Gaining An R.A.F Pilots Brevet In WW II
WT
No blame at all. I should have made myself clearer - to use the yukky modern parlance, "I miswrote."
For scheduled maintenance they would drag the craft up the slipway (if they had one) so the problem of sunken tools did not arise, but as all here know, aircraft sometimes develop "snags" which need fixing ASAP, hence the maritime mechs. need to tether their tools while working above the water.
Ian BB
No blame at all. I should have made myself clearer - to use the yukky modern parlance, "I miswrote."
For scheduled maintenance they would drag the craft up the slipway (if they had one) so the problem of sunken tools did not arise, but as all here know, aircraft sometimes develop "snags" which need fixing ASAP, hence the maritime mechs. need to tether their tools while working above the water.
Ian BB
WT:-
I think it was a feature of the Sunderland that the leading edges folded down to present a working platform for access to, and servicing of, the systems that ran behind them. There was also provision for the attachment of servicing platforms around the engines with the cowlings opened (and removed?). I would think that these were useful even if the aircraft had been hauled out of the water, but much of this work had perforce to be done whilst the aircraft was afloat and tethered to a buoy. When seas became too rough and winds to high for restraint by buoys or anchors, the aircraft had to be manned and taxied into wind until conditions improved. A special hard lying allowance was payable in this event. One of the first amendments for me to carry out was the removal of the entire section relating to this allowance in QR's. The writing was on the wall (and indeed already being wiped!) for RAF Flying Boats, the galleons of the skies!
and what about the crew? - a long way down if one slipped!
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The Solent Sky museum has a Sandringham flying boat...this photo shows the engine maintenance platforms...
Very well worth a visit, you can get into the flying boat too...
Very well worth a visit, you can get into the flying boat too...
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Warmtoast (#11440),
One day, the famille D. found themselves Yale-locked out of their Quarter out in the sticks, the house and car keys were on the hall table. But there was a spare car key hidden somewhere under the rear brightwork. ...
Friendly local garage man loaned me a small adjustable spanner. I knew that I couldn't get an arm through the brass letter-box and get to the door lock. But the letterbox was bolted to the door: I could get at the two securing nuts inside ......
Luckily I had the 'nous' to ask for a length of string to tie to the the spanner (so I could retrieve it if it fell inside the door). Back at the house, ten minute's fiddling, the nuts were off, the whole letter-box pulled out of the door, plenty of room in the opening for clever Daddy to get hand through to the door catch... Job Done !
Yes, I did take the spanner back to the garage !
But water is softer than concrete !
Danny.
..."coped with the inevitable dropped tool problem"...
Friendly local garage man loaned me a small adjustable spanner. I knew that I couldn't get an arm through the brass letter-box and get to the door lock. But the letterbox was bolted to the door: I could get at the two securing nuts inside ......
Luckily I had the 'nous' to ask for a length of string to tie to the the spanner (so I could retrieve it if it fell inside the door). Back at the house, ten minute's fiddling, the nuts were off, the whole letter-box pulled out of the door, plenty of room in the opening for clever Daddy to get hand through to the door catch... Job Done !
Yes, I did take the spanner back to the garage !
..."and what about the crew? - a long way down if one slipped!"...
Danny.
FED, you beat me to it.
Ref the Beverley,I posted this some time ago on another forum
It sounded good in French - " il y avait un grand corbeau noir" .
I think that that is the grounding cable on the refuelling hose. Grounding to the aeroplane, that is.
Early 60's I had the good fortune to be sent on a French Air Force skiing course. There were a load of French Air Force pilots on the course as well.
One recounted his version of the Beverley's first demo flight at Farnborough.
According to him, on the approach to Farnborough, the captain realised there was a crow formating on the aircraft. Captain puts on more power, crow flaps its wings a bit faster, more power, more flapping, etc. Eventually,Bev is flat out, crow is hardly raising a sweat. Captain pulls off the power, and puts down the flaps and raises the nose. Just getting a bit of burble, when the crow flicks and spins in.
Not sure the french were overly impressed.
One recounted his version of the Beverley's first demo flight at Farnborough.
According to him, on the approach to Farnborough, the captain realised there was a crow formating on the aircraft. Captain puts on more power, crow flaps its wings a bit faster, more power, more flapping, etc. Eventually,Bev is flat out, crow is hardly raising a sweat. Captain pulls off the power, and puts down the flaps and raises the nose. Just getting a bit of burble, when the crow flicks and spins in.
Not sure the french were overly impressed.
Danny:-
and very convenient for clever burglar too! You have raised alarm for a potential security loophole at Chez Chug, but clever Grandad has deduced that clever burglar would have to be double jointed with impossibly long arms...I think.
Back at the house, ten minute's fiddling, the nuts were off, the whole letter-box pulled out of the door, plenty of room in the opening for clever Daddy to get hand through to the door catch... Job Done !
Oxenos - glad my coffee had not arrived, otherwise it would be everywhere by now. True or not, embellished or not, one of the funniest stories to come my way. Thank you
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oxenos (#11448),
Must've been his Bête Noire !
(all right, I'm not staying long !)
EDIT: Long ago told apocryphal story of a crow who raised two claws to us to convey his contempt for our crow-scaring measures - or so said the Assistant ATC who had the binoculars on him when the 'banger' on the stake on which he was perched went off !
Must've been his Bête Noire !
(all right, I'm not staying long !)
EDIT: Long ago told apocryphal story of a crow who raised two claws to us to convey his contempt for our crow-scaring measures - or so said the Assistant ATC who had the binoculars on him when the 'banger' on the stake on which he was perched went off !
Last edited by Danny42C; 27th Oct 2017 at 17:35. Reason: Just remembered.
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I remember fighting the Upland Goose flocks at Stanley (stupid birds) ... oh, hang on, this is off-Topic.
Anywaaaay ... it seemed that if I fired a bird-scaring cartridge into the flock, they would flutter about a bit and then resume their normal pecking. However, a quick reload [or 2 Very pistols ... yay, 6-gun McGraw!] with a cartridge into the middle of their fluttering would actually get the bloody things to go away [for a while].
And now we resume normal programming.
Anywaaaay ... it seemed that if I fired a bird-scaring cartridge into the flock, they would flutter about a bit and then resume their normal pecking. However, a quick reload [or 2 Very pistols ... yay, 6-gun McGraw!] with a cartridge into the middle of their fluttering would actually get the bloody things to go away [for a while].
And now we resume normal programming.
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[QUOTE=Warmtoast;9937573]harrym
Not sure about spanners strapped to wrists, but my photo below taken in 1957 as the 205/209 Sqn Sunderland I was on was refuelled at Glugor (Penang) en-route from Seletar to China Bay (Sri Lanka) shows at least the refuelling hose attached securely to the fuselage - and what about the crew? - a long way down if one slipped!
Thank you for posting this photo which is of great interest to me my late father (Eric Stanton) was an engineer on Sunderlands during the war. Like many people, he didn't talk much about his experiences but I know he didn't enjoy crawling along the wing to refuel and work on the engines (in UK weather!), and did say that "if you dropped your screwdriver you'd had it".
Incidentally I recently found a notebook containing some of his lecture notes from his training. Of course this is of sentimental value and I want to hold onto it, but if anyone interested in WW2 history or Sunderlands would like some scans, or even to borrow it for a short time please get it touch. Obviously there won't be any technical information in it which isn't well known, but is a historical document of sorts. The Heritage Centre at Pembroke Dock are aware of it.
.
Not sure about spanners strapped to wrists, but my photo below taken in 1957 as the 205/209 Sqn Sunderland I was on was refuelled at Glugor (Penang) en-route from Seletar to China Bay (Sri Lanka) shows at least the refuelling hose attached securely to the fuselage - and what about the crew? - a long way down if one slipped!
Thank you for posting this photo which is of great interest to me my late father (Eric Stanton) was an engineer on Sunderlands during the war. Like many people, he didn't talk much about his experiences but I know he didn't enjoy crawling along the wing to refuel and work on the engines (in UK weather!), and did say that "if you dropped your screwdriver you'd had it".
Incidentally I recently found a notebook containing some of his lecture notes from his training. Of course this is of sentimental value and I want to hold onto it, but if anyone interested in WW2 history or Sunderlands would like some scans, or even to borrow it for a short time please get it touch. Obviously there won't be any technical information in it which isn't well known, but is a historical document of sorts. The Heritage Centre at Pembroke Dock are aware of it.
.
davidsa
I'm sure members of this Forum would be delighted, as would I, so please scan and post here.
Meanwhile some more Sunderland related photos from my album dated 1957 when I was stationed at China Bay across the bay from the RN Base at Trincomalee. They've appeared before here on PPruNe, but posted to show how one flew in a more sedate world.
The flying boat alighting area at China Bay under the float with the airfield at top right. At bottom centre an oil slick near the refuelling (for ships) jetty.
anyone interested in WW2 history or Sunderlands would like some scans
Meanwhile some more Sunderland related photos from my album dated 1957 when I was stationed at China Bay across the bay from the RN Base at Trincomalee. They've appeared before here on PPruNe, but posted to show how one flew in a more sedate world.
The flying boat alighting area at China Bay under the float with the airfield at top right. At bottom centre an oil slick near the refuelling (for ships) jetty.
Last edited by Warmtoast; 27th Oct 2017 at 23:06.
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Malta film in pre- production
May be of interest to some following this ‘thread’:
https://www.rafa.org.uk/blog/2017/10...-new-war-film/
PZU - Out of Africa (Retired)
https://www.rafa.org.uk/blog/2017/10...-new-war-film/
PZU - Out of Africa (Retired)
Been away for a few days to find this thread burning as brightly as ever. Harrym, your stories match those we have enjoyed down the years, please keep them coming, many thanks!
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Thought you chaps would like to see this -
WW2 pilot takes to the skies aged 96 - BBC News
Danny - Are you ready?
WW2 pilot takes to the skies aged 96 - BBC News
Danny - Are you ready?
Warmtoast - lovely evocative pictures of those great flying boats - thank you for reposting. When I first went to Australia (Jan. 1974) I arrived by B747, but was amazed to see that Sunderland/Sandringham flying boats bobbing about in Rose Bay Sydney still operated a scheduled service out to Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea.
Ian BB
PS After a little web research I now know how lucky I was to see this, as the service finished forever in September 1974 - presumably they had built a land runway on the island by then.
PPS QANTAS operated from Sydney to Norfolk Island using DC4 equipment until 1977 - quite amazing that WW2 airframes were still providing scheduled service in the age of wide bodied Jumbos and - at last - supersonic Concorde. There are DC4s still earning a living out in the world but no Concordes and no replacement for them - the first time in aviation history that speed took a backward step?
Ian BB
PS After a little web research I now know how lucky I was to see this, as the service finished forever in September 1974 - presumably they had built a land runway on the island by then.
PPS QANTAS operated from Sydney to Norfolk Island using DC4 equipment until 1977 - quite amazing that WW2 airframes were still providing scheduled service in the age of wide bodied Jumbos and - at last - supersonic Concorde. There are DC4s still earning a living out in the world but no Concordes and no replacement for them - the first time in aviation history that speed took a backward step?
Last edited by Ian Burgess-Barber; 28th Oct 2017 at 21:03. Reason: To add PS & PPS
Many years ago I worked for an OC Admin called Peter Moon. Later met him in Hampshire after we had both left the RAF. Story I heard was that he joined the RAF as a 16 year old with no qualifications, went to Sunderlands, maybe as a gunner, and made a name for himself during a gale as watch on board and saving the aircraft, and himself, from a watery grave. Ended up commissioned and ultimately a gp capt responsible for all non commissioned careers (other than aircrew). Sadly he died a while back, but one of those people who "made an impression". Anyone know anymore about his career, and especially the gale incident, I think at Pembroke Dock
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