could just remember his name.... I think he ended up as a Gp Capt too.....
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: NEAR TO ISK
Posts: 208
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
BEags
Hit a raw nerve did I then, but isn,t it a fact when you get pushed off a stand by the tug, you go where he puts you not where you want to, I gather from a very good pal at Ringway that the tug driver and despatcher have total responsibility when moving a jet.
Now I can,t recall all the details, but I,m sure we ended up where we we put.....and do you honestly beleive GLA would have sent our bar back.
BT
Hit a raw nerve did I then, but isn,t it a fact when you get pushed off a stand by the tug, you go where he puts you not where you want to, I gather from a very good pal at Ringway that the tug driver and despatcher have total responsibility when moving a jet.
Now I can,t recall all the details, but I,m sure we ended up where we we put.....and do you honestly beleive GLA would have sent our bar back.
BT
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: ecosse
Posts: 714
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Bluetail
I have been waiting years to meet that kn
b who designed and engineered that ergonomic disaster so I could buy him a pint and pour it over him
Ray Dahvectac
Not quite
It was a FS Lead Dry going for an upgrade who completed 3 "induced" difficult homings,set by the trappers on board. After the Radar swap, the remainder of the dry team carried out some homings for stats, but couldn't find the buoy. However, they loyally followed the cue and stayed quiet so not to screw the upgrade. On landing one of the lads felt a bit miffed after being criticised by the trappers, so phoned the RN - and yes, it had been removed for servicing 2 days previous.
The upgrade was awarded post de-brief - solid bloke, should have been a politician
I have been waiting years to meet that kn
b who designed and engineered that ergonomic disaster so I could buy him a pint and pour it over himRay Dahvectac
Not quite
It was a FS Lead Dry going for an upgrade who completed 3 "induced" difficult homings,set by the trappers on board. After the Radar swap, the remainder of the dry team carried out some homings for stats, but couldn't find the buoy. However, they loyally followed the cue and stayed quiet so not to screw the upgrade. On landing one of the lads felt a bit miffed after being criticised by the trappers, so phoned the RN - and yes, it had been removed for servicing 2 days previous.
The upgrade was awarded post de-brief - solid bloke, should have been a politician
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: NEAR TO ISK
Posts: 208
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Buoy 15
Must say I have to agree, but I once took a proper one (with wheels) strapped into the Bomb Bay. Try loading that thing.
Here,s another long day for you then, 5 countries in one day, we started out from Brunswick, (USA) dropped into Greenwood to pick up the Fincastle judges (Canada) on the way home we were diverted onto a SAR job by the Halifax RCC in the Grand Banks, and were getting spray at 1,000ft, 26 POB with 24 barfing up (not me, loads of avomin), got short of fuel and ended up in Shannon (Eire) for a splash & dash, onto BZN (Eng) to drop off the PAX then home to ISK, (Scot) grand total 10hrs 40, we hit about 17hrs that day.
The jet was a dream
BT
Must say I have to agree, but I once took a proper one (with wheels) strapped into the Bomb Bay. Try loading that thing.
Here,s another long day for you then, 5 countries in one day, we started out from Brunswick, (USA) dropped into Greenwood to pick up the Fincastle judges (Canada) on the way home we were diverted onto a SAR job by the Halifax RCC in the Grand Banks, and were getting spray at 1,000ft, 26 POB with 24 barfing up (not me, loads of avomin), got short of fuel and ended up in Shannon (Eire) for a splash & dash, onto BZN (Eng) to drop off the PAX then home to ISK, (Scot) grand total 10hrs 40, we hit about 17hrs that day.
The jet was a dream
BT
Bluetail
The tug driver and pushback supervisor are responsible for carrying out the pushback safely, in accordance with local regulations and the clearance given by air traffic control. It is the aircraft crew who obtain that clearance.
You did, I assume, inform the GLA ground controller that after pushback you would be blocking the taxyway whilst your towbar was disconnected and dismantled and of course gave them a realistic estimate of the time involved. If so, no problem it's all down to ATC, if not, well......
YS
Yes, I flew the Nimrod
I gather from a very good pal at Ringway that the tug driver and despatcher have total responsibility when moving a jet.
You did, I assume, inform the GLA ground controller that after pushback you would be blocking the taxyway whilst your towbar was disconnected and dismantled and of course gave them a realistic estimate of the time involved. If so, no problem it's all down to ATC, if not, well......
YS
Yes, I flew the Nimrod
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Australia
Posts: 337
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Ray Dahvectac
Thanks.
In my day, it was Shackletons that exercised in D807-8! During the halcyon days of the Fleet Air Arm, whilst serving at RNAS Lossiemouth, I accepted an ‘invitation’ for a trip in 1967 in a 120 SQN (I think) aircraft This came about after a vague challenge being issued at Kinloss late one night as to the ability of naval pilots to endure lengthy exposure to noise (and some other quite impolite propositions). Just as well the coast road from Kinloss to Lossie was, apart from the Burghead transmitters, reasonably straight and devoid of gendarmes!
I recall we spent around 2 hours in D808, some 3 hours in transit to participate in a fly pass at RAF Hendon with a Vulcan and the Waddington 'Lanc', followed by a ‘navex’ over the North Atlantic to a point where there just happened to be a weather ship to drop mail to, thence back to Kinloss. Fascinating stuff as in those Cold War days, there was plenty of Warsaw Pact activity. Captain was a FLTLT Keith Merritt – a gentleman, QFI (normally a mutually exclusive combination but he endured the subsequent rematch in a Hunter T8 in LFA 15 without demur) and gourmet chef. Survived the noise, dined exceedingly well, enjoyed the (long) trip, met some fine aircrew and maintained the honour of the Senior Service!
As to Glen Morangie, well, what can I say? The Wardroom Bar always had copious supplies, probably due to the excellent relationship that existed between the then Tain Range Officer and the Distillery Manager. It was there that I was introduced to that most excellent spirit – a relationship that has persisted to this day. There was a store in Elgin called Gordon & McPhail which stocked almost every malt produced in the 40 odd distilleries that operated in Moray and Nairn. The story goes that a RAN exchange officer at Lossie saw a business opportunity and went into the antipodean whiskey export/import business with said store. Judging from the ready availability in Oz and elsewhere of Glen Morangie et al, he certainly did a good job!
Finally, I’m curious about the sobriquet of ‘Deep Fried Mars Bar’. During my living in time at Lossie, we dined on venison, salmon, pork, ham (the base had its own pig farm), beef etc; and a most excellent selection of fresh fish obtained from Lossiemouth and other Moray Firth fishing villages. Has the RAF lowered the tone of the local food industry?
In my day, it was Shackletons that exercised in D807-8! During the halcyon days of the Fleet Air Arm, whilst serving at RNAS Lossiemouth, I accepted an ‘invitation’ for a trip in 1967 in a 120 SQN (I think) aircraft This came about after a vague challenge being issued at Kinloss late one night as to the ability of naval pilots to endure lengthy exposure to noise (and some other quite impolite propositions). Just as well the coast road from Kinloss to Lossie was, apart from the Burghead transmitters, reasonably straight and devoid of gendarmes!
I recall we spent around 2 hours in D808, some 3 hours in transit to participate in a fly pass at RAF Hendon with a Vulcan and the Waddington 'Lanc', followed by a ‘navex’ over the North Atlantic to a point where there just happened to be a weather ship to drop mail to, thence back to Kinloss. Fascinating stuff as in those Cold War days, there was plenty of Warsaw Pact activity. Captain was a FLTLT Keith Merritt – a gentleman, QFI (normally a mutually exclusive combination but he endured the subsequent rematch in a Hunter T8 in LFA 15 without demur) and gourmet chef. Survived the noise, dined exceedingly well, enjoyed the (long) trip, met some fine aircrew and maintained the honour of the Senior Service!
As to Glen Morangie, well, what can I say? The Wardroom Bar always had copious supplies, probably due to the excellent relationship that existed between the then Tain Range Officer and the Distillery Manager. It was there that I was introduced to that most excellent spirit – a relationship that has persisted to this day. There was a store in Elgin called Gordon & McPhail which stocked almost every malt produced in the 40 odd distilleries that operated in Moray and Nairn. The story goes that a RAN exchange officer at Lossie saw a business opportunity and went into the antipodean whiskey export/import business with said store. Judging from the ready availability in Oz and elsewhere of Glen Morangie et al, he certainly did a good job!
Finally, I’m curious about the sobriquet of ‘Deep Fried Mars Bar’. During my living in time at Lossie, we dined on venison, salmon, pork, ham (the base had its own pig farm), beef etc; and a most excellent selection of fresh fish obtained from Lossiemouth and other Moray Firth fishing villages. Has the RAF lowered the tone of the local food industry?
Last edited by Argus; 16th Mar 2004 at 21:54.
For all Nimrod flyers:
Does anyone have the whole story on the ditching of the Nimrad into Moray Firth after an engine fire? I understand the commander is still an active kipper fleet driver. Considering the paucity of successful jet ditchings, the story must be a good one.
Thanks.
GF
Does anyone have the whole story on the ditching of the Nimrad into Moray Firth after an engine fire? I understand the commander is still an active kipper fleet driver. Considering the paucity of successful jet ditchings, the story must be a good one.
Thanks.
GF
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Down South
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I was in local at St Mawgan in 84 when the MK2 came back with the bomb bay fire (57 I think), never seen so many guys hurling themselves out of a side door of a Nimrod!!!
Remeber it departing back to Woodvale a couple of years later, those guys worked hard on it to get it airborne for that one flight home
Remeber it departing back to Woodvale a couple of years later, those guys worked hard on it to get it airborne for that one flight home
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Australia
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I enjoyed a great exchange tour flying the Nimrod in the late eighties - in fact, went to the UK single and came back to Oz betrothed (not to a marching woman though).
I got to conduct an "airborne arrest procedure" on a fisheries protection patrol - that was pretty neat. I'll always remember watching the RN jetfoil arrive, dashing at high speed to release us from the "arrest".
Anyway, as the type is still on active service, I guess I'll leave the memories there, but the P3C was never the same for me after the Nimrod.
TFM
I got to conduct an "airborne arrest procedure" on a fisheries protection patrol - that was pretty neat. I'll always remember watching the RN jetfoil arrive, dashing at high speed to release us from the "arrest".
Anyway, as the type is still on active service, I guess I'll leave the memories there, but the P3C was never the same for me after the Nimrod.
TFM
galaxy flyer
The captain was Art Stacey and he retired about 4 years ago. The aircraft was XW666, a 51 Sqn R1 and a brief description of the incident can be found here:
http://www.spyflight.co.uk/NIM.HTM
Art's copilot was Pat Hewitt, who is also retired.
YS
I understand the commander is still an active kipper fleet driver.
http://www.spyflight.co.uk/NIM.HTM
Art's copilot was Pat Hewitt, who is also retired.
YS
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 181
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Deep Fried Mars Bars
One thing I never cooked in a Nimrod galley, but according to legend:
The DFMB, and other similar delicacies, are now world-renowned.
I don't think the RAF can be blamed for that particular example of Scottish cuisine.
The Deep-fried Mars bar was born in the chip shops of Aberdeen and the surrounding fishing towns, where people paradoxically rarely eat fish (too good for you) and where absolutely everything is dipped in batter and fried, including pizza.
I don't think the RAF can be blamed for that particular example of Scottish cuisine.