Herc Down (Merged)
Join Date: May 2002
Location: No longer a hot and sandy place....but back to the UK for an indefinite period
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My son lost at least 3 mates on that flight. It has certainly brought a lot of things into perspective.
My prayers and thoughts are with the all the guys families and friends. Lyneham is a close knit community and all the personnel on the base will feel the loss.
BFB
My prayers and thoughts are with the all the guys families and friends. Lyneham is a close knit community and all the personnel on the base will feel the loss.
BFB
As ever at times like these no words can ever really get to the heart of ones feelings. Hopefully the number of views and posts on this thread will go a small way to expressing the love, dedication and professionalism with which these guys were blessed
Join Date: Mar 2004
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I’ve been reading this stuff all day wondering what to say. What is there to say other than I respect all you guys that died and offer my most heartfelt condolences to all their friends and family (including the great big, loose military family which comes together so well at times like these).
I’ve also been troubled by the feeling of complete impotence one feels on these occasions; wanting to do something positive, wishing one could put it all right or at least be able to wipe away all the tears etc.. Then I read the little exchange between the apologetic Christian and the unapologetic Christian above. Well, I’m a devout Agnostic and really appreciated the apology, even though neither point of view offends me. What I do on these occasions is light a candle in memory of the dead.
This is a gesture shared by nearly all religions but the non-religious may be interested to hear it goes a long way further back than that. The Celts used to erect what was known as a Ghost Fence or Spirit Wall which was simply a circle of individual flames, each representing the spirit of a deceased loved one – a parent, sibling or great warrior perhaps. They all stood inside the circle and made a simple, dignified act of remembrance. Nothing spooky, mystical or magic about it. It seems quite likely to me, looking at all the various stone and wood circles from ancient times, that this tradition is even older than the Celts.
It also seems to me that the men who died yesterday were parents, siblings, friends and great warriors to boot. So why not send them off in the ancient way, offending nobody, including everybody, with a dignified, humane gesture that they would be proud of themselves. I'm sure a candle in a jam jar will do...
Knowing the Celts, I suspect this bit was followed by the imbibing of copious amounts of ‘weapons-grade’ alcoholic beverages; I suggest you do them proud and do the same! I know I'm going to...
Sorry to blather on… Right I’m off to find the candles and the Malt!
RIP, boys…
TRE
I’ve also been troubled by the feeling of complete impotence one feels on these occasions; wanting to do something positive, wishing one could put it all right or at least be able to wipe away all the tears etc.. Then I read the little exchange between the apologetic Christian and the unapologetic Christian above. Well, I’m a devout Agnostic and really appreciated the apology, even though neither point of view offends me. What I do on these occasions is light a candle in memory of the dead.
This is a gesture shared by nearly all religions but the non-religious may be interested to hear it goes a long way further back than that. The Celts used to erect what was known as a Ghost Fence or Spirit Wall which was simply a circle of individual flames, each representing the spirit of a deceased loved one – a parent, sibling or great warrior perhaps. They all stood inside the circle and made a simple, dignified act of remembrance. Nothing spooky, mystical or magic about it. It seems quite likely to me, looking at all the various stone and wood circles from ancient times, that this tradition is even older than the Celts.
It also seems to me that the men who died yesterday were parents, siblings, friends and great warriors to boot. So why not send them off in the ancient way, offending nobody, including everybody, with a dignified, humane gesture that they would be proud of themselves. I'm sure a candle in a jam jar will do...
Knowing the Celts, I suspect this bit was followed by the imbibing of copious amounts of ‘weapons-grade’ alcoholic beverages; I suggest you do them proud and do the same! I know I'm going to...
Sorry to blather on… Right I’m off to find the candles and the Malt!
RIP, boys…
TRE
Cool as a moosp
Join Date: Aug 2001
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Herc down, that's war
If you cannot control your pathetic urges to pontificate then your views are not going to placed here.
Either you follow the line that most are following or you won't be allowed to post anything.
BEFORE!!!!! You post anything just think,
PPP
Either you follow the line that most are following or you won't be allowed to post anything.
BEFORE!!!!! You post anything just think,
PPP
Join Date: Jan 2005
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To brave comrades in arms,
I will always remember the good times with a smile and I know you will appreciate this :
Flying West
I hope there's a place, way up in the sky,
Where aircrew can go, when they have to die.
A place where a guy could buy a cold beer
For a friend and a comrade whose memory is dear.
A place where no doctor or lawyer could tread,
Nor a management -type would e'er be caught dead!
Just a quaint little place, kind of dark, full of smoke,
Where they like to sing loud, and love a good joke!
The kind of a place where a lady could go,
And feel safe and secure by the men she would know.
There MUST be a place where old aircrew go, when
Their wings become weary, when their airspeed gets low;
Where the whiskey is old, and the women are young,
And songs about flying and dying are sung.
Where you'd see all the fellows who'd "flown west" before,
And they'd call out your name, as you came thru the door,
Who would buy you a drink, if the thirst should be bad,
And relate to the others, "He was quite a good lad!"
And then thru the mist you'd spot an old guy
You had not seen for years, though he'd taught YOU to fly,
He'd nod his old head, and grin ear to ear,
And say, "Welcome, my son, I'm pleased you are here!
For this is the place where true flyers come,
When the battles are over, and the wars have been won;
We've come here at last, to be safe and afar,
From the government clerk, and the management czar,
Politicians and lawyers, the Feds and the noise,
Where all Hours are Happy, and these good ol' boys,
Can relax with a 'cool one', and a well deserved rest.."
"This is Heaven, my son: You've passed your last check!"
Keep on Trucking boys
GA (ex 47)
I will always remember the good times with a smile and I know you will appreciate this :
Flying West
I hope there's a place, way up in the sky,
Where aircrew can go, when they have to die.
A place where a guy could buy a cold beer
For a friend and a comrade whose memory is dear.
A place where no doctor or lawyer could tread,
Nor a management -type would e'er be caught dead!
Just a quaint little place, kind of dark, full of smoke,
Where they like to sing loud, and love a good joke!
The kind of a place where a lady could go,
And feel safe and secure by the men she would know.
There MUST be a place where old aircrew go, when
Their wings become weary, when their airspeed gets low;
Where the whiskey is old, and the women are young,
And songs about flying and dying are sung.
Where you'd see all the fellows who'd "flown west" before,
And they'd call out your name, as you came thru the door,
Who would buy you a drink, if the thirst should be bad,
And relate to the others, "He was quite a good lad!"
And then thru the mist you'd spot an old guy
You had not seen for years, though he'd taught YOU to fly,
He'd nod his old head, and grin ear to ear,
And say, "Welcome, my son, I'm pleased you are here!
For this is the place where true flyers come,
When the battles are over, and the wars have been won;
We've come here at last, to be safe and afar,
From the government clerk, and the management czar,
Politicians and lawyers, the Feds and the noise,
Where all Hours are Happy, and these good ol' boys,
Can relax with a 'cool one', and a well deserved rest.."
"This is Heaven, my son: You've passed your last check!"
Keep on Trucking boys
GA (ex 47)
Last edited by TheWizard; 31st Jan 2005 at 19:05.
A tragedy like this affect all of us in the RAF, even if like me the closest I ever came to these guys was admiring their professionalism from afar in countless hours and many many trips spend down the back, along with a few all too short glimpses of the action on the flight deck. Not to mention of course the humour, kindness and friendship displayed by crews to us mere pax on stopovers at places all around the world.
My sympathies to all involved.
My sympathies to all involved.
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: UK
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Condolences to all the families.
Spent many a year at Lyneham.
God Bless to all, I will say a special prayer when I have a beer tonight. My wife and family send deepest regrets.
ex FE 24, 47, and LXX.
Spent many a year at Lyneham.
God Bless to all, I will say a special prayer when I have a beer tonight. My wife and family send deepest regrets.
ex FE 24, 47, and LXX.
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Liverpool based Geordie, so calm down, calm down kidda!!
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Isn't the war officially over? I did 24 years military service, the last 18 as an RAF helicopter pilot. I flew on Ops and let me tell you that dying was not one of the acceptable options. You are flippant saying you must expect to die. In fact my wife and kids think you are a pr*ck. In fact so do I. Its nice to see some people care 
Join Date: Mar 2000
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moosp
Whilst I am for open discussion on any subject, this is not the time. This is an aircrew forum, those that lost their lives were aircrew. There will be many on PPRuNe that have lost one or more very close friends in the last 24 hours. We all know aviation is a close knit community, military aviation even more so.
I lost a good friend in '193, and am dreading the possiblity of finding out the worst over the next few days, as I do not want to go through the turmoil yet again.
Please allow time for reflection and respect, and join the rest of us fellow aviators in passing our deepest condolances to all of the family and friends of our fellow aviators who are no longer with us.
XO
Whilst I am for open discussion on any subject, this is not the time. This is an aircrew forum, those that lost their lives were aircrew. There will be many on PPRuNe that have lost one or more very close friends in the last 24 hours. We all know aviation is a close knit community, military aviation even more so.
I lost a good friend in '193, and am dreading the possiblity of finding out the worst over the next few days, as I do not want to go through the turmoil yet again.
Please allow time for reflection and respect, and join the rest of us fellow aviators in passing our deepest condolances to all of the family and friends of our fellow aviators who are no longer with us.
XO
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Don't touch it guys
I note from moosp's profile, there is a strong suggestion he is (embarrassingly) a CX pilot operating 400's.
Should his questioning been genuine, he needed only ask one of his ex-RAF colleagues at CX. I have no doubt they would have been glad to "enlighten" him.
I have no doubt he's fishing for responses; the things some people do for entertainment
Should his questioning been genuine, he needed only ask one of his ex-RAF colleagues at CX. I have no doubt they would have been glad to "enlighten" him.
I have no doubt he's fishing for responses; the things some people do for entertainment
Maybe Moosop should voice their sentiments in the company of the Albert community. I am sure that they would deliver a suitable reply. Death in any situation is a tragedy, maybe you should just offer condolences not critisism, at such a difficult time.
I am sure that the Albert community would unresevedly send condoluences if you had lost some of your friends and colleagues in a tragedy.
So in other words if you cannot be constructive at this time then SHUT UP.
My thoughts are for the bereved and their families and friends.
I am sure that the Albert community would unresevedly send condoluences if you had lost some of your friends and colleagues in a tragedy.
So in other words if you cannot be constructive at this time then SHUT UP.
My thoughts are for the bereved and their families and friends.
Join Date: Feb 2004
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Sad day for everyone back at Lyneham. Thoughts and prayers are with those friends and families suffering tonight. I've been there waiting for the same bad news as them and feel truly saddened at the thought of their pain.
Join Date: May 2000
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The sending of condolences is a kind and civilised thing to do. The condolences are for who were not at war, the wives, the children, the parents of those who died.
Are you so mean, moosp, that you cannot sympathise with the bereaved.
Should something untoward happen to you, would you not expect kindness to your family, despite your left wing pacifism?
Are you so mean, moosp, that you cannot sympathise with the bereaved.
Should something untoward happen to you, would you not expect kindness to your family, despite your left wing pacifism?
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I have removed my original response to moosp 's thread as the offending remark has been removed by the mods.
Instead, I would add my sympathies to the families and friends of all those killed.
Instead, I would add my sympathies to the families and friends of all those killed.
Last edited by CarltonBrowne the FO; 31st Jan 2005 at 21:15.