Buzzed by the RAF
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Buzzed by the RAF
I would like to thank the harrier pilot that did this to me.
When I was a kid I used to go on camping trips to the north Yorkshire moors. Mostly to Penyghent and Fleet Moss. High and remote areas miles away from anywhere.
During one of these trips (Fleet Moss) we kept getting buzzed by Harriers, we assumed they were using us as target practice, big orange tents, high location, miles from anywhere etc.
They would fly through the valley below our eyeline then pull up out of the valley turning tight and do a (I assume) guns pass on us. It was fun watching them and great to have our own air show.
About 2 days into the trip these free air shows abated so we thought we had seen the last of them.
Later on in the trip my mates played a practical joke on me, they removed all my gear from my tent and replaced it with a plastic bollard stolen from the road nearby, they then super glued up my tent zip. All this was done with me fast asleep, I noticed nothing.
I awoke at 6am and soon realised I had been done. I cut the zip and walked around Fleet Moss looking for my gear, after about 20 minutes of searching I had gathered all my clothing and possessions which had been strewn around the marsh.
Arms full of gear, cursing and spitting and vowing my revenge I began to walk towards my tent.
When.......WHOOOSHHHHH!!!!! A Harrier screamed over my head, the bugger had sneaked up on me from behind.
I never heard him coming, just got the sudden sonic boom effect as the sound wave hit me.
I hit the deck with a scream, I landed face first in a cow pat, my stuff went in all directions.
Standing up again and absolutely livid the Harrier pilot circled and came past at low speed, low level.
He gave me a wave out of the cockpit and I was sure I could see him laughing.
I responded with a torrent of abuse and a shaking fist.
So..If it was you, Thanks, it took me ages to clean the cow **** off my face
When I was a kid I used to go on camping trips to the north Yorkshire moors. Mostly to Penyghent and Fleet Moss. High and remote areas miles away from anywhere.
During one of these trips (Fleet Moss) we kept getting buzzed by Harriers, we assumed they were using us as target practice, big orange tents, high location, miles from anywhere etc.
They would fly through the valley below our eyeline then pull up out of the valley turning tight and do a (I assume) guns pass on us. It was fun watching them and great to have our own air show.
About 2 days into the trip these free air shows abated so we thought we had seen the last of them.
Later on in the trip my mates played a practical joke on me, they removed all my gear from my tent and replaced it with a plastic bollard stolen from the road nearby, they then super glued up my tent zip. All this was done with me fast asleep, I noticed nothing.
I awoke at 6am and soon realised I had been done. I cut the zip and walked around Fleet Moss looking for my gear, after about 20 minutes of searching I had gathered all my clothing and possessions which had been strewn around the marsh.
Arms full of gear, cursing and spitting and vowing my revenge I began to walk towards my tent.
When.......WHOOOSHHHHH!!!!! A Harrier screamed over my head, the bugger had sneaked up on me from behind.
I never heard him coming, just got the sudden sonic boom effect as the sound wave hit me.
I hit the deck with a scream, I landed face first in a cow pat, my stuff went in all directions.
Standing up again and absolutely livid the Harrier pilot circled and came past at low speed, low level.
He gave me a wave out of the cockpit and I was sure I could see him laughing.
I responded with a torrent of abuse and a shaking fist.
So..If it was you, Thanks, it took me ages to clean the cow **** off my face
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Harriers can't do a sonic boom - just whine a lot (and the aircraft makes a noise too)...
Several decades to wipe the cowpat off your face. You'd never make parade in time!
SMT
Several decades to wipe the cowpat off your face. You'd never make parade in time!
SMT
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Maybe it was a Harrier Pat 
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I didn't say it was a sonic boom, I said it was a sonic boom EFFECT...
And its taken me all this time to find out where he's been hiding
I try to console myself with the thought that he didn't do it on purpose, I am sure he couldn't have seen me there struggling to return my stuff to my tent.
Our boys just don't do things like that on purpose, do they ?
But it was a very loud and very fast low level pass, I hope the practice he got was useful.
And its taken me all this time to find out where he's been hiding
I try to console myself with the thought that he didn't do it on purpose, I am sure he couldn't have seen me there struggling to return my stuff to my tent.
Our boys just don't do things like that on purpose, do they ?
But it was a very loud and very fast low level pass, I hope the practice he got was useful.
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If it had been a sea Harrier, it would have been a Sonic Boom Affect
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Way back in the 70s I was on a day out by a tree lined river in a valley up somewhere in Scotland. There were loads of us splashing in the water messing about when we became aware of an approaching jet but couldn't figure out where it was coming from.
All eyes were cast skywards when around a bend in the river at what appeared to me to be treetop height streaked a Fantoom, pedal to the metal. It screamed across our heads with an earpslitting roar that you could feel in your chest. I thought it was bloomin fantastic but the mums and little ones were running about screaming like their heads were on fire
All eyes were cast skywards when around a bend in the river at what appeared to me to be treetop height streaked a Fantoom, pedal to the metal. It screamed across our heads with an earpslitting roar that you could feel in your chest. I thought it was bloomin fantastic but the mums and little ones were running about screaming like their heads were on fire
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Ahh yes, the good old days before horse riders calling their ambulance chasing lawers 20 seconds after something fast and grey goes overhead at 250' and 450kts became the norm.
I was in the Yorkshire Dales some years back with a bunch of pongos from the Royal Engineers, who were assisting with a footbridge replacement project in a rather steep sided dale.
They'd decided to stay for the week rather than travel to Catterick and back every day, so the field above the bridge was occupied with 4-tonners, landrovers, cranes and other assorted lifting gear, along with a field kitchen and a couple of large tents.
One particularly sunny afternoon a pattern of looping contrails above us gave away the fact that a punch-up of the fast-jet variety was taking place a few thousand feet above our heads. A short time later an F4 came up the Dale at a height of about 1000' and the wing dropped as he came over the top of us, obviously having a look-see at all the 'greenery' parked in the field.
About 5 minutes later, the ba$t@rd came out of nowhere, right over the top of us at tree-top height, stood the machine on its tail with the afterburners lit and barrel-rolled up into the heavens. Our bodies and the very ground itself shook.
To this day I've never heard so much profanity fall from the lips of a group of men, nor for such a prolonged period of time.
I was in the Yorkshire Dales some years back with a bunch of pongos from the Royal Engineers, who were assisting with a footbridge replacement project in a rather steep sided dale.
They'd decided to stay for the week rather than travel to Catterick and back every day, so the field above the bridge was occupied with 4-tonners, landrovers, cranes and other assorted lifting gear, along with a field kitchen and a couple of large tents.
One particularly sunny afternoon a pattern of looping contrails above us gave away the fact that a punch-up of the fast-jet variety was taking place a few thousand feet above our heads. A short time later an F4 came up the Dale at a height of about 1000' and the wing dropped as he came over the top of us, obviously having a look-see at all the 'greenery' parked in the field.
About 5 minutes later, the ba$t@rd came out of nowhere, right over the top of us at tree-top height, stood the machine on its tail with the afterburners lit and barrel-rolled up into the heavens. Our bodies and the very ground itself shook.
To this day I've never heard so much profanity fall from the lips of a group of men, nor for such a prolonged period of time.
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Naw we were always playing practical jokes on each other.
We had to crap in the marsh as there was no cover, normally we buried it but one guy said he was so proud of it he wanted the world see how large his turd was. We stole his 8mm Camera found it and filmed it for him, when he got home his mother had the shock of her life when he played the film to the family on a projector screen.
Probably the best one though was one of the girls who wanted to go stargazing as it was so dark, she went away from the camp site and lay in the open looking up at the sky. About 3 hours later the police arrived saying they had had a report of a dead body from a passing motorist. The cops had driven 30 miles, they were not happy bunnies.
We had to crap in the marsh as there was no cover, normally we buried it but one guy said he was so proud of it he wanted the world see how large his turd was. We stole his 8mm Camera found it and filmed it for him, when he got home his mother had the shock of her life when he played the film to the family on a projector screen.
Probably the best one though was one of the girls who wanted to go stargazing as it was so dark, she went away from the camp site and lay in the open looking up at the sky. About 3 hours later the police arrived saying they had had a report of a dead body from a passing motorist. The cops had driven 30 miles, they were not happy bunnies.
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Tebay Service Station on the M6 is one of my favourite places as I rarely seem to pass through there during the daytime without seeing at least one fast jet. Scares the living daylights out of some of the other people travelling through but I'm the one who stands there with a HUGE silly grin on my face. Keep it up please - the treetop level transits are just brilliant. 
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Studland Beach
Sitting on Studland Beach many years ago (as a kid) when there is a dull roar, but no sign of an aircraft.
Pointy nose appears above hill and Vulcan climbs over hill and back down. Another then follows and pair fly along in front of beach.
Never forgot it.
Pointy nose appears above hill and Vulcan climbs over hill and back down. Another then follows and pair fly along in front of beach.
Never forgot it.
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Letter of apology
Years ago before I had my common sense removed, I worked on my brother in laws (at the time) farm. Out in the fields one day on a tractor (cue can't read and write gags) I got buzzed by 2 F111's.
Not content with buzzing me once, twice, thrice, they used me for about 30 minutes of "target" practice.
This they did for 3 days, and then when the local press turned up for the commotion, it stopped.
A week later my BiL got a letter from the US airforce from Alconbury (I think) apologising and offering to repair any damage caused.
We just chuckled and filed the letter in the B1N.
Funny how you forget things as the years roll on.
Not content with buzzing me once, twice, thrice, they used me for about 30 minutes of "target" practice.
This they did for 3 days, and then when the local press turned up for the commotion, it stopped.
A week later my BiL got a letter from the US airforce from Alconbury (I think) apologising and offering to repair any damage caused.
We just chuckled and filed the letter in the B1N.
Funny how you forget things as the years roll on.
