Lightning over the Baltic
Interesting thread. I've just checked my log book & during my SAR days, my crew & I hauled a Lightning pilot out of the North Sea on 26 May 1971 at night. We did not really come to a classic hover but scooped him up on the run. Seems this one has missed the stats?
That would have been the RCAF exchange pilot that parted company with XS902 after a re-heat fire about 9m east of Spurn Head.
As I'm sure everyone knows, Lightnings were absolute pigs to maintain, and the wonder was that they didn't just explode when the power went on, what with all the fuel leaking everywhere and the AVPIN.
XR773/F, then the 'personal' mount of a current well known civilian Hunter display pilot
is with Mike Beachyhead's ThunderCity operation down at Cape Town International
The last one--and the worst sight I've ever seen in my life--was an F6 which got the fuel management wrong and took off from Tengah with the c of g too far back. It looked at first as though he was trying a rotation take off, so we all stopped to look. He swung over backwards at a sickening rate, was forced into a loop at about 300 ft., and ploughed straight into the kampong on the other side of the road. Ejection was initiated (we all saw the canopy come off), but the seat went straight into a tree......
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Thanks Henry - it was an interesting night and the pilot became quite well known to us later. Nice chap.
The main issue was the quite exceptional co-operation with a Lossiemouth Shack that dropped enough flares for us to get down to winching height. Violet picture let-downs were fine but in total darkness we needed help.
The main issue was the quite exceptional co-operation with a Lossiemouth Shack that dropped enough flares for us to get down to winching height. Violet picture let-downs were fine but in total darkness we needed help.
GEERAM
Seems your rescue is on some databases, have checked the one I have access to and found the following for that date:
26-5-1971
RAF Lightning XS902/J of 5 Sqn. Crashed into the North Sea nine miles south east of Spurn Head,
15 miles north east of Grimsby, Yorkshire after the pilot ejected due to a reheat fire.
Pilot A. Macay.
If you want to add details of the helo you were in and supporting a/c and times etc I will happily add them to the record.
Seems your rescue is on some databases, have checked the one I have access to and found the following for that date:
26-5-1971
RAF Lightning XS902/J of 5 Sqn. Crashed into the North Sea nine miles south east of Spurn Head,
15 miles north east of Grimsby, Yorkshire after the pilot ejected due to a reheat fire.
Pilot A. Macay.
If you want to add details of the helo you were in and supporting a/c and times etc I will happily add them to the record.
-26-5-1971
RAF Lightning XS902/J of 5 Sqn. Crashed into the North Sea nine miles south east of Spurn Head,
15 miles north east of Grimsby, Yorkshire after the pilot ejected due to a reheat fire.
Pilot A. Macay.
RAF Lightning XS902/J of 5 Sqn. Crashed into the North Sea nine miles south east of Spurn Head,
15 miles north east of Grimsby, Yorkshire after the pilot ejected due to a reheat fire.
Pilot A. Macay.
YS
GEERAM
Seems your rescue is on some databases, have checked the one I have access to and found the following for that date:
Seems your rescue is on some databases, have checked the one I have access to and found the following for that date:
Also, IIRC, the pilots surname was MacKay.
And the above post gives a clue to what his 'A' initial stood for as well.
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Trembling One Groundcrew Mutiny
LightningMate:-
Off the main topic I know, but:-
This incident (incidents, as there were two) took place at Valley during an MPC and then on exercise at Luqa, both in 1968.
The Great Groundcrew Mutiny, which title entered our annals with tongue in cheek, centred around a certain officer, who was easily the worst example of his type--not just in "human" terms, but managerially and professionally. This guy was actively hated, and it was because of him that we all refused to join in a squadron booze-up in Malta.
Wing Cmdr. Les Swart, the CO, came into the airman's club and pleaded with us to come along to the party. It was hard to refuse Swart, who was respected, but it was quietly explained to him that no one wanted to have anything to do with the culprit.
Swart understood, wished us well and we had our own party. Our spies elsewhere later let it be known that the said person was hauled over the coals. The Valley incident had been less obtrusive as I dimly remember--various "humourous" signs painted up around the crew rooms, but people got the message all the same.
Much, much, later I had the great pleasure of cutting the offending person dead when I was a civilian and he was introduced to me. Little victory perhaps, but I felt he was paid back for the petty vindictiveness he displayed to people to whom he should have set a better example.
Apart from that----two great tours on the magnificent Lightning!
Off the main topic I know, but:-
This incident (incidents, as there were two) took place at Valley during an MPC and then on exercise at Luqa, both in 1968.
The Great Groundcrew Mutiny, which title entered our annals with tongue in cheek, centred around a certain officer, who was easily the worst example of his type--not just in "human" terms, but managerially and professionally. This guy was actively hated, and it was because of him that we all refused to join in a squadron booze-up in Malta.
Wing Cmdr. Les Swart, the CO, came into the airman's club and pleaded with us to come along to the party. It was hard to refuse Swart, who was respected, but it was quietly explained to him that no one wanted to have anything to do with the culprit.
Swart understood, wished us well and we had our own party. Our spies elsewhere later let it be known that the said person was hauled over the coals. The Valley incident had been less obtrusive as I dimly remember--various "humourous" signs painted up around the crew rooms, but people got the message all the same.
Much, much, later I had the great pleasure of cutting the offending person dead when I was a civilian and he was introduced to me. Little victory perhaps, but I felt he was paid back for the petty vindictiveness he displayed to people to whom he should have set a better example.
Apart from that----two great tours on the magnificent Lightning!
Can you remember if the aircraft that caught fire on start up at Tengah was written off. {never seen a grow bag run so fast}
It was airlifted by a Belfast back to Warton for new wings to be fitted, and then had a long career and eventually became one of the last Lightnings to fly being one of the 4 used by BAE after RAF service, transferring to Warton on 14/6/88. BAE began a major on it in 1991, but didn’t complete it and instead it was withdrawn from use and used as a spares source.
It still survives, now being the gate guardian at BAE Warton.
Last edited by GeeRam; 30th Oct 2005 at 20:39.
Suspicion breeds confidence
It sounds as credible as the story I heard a few days ago of a hangar full of Wellington bombers "Somewhere in England". Were you told this is a pub by any chance?
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LFittNI,
Thanks for the info ref 'Tremblers Mutiny'.
I have some recall of the Malta event, now I know what it was. I avoided Valley that year so no recall of happenings at that location.
lm
Thanks for the info ref 'Tremblers Mutiny'.
I have some recall of the Malta event, now I know what it was. I avoided Valley that year so no recall of happenings at that location.
lm
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Oddly enough I had exactly the same conversation with an alleged ex-lightning guy who told the exact same story! I assume we were talking to the same person! My conversation took place in the late eighties in a pub he was running in S Wales, whilst I was serving at RAF Pembrey Sands. He told of spending a few days at sea and was picked up, as he recalls, by an american helo. Having said that, he also mentioned that it was his third ejection and he had the metal plate in his head to prove it which became visible in cold weather!
