Secret new Shropshire Tucano base
Secret new Shropshire Tucano base
Back in 1974, a student was flying a GCA into Shawbury in a Valley Gnat. Bloke in the back got exasparated at Bloggs' efforts and with a "Can't you see the airfield, idiot, IHC!" took control and landed.
On roll out, he was surprised to see an unknown type of car chasing him down the runway. "What is that ar$e doing?" he muttered, stopped the jet and opened the canopy.....
"WTF are you doing here?" asked the occupant of the then-secret new type of Ford car. Cortina Mk IV or somesuch.
"WTF are you doing chasing me down the runway. Wait until I get hold of SATCO....." said the QFI
"WTF is a SATCO?" asked the car's driver....
Then the truth dawned....
"This is Shawbury?"
"No it's bŁoody not. It's Sleap and we're doing important test work!"
"Aaaaaah. Oh, bug.ger........"
The studes at Valley were about to make a "Welcome to RAF St Mawgan" sign for the tower, but the CI suggested that it wouldn't be a terribly good idea!
On roll out, he was surprised to see an unknown type of car chasing him down the runway. "What is that ar$e doing?" he muttered, stopped the jet and opened the canopy.....
"WTF are you doing here?" asked the occupant of the then-secret new type of Ford car. Cortina Mk IV or somesuch.
"WTF are you doing chasing me down the runway. Wait until I get hold of SATCO....." said the QFI
"WTF is a SATCO?" asked the car's driver....
Then the truth dawned....
"This is Shawbury?"
"No it's bŁoody not. It's Sleap and we're doing important test work!"
"Aaaaaah. Oh, bug.ger........"
The studes at Valley were about to make a "Welcome to RAF St Mawgan" sign for the tower, but the CI suggested that it wouldn't be a terribly good idea!
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Deepest Oxfordshire
Posts: 230
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Sleap
BEags
He did a GCA? (Sorry, PPRuNers, GCA = Ground Controlled Approach: this is an old thing that was also once called a Precision Radar Approach, aka talkdown). And he landed at the wrong airfield? Either I am missing something or some ATC wallah is in urgent need of sacrificing at the next Summer Solstice?
Wow!
Gadget
PS: We appear to live so close to each other that I am surprised we haven't yet debated the relative merits of the Cogges Link versus Shores Green slip roads thing in Waitrose! Or have we?
He did a GCA? (Sorry, PPRuNers, GCA = Ground Controlled Approach: this is an old thing that was also once called a Precision Radar Approach, aka talkdown). And he landed at the wrong airfield? Either I am missing something or some ATC wallah is in urgent need of sacrificing at the next Summer Solstice?
Wow!
Gadget
PS: We appear to live so close to each other that I am surprised we haven't yet debated the relative merits of the Cogges Link versus Shores Green slip roads thing in Waitrose! Or have we?
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: UK
Posts: 461
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Airfield recce for Tucano Pilots Pt1
follow the following links for airfield recce:
http://multimap.com/map/photo.cgi?sc...06&mapsize=big
http://multimap.com/map/photo.cgi?sc...67&mapsize=big
http://multimap.com/map/photo.cgi?sc...06&mapsize=big
http://multimap.com/map/photo.cgi?sc...67&mapsize=big
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: An airfield cunningly close the Thames
Age: 46
Posts: 256
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Sounds like some wizz-kid FJ stude doing another low level entry at Sally' Tits,and realising that they're rubbish to let down on (snigger snigger).
"Erm I'm not quite sure why the turning point isn' t there sir....."
"Erm I'm not quite sure why the turning point isn' t there sir....."
Captain Gadget, I think they were on a diversion and the QFI was letting the student fly until he became impatient, took control and landed. At the wrong aerodrome!
(Cogges Link? Been involved with the whole sorry farce for 21 years now. Glad to see the Local Plan Enquiry Inspector came to the same conclusion I've been advocating for years!)
(Cogges Link? Been involved with the whole sorry farce for 21 years now. Glad to see the Local Plan Enquiry Inspector came to the same conclusion I've been advocating for years!)
BEagle
This thread has jogged my memory of an incident that happened when I was at 6 FTS Ternhill in 1956. One of the students on our course mistook Shawbury for Ternhill despite the hangars etc being on the wrong side of the airfield. Shortly before he was about to touch down the corporal in the caravan fired a red verey to warn off the Piston Provost. It must have been an excellent shot as the pyrotechnic lodged inside the cowling, causing a spectacular if short lived fire during the overshoot. The student dived at the runway and landed at what he now knew to be Shawbury. A couple of months later he was chopped for illegal dog fighting in full view of the CFI when he and his oppo inadvertedly drifted overhead Ternhill courtesy of a strong north westerly.
Multimap Ternhill http://multimap.com/map/photo.cgi?cl...g=&mapsize=big
This thread has jogged my memory of an incident that happened when I was at 6 FTS Ternhill in 1956. One of the students on our course mistook Shawbury for Ternhill despite the hangars etc being on the wrong side of the airfield. Shortly before he was about to touch down the corporal in the caravan fired a red verey to warn off the Piston Provost. It must have been an excellent shot as the pyrotechnic lodged inside the cowling, causing a spectacular if short lived fire during the overshoot. The student dived at the runway and landed at what he now knew to be Shawbury. A couple of months later he was chopped for illegal dog fighting in full view of the CFI when he and his oppo inadvertedly drifted overhead Ternhill courtesy of a strong north westerly.
Multimap Ternhill http://multimap.com/map/photo.cgi?cl...g=&mapsize=big
Last edited by brakedwell; 30th Jul 2005 at 17:54.
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Down at the sharp pointy end, where all the weather is made.
Age: 74
Posts: 1,684
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes
on
3 Posts
...and it works the other way, too.
We run an aerobatic competition at Sleap every year. A few years ago, a newbie took off, for the airborne hold. When called into the box, he went in the wrong direction and did his sequence in the Shawbury overhead. Irate phone call from Shawbury, 'nil point' for the hapless pilot!
Cheers,
The Odd One
ps that was in the days of the Snoopy Bash at Sleap, basically a sit-down dinner, at least half of which was ammunition for the warring factions on different tables. Not allowed any more, we're very sober-sides these days! Still a great venue for the Golding-Barrett trophy meeting, though.
We run an aerobatic competition at Sleap every year. A few years ago, a newbie took off, for the airborne hold. When called into the box, he went in the wrong direction and did his sequence in the Shawbury overhead. Irate phone call from Shawbury, 'nil point' for the hapless pilot!
Cheers,
The Odd One
ps that was in the days of the Snoopy Bash at Sleap, basically a sit-down dinner, at least half of which was ammunition for the warring factions on different tables. Not allowed any more, we're very sober-sides these days! Still a great venue for the Golding-Barrett trophy meeting, though.
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: UK, m o s t l y
Posts: 98
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Was airborne on Shawbs Tower at the time, along with prob 20+ other choppers.
"Lema XXX, finals gear down"
"Lema XXX, er, confirm you approaching Shawbury"
"Lema XXX affirm"
"Lema XXX, Shawbury bearing 140 range 6 miles"
Spacer I do know the guys involved yesterday. PM me if you need confirmation!
"Lema XXX, finals gear down"
"Lema XXX, er, confirm you approaching Shawbury"
"Lema XXX affirm"
"Lema XXX, Shawbury bearing 140 range 6 miles"
Spacer I do know the guys involved yesterday. PM me if you need confirmation!
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: 51.5N 2W ish
Posts: 29
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Reminds me of UAS Summer Camp, Bicester early/mid 60's. As one of the senior studes on DH's finest Chippfunbuggies, was selected to demonstrate the extent of our QFI's instructional prowess on a sortie with a Rissi Trapper.
At end of fairly uneventfull trip, friendly "RT" says, " Bloggs, take us back to base and do a Run-in and-Break",.
No problem thought I, and duly did all the right stuff up to the turning finals call. At this point "RT" takes control; " OK Bloggs that was fine, but lets go back to Bicester now and try it there, that was Weston-On -The-Green"!!!!
At end of fairly uneventfull trip, friendly "RT" says, " Bloggs, take us back to base and do a Run-in and-Break",.
No problem thought I, and duly did all the right stuff up to the turning finals call. At this point "RT" takes control; " OK Bloggs that was fine, but lets go back to Bicester now and try it there, that was Weston-On -The-Green"!!!!
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Turks and Cacos
Posts: 324
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Ah memories.
Had to assist in the recovery of a Lightning from Swinderby whilst I was at binbrook.
He was a lucky chap.
Everywhere fogged out and he saw a runway, otherwise it was that well known Lightning airfield RAF Dogger bank.
Had to assist in the recovery of a Lightning from Swinderby whilst I was at binbrook.
He was a lucky chap.
Everywhere fogged out and he saw a runway, otherwise it was that well known Lightning airfield RAF Dogger bank.
Yes, Him
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: West Sussex, UK
Posts: 2,689
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Not forgeting the [Colorado?] Air National Guard RF-4 pair that mistook Horsham St. Faith (Narch Airport) for Colt.
Lead landed, wingman overshot to Colt. On a TransLant so maybe just busting for a pee. Believe he was the Wing Colonel.
Lead landed, wingman overshot to Colt. On a TransLant so maybe just busting for a pee. Believe he was the Wing Colonel.
I think it was USAFE who gave a display at Rattlesden rather than Wattisham once.....
Rattlesden certainly received an airfield attack from a FAF Mirage IV during a Wattisham ADEX in the '80s!
Rattlesden certainly received an airfield attack from a FAF Mirage IV during a Wattisham ADEX in the '80s!
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Near a castle!
Posts: 212
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
JNo: It won't let me send you a PM! I'm pretty sure the guy's last initial is W, as I had lunch with him on the fateful day, and he did indeed let slip of his "tour" of Shropshire 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: UK
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Was it not a USAF B-52 that flew all the way from the states to display at Farnborough ’04 and ended up giving a treat to a car boot sale on a disused field about 5 miles away?
I bet that wasn’t the nicest of trips back across ‘the pond’ for the nav!!
NFS
PS I stand to be well corrected if wrong!!
I bet that wasn’t the nicest of trips back across ‘the pond’ for the nav!!
NFS
PS I stand to be well corrected if wrong!!
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Middle East
Posts: 1,183
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
NFS
Nope you are correct, don't know my UK airfields but I was at Farnborough on the trade day when it occurred.....and the B52 display wasn't!
I seem to remember the commentators having a field day with it and the UK press likewise.
So how did they get to Baghdad??????
I seem to remember the commentators having a field day with it and the UK press likewise.
So how did they get to Baghdad??????
Well, they did say that "when you roll out, airfield is in your 12 o'clock..." 
... unfortunately it wasn't quite the right airfield. We did think it was a bit quiet for a families day, and a bit odd that the QDM was about 30 degrees out, but there you go! In our defence, it would have been nice for the controller to maybe mention that "the airfield's in your 12 o'clock; five miles in your 12 o'clock, and don't bother landing at the one immediately in your 12 o'clock."
Still, you live and learn... it was only trip 2
... unfortunately it wasn't quite the right airfield. We did think it was a bit quiet for a families day, and a bit odd that the QDM was about 30 degrees out, but there you go! In our defence, it would have been nice for the controller to maybe mention that "the airfield's in your 12 o'clock; five miles in your 12 o'clock, and don't bother landing at the one immediately in your 12 o'clock."
Still, you live and learn... it was only trip 2