Gulf War 1 - Tornado Question
Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 196
Likes: 0
From: Somerset
Gulf War 1 - Tornado Question
Post having a chat in the office, I recalled a memory I have of the Sandpit in Gulf War 1.
Whilst on sentry for a SH base near King Khalid Military City early one morning, I witnessed a vehicle appearing out of the heat haze in the bondu. Imagine my surprise when I saw it was towing a Tornado right past the camp and onwards into the haze to the south. Given the proximity of KKMC to the Iraq border, I suspect that's where it had come from. The tonka had both ejection seats out, indeed the primary cartridges (if that's what they are called) were extended. It appeared to be standing on it's own undercarriage, not a jury rig, and I couldn't see any damage.
I'm curious to know why an aircraft with both ejection seats fired, is in such a tidy condition. If this was a 0-0 ejection, presumably it was made because of the hazard to life, but the a/c looked fine. If it was landed in a hostile environment, I would have thought it would be destroyed. Anyone any ideas? It was about Feb '91.
Whilst on sentry for a SH base near King Khalid Military City early one morning, I witnessed a vehicle appearing out of the heat haze in the bondu. Imagine my surprise when I saw it was towing a Tornado right past the camp and onwards into the haze to the south. Given the proximity of KKMC to the Iraq border, I suspect that's where it had come from. The tonka had both ejection seats out, indeed the primary cartridges (if that's what they are called) were extended. It appeared to be standing on it's own undercarriage, not a jury rig, and I couldn't see any damage.
I'm curious to know why an aircraft with both ejection seats fired, is in such a tidy condition. If this was a 0-0 ejection, presumably it was made because of the hazard to life, but the a/c looked fine. If it was landed in a hostile environment, I would have thought it would be destroyed. Anyone any ideas? It was about Feb '91.
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 831
Likes: 0
From: North of South
Its a long time ago but i seem to remember a Saudi Tornado that landed with a hydraulic issue not sure exactly what and it left the runway both crew ejected and as it turned out the aircraft stopped suffering virtually no damage . I have actually witnessed this happening at in the uk when a bucc crew ejected for the same reason . The assumption I think being that when you go off the shiny black stuff the undercarriage may collapse and ejection the better option .
If its the same one then that was the gen as far as I can remember
If its the same one then that was the gen as far as I can remember
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,395
Likes: 0
From: earth
There was a Saudi bomber that the crew left to land itself in the desert. They ejected at low altitude and the aircraft made its' own arrangements after that. I believe it is the aircraft that now sits perched on a plinth at the gate of Dhahran.
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 710
Likes: 26
From: Leeds
