Sea Harrier at Falklands Anniversary
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Falklands aircraft still flying today
Just a few of the types we could have if single engined gets a go ahead...
Wasp
Scout
Wessex (remember the Santa Fe affair? Rock the South Georgia casbah that did....)
Harrier (the two seater as already mentioned but rumours abound of a GR3/FRS1 in "bloody good nick" in the Dunsfold locale.....!!!! more details unavailable due to to much Adnams. Damn these weak moments)
Gazelle (quick, they're going fast! A RM one would be a nice change of pace.)
Multi-engined types.....
Lynx (first RN a/c almost went to war in wet paint....)
Chinook (BN WOULD be nice)
Canberra (yes it was us, and no, its not a PR9 still flying, but close is good enough I think as opposed to nothing)
Hercules
Nimrod
Sea King/Commando
VC10
Vulcan (please Doctor Bob, pretty please)
And for real controversy, how about a Phantom (yes, they came after I know!) or get the RA to lob a Rapier along the front of the flypast route.....
Joking aside a moment, the most complete history I have ever seen, and it is exhaustive, is to be found at http://www.raf.mod.uk/falklands/index.html
Whoever wrote it knows his stuff or was there, and some mad sod must have walked the entire route of the conflict, as there is a virtual tour of every battleground in the islands. Quite amazing and well written.
Wasp
Scout
Wessex (remember the Santa Fe affair? Rock the South Georgia casbah that did....)
Harrier (the two seater as already mentioned but rumours abound of a GR3/FRS1 in "bloody good nick" in the Dunsfold locale.....!!!! more details unavailable due to to much Adnams. Damn these weak moments)
Gazelle (quick, they're going fast! A RM one would be a nice change of pace.)
Multi-engined types.....
Lynx (first RN a/c almost went to war in wet paint....)
Chinook (BN WOULD be nice)
Canberra (yes it was us, and no, its not a PR9 still flying, but close is good enough I think as opposed to nothing)
Hercules
Nimrod
Sea King/Commando
VC10
Vulcan (please Doctor Bob, pretty please)
And for real controversy, how about a Phantom (yes, they came after I know!) or get the RA to lob a Rapier along the front of the flypast route.....
Joking aside a moment, the most complete history I have ever seen, and it is exhaustive, is to be found at http://www.raf.mod.uk/falklands/index.html
Whoever wrote it knows his stuff or was there, and some mad sod must have walked the entire route of the conflict, as there is a virtual tour of every battleground in the islands. Quite amazing and well written.
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Harriers at flypast
D.F,
If there's an actual FRS1 going - not 51 by kind permission of the Indian Navy - it would be news to all of us 'in the Dunsfold locale' let alone the RN !
GR3 - well they have seemed to let drop, literally, on their unpressurised noselegs ( could have been otherwise supported ) at even places like Duxford - the only GR3 near Dunsfold is the biggest BS spouter on the planet who has just a cockpit front.
There is an FA2 at Dunsfold which is in pretty poor shape - engine out, upper eng bay frames dangling, nothing much done to keep in shape when I saw it last 2006.
Still might make a backdrop for Jeremy Clarkson now & again...
There's also an ex-ETPS Hunter which my mention that it should be under cover did not go down well, obviously on financial grounds...
Meanwhile I hear they've actually got one of the TSR2's engines re-installed at Duxford and are very near to demo 'burns', though obviously that's as far as it will go, in static.
DZ
If there's an actual FRS1 going - not 51 by kind permission of the Indian Navy - it would be news to all of us 'in the Dunsfold locale' let alone the RN !
GR3 - well they have seemed to let drop, literally, on their unpressurised noselegs ( could have been otherwise supported ) at even places like Duxford - the only GR3 near Dunsfold is the biggest BS spouter on the planet who has just a cockpit front.
There is an FA2 at Dunsfold which is in pretty poor shape - engine out, upper eng bay frames dangling, nothing much done to keep in shape when I saw it last 2006.
Still might make a backdrop for Jeremy Clarkson now & again...
There's also an ex-ETPS Hunter which my mention that it should be under cover did not go down well, obviously on financial grounds...
Meanwhile I hear they've actually got one of the TSR2's engines re-installed at Duxford and are very near to demo 'burns', though obviously that's as far as it will go, in static.
DZ
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Strangely enough, whilst I was SNCO i/c Eng Instructions at HQSTC I was tasked to box up starting at STI/SI/PWI number 1, all paperwork relating to the Hunter. Boxes were going to certain South America country along with 6 Hunters - allegedly! 
(In reply to "Double Zero" ref to Chilean Hunters)
(In reply to "Double Zero" ref to Chilean Hunters)
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Joking aside a moment, the most complete history I have ever seen, and it is exhaustive, is to be found at http://www.raf.mod.uk/falklands/index.html
Whoever wrote it knows his stuff or was there, and some mad sod must have walked the entire route of the conflict, as there is a virtual tour of every battleground in the islands. Quite amazing and well written.
Whoever wrote it knows his stuff or was there, and some mad sod must have walked the entire route of the conflict, as there is a virtual tour of every battleground in the islands. Quite amazing and well written.
Suspicion breeds confidence
I really enjoyed Falklands Night on Beeb Parliament last night. Watching the old news broadcasts, question time and news nights, brought it all back. BZ BBC.
...ah yes, was only 18 at the time, but a lot of my School mates had their Fathers heading into harms way, so all those broadcasts were watched avidly in the TV Rooms at School.
Who could forget his completely deadpan delivery, which always started something like "Elements of the British Task Force have today.......etc".
Having been through that experience and then been to the FI in more recent times, I'm finding all this "25 years on" stuff quite fascinating.
Read the Vulcan book earlier this year aswell. What a tribute to British inventiveness and determination that is.
Who could forget his completely deadpan delivery, which always started something like "Elements of the British Task Force have today.......etc".
Having been through that experience and then been to the FI in more recent times, I'm finding all this "25 years on" stuff quite fascinating.
Read the Vulcan book earlier this year aswell. What a tribute to British inventiveness and determination that is.
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R U mental?
Right you lot......are you actually crackers or what?
Should the RN Historic Flight have a SHAR? Barking mad....as an ex, there's no chuffing way you'd get me up purely on very perishable polling skills, let alone rarely used engines and bearings.
We weren't allowed a fully serviceble jet or fully current Sqn boss to get to the end of an era do at Greenwich a year ago. How do you possibly think that a SHAR, mark irrelevant, would get there now?
If the Crabs are honcho-ing the memory, hopefully the Vulcan will be able to get airborne costing a disproportionate amount of money and miss the target due to 'poor cartography'. Whatever.
Back to the subject of SHARs, sure there are serviceable ones down at Culdrose and they would be more appropriate than a bloody Spit or something, but is it really crucial? At the moment the FAA is imploding due to quality Air Rank scheming, and while the memory of what everyone did is vital to our ethos and ultimately future, we have to ensure that the present is paid enough attention to carry on WAFU traditions......so embrace any GR7/9 attendance especially if the Quiche have anything to do with it. Sad but true, the deep red of their badges lives on!!!!!! Long live the chequered death!!!
Should the RN Historic Flight have a SHAR? Barking mad....as an ex, there's no chuffing way you'd get me up purely on very perishable polling skills, let alone rarely used engines and bearings.
We weren't allowed a fully serviceble jet or fully current Sqn boss to get to the end of an era do at Greenwich a year ago. How do you possibly think that a SHAR, mark irrelevant, would get there now?
If the Crabs are honcho-ing the memory, hopefully the Vulcan will be able to get airborne costing a disproportionate amount of money and miss the target due to 'poor cartography'. Whatever.
Back to the subject of SHARs, sure there are serviceable ones down at Culdrose and they would be more appropriate than a bloody Spit or something, but is it really crucial? At the moment the FAA is imploding due to quality Air Rank scheming, and while the memory of what everyone did is vital to our ethos and ultimately future, we have to ensure that the present is paid enough attention to carry on WAFU traditions......so embrace any GR7/9 attendance especially if the Quiche have anything to do with it. Sad but true, the deep red of their badges lives on!!!!!! Long live the chequered death!!!
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Good point....Who cares if a SHAR is replaced by a GR7/9. Certainly the General Public won't know the difference. I understand that the Flypast will also involve Lynx Mk 3/8 both of which were not in service in 1982.
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Unit representation
Surely the idea should be to have aircraft (any aircraft) flying from units that were there, so 800 who were there and now fly GR7/9 do a fly past in a GR7/9 and if 847 flew wessex then but Lynx now then a Lynx should do fine. We will have a pretty hard job having a WWI 100 year fly past in 2018 if it could only be the same types that flew then.
A Sea King MK 6 also wasn't there but is after all a matured Mk 2 so it will do fine.
Anyone even thought about a static SHAR on the march past route. They did it for Earls Court?
Sharmine
A Sea King MK 6 also wasn't there but is after all a matured Mk 2 so it will do fine.
Anyone even thought about a static SHAR on the march past route. They did it for Earls Court?
Sharmine
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SHAR
To go back to post 1, there IS an operational FA2, ( in fact the lowest houred example too, XZ439 ) in USA at present, in the hands of an ex US Marines & Harrier 2 Test Pilot - he has a good groundcrew, has refreshed with a sim set up to handle like a Harrier 1, and is in regular contact with THE TOP Harrier pilot - you should know who I mean - and HE thinks it's a fair enough idea.
They're completely willing to bring the aircraft over, though a little funding would be appreciated.
I agree if it really can't be done due to officialdom - and that sounds pretty feeble if they're even hoping to get the Vulcan up - then a static SHAR en route seems fair.
Sure, let the Navy go past in a GR7 / 9, but I can imagine right now the cringe as the TV announcers say in hushed tones " and there go the Sea Harriers which made such a difference"...
They're completely willing to bring the aircraft over, though a little funding would be appreciated.
I agree if it really can't be done due to officialdom - and that sounds pretty feeble if they're even hoping to get the Vulcan up - then a static SHAR en route seems fair.
Sure, let the Navy go past in a GR7 / 9, but I can imagine right now the cringe as the TV announcers say in hushed tones " and there go the Sea Harriers which made such a difference"...
To go back to post 1, there IS an operational FA2, ( in fact the lowest houred example too, XZ439 ) in USA at present, in the hands of an ex US Marines & Harrier 2 Test Pilot - he has a good groundcrew, has refreshed with a sim set up to handle like a Harrier 1, and is in regular contact with THE TOP Harrier pilot - you should know who I mean - and HE thinks it's a fair enough idea.
They're completely willing to bring the aircraft over, though a little funding would be appreciated.
They're completely willing to bring the aircraft over, though a little funding would be appreciated.
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Couldn't agree more GeeRam, I suppose it boils down to the fact that the CAA have no emotional investment in seeing an FA2, FRS2 or FRS1 flying on their "slop chit"-so they can think with their heads and not their hearts on this one.
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XZ439
zero 2
Art's SHAR is now N94422 so it comes under FAA rules and FAA registered aircraft do fly here all the time. I have been in regular contact with him and as yet the jet aint operational. It would also be a major undertaking with a great deal of risk (having just got it together and flying, if indeed he does) to take it apart ship it here rebuild it, fly it, take it apart, reship it back to the US and rebuild it all over again. Not to mention the pure cost and effort.
I am the first to want to see a SHAR in the air but reality needs to kick in here, it just aint going to happen.
Sharmine (the clues in the name)
Art's SHAR is now N94422 so it comes under FAA rules and FAA registered aircraft do fly here all the time. I have been in regular contact with him and as yet the jet aint operational. It would also be a major undertaking with a great deal of risk (having just got it together and flying, if indeed he does) to take it apart ship it here rebuild it, fly it, take it apart, reship it back to the US and rebuild it all over again. Not to mention the pure cost and effort.
I am the first to want to see a SHAR in the air but reality needs to kick in here, it just aint going to happen.
Sharmine (the clues in the name)
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XZ439
Sharmine,
I take your point, in fact the last I heard Art had done several fast taxi runs, at the end of the last he " would have been happy to take her up but the paperwork wasn't finalised so was not the time to get cute".
Flight iminent, and he seems to think the anniversary display entirely feasible if someone will stump up for transport costs.
He plans to road transport her to each display in the U.S, I had my doubts about that too to start with ( my father was criew chief on 439 for most of it's career to date & other Harriers, 1 & 2 ) but having spoken to Art and his team leader Rich, am a lot more convinced.
It would seem sensible, if the a/c was to come over, to put her & the team at Yeovilton - if not too much an embarassment for the Navy - or Dunsfold, as obviously some ground & flight testing will be required when the wing goes back on.
I have dealt with the new owners of Dunsfold on several occasions, and while I cannot speak for them, would be surprised if they weren't receptive to the idea.
I am not sure if the vandals who were the last BAe lot at Dunsfold left the engine run pen intact, but it would be jolly handy !
Art is also happy to spend big money ( in my book ) whenever necessary even on detail items.
He is also determined she stays in British markings, so while a sponsor at some stage would be welcome, this will not be another Red Bull job.
The rudder is darker than the rest ( which is the lighter overall grey ) in memory of sister development a/c XZ438, which had an accident at Yeovilton with assymetric fuel on the ski-ramp during the high activity prior to task force departure. The pilot ejected safely.
Do I take it you have one in the garden shed too ?! That's not trying to be insulting, genuinely interested.
DZ
I take your point, in fact the last I heard Art had done several fast taxi runs, at the end of the last he " would have been happy to take her up but the paperwork wasn't finalised so was not the time to get cute".
Flight iminent, and he seems to think the anniversary display entirely feasible if someone will stump up for transport costs.
He plans to road transport her to each display in the U.S, I had my doubts about that too to start with ( my father was criew chief on 439 for most of it's career to date & other Harriers, 1 & 2 ) but having spoken to Art and his team leader Rich, am a lot more convinced.
It would seem sensible, if the a/c was to come over, to put her & the team at Yeovilton - if not too much an embarassment for the Navy - or Dunsfold, as obviously some ground & flight testing will be required when the wing goes back on.
I have dealt with the new owners of Dunsfold on several occasions, and while I cannot speak for them, would be surprised if they weren't receptive to the idea.
I am not sure if the vandals who were the last BAe lot at Dunsfold left the engine run pen intact, but it would be jolly handy !
Art is also happy to spend big money ( in my book ) whenever necessary even on detail items.
He is also determined she stays in British markings, so while a sponsor at some stage would be welcome, this will not be another Red Bull job.
The rudder is darker than the rest ( which is the lighter overall grey ) in memory of sister development a/c XZ438, which had an accident at Yeovilton with assymetric fuel on the ski-ramp during the high activity prior to task force departure. The pilot ejected safely.
Do I take it you have one in the garden shed too ?! That's not trying to be insulting, genuinely interested.
DZ
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I'd heard that he was planning to road move it too, which had me baffled. To road move it, you will have to remove the wing and I believe, we normally also remove the engine. Under our rules, the aircraft would need loads of functional checks, a tie-down ground run including leak checks (not many places have these facilities) and prep for airtest. The aircraft would then undergo a performance hover air test to check the installed hover performance. The jet would then be ready for a practice display! I can't understand why this is better than flying it between venues. There is always a big risk of emerging work/ damage to riser ducts etc with an engine lift, plus hover performance may suffer. Sounds like a great deal of effort to me!
It still doesn't solve the single engine aircraft over London problem though.
It still doesn't solve the single engine aircraft over London problem though.