RAF Germany tales of yore
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Hi Jaysi, Air Mshl Dalton did have to resort to a Martin-Baker letdown while at Goose Bay on a II Sqn Jag Det there. During a 4-ship recovery to Goose, he had the misfortune to be rammed in the rear by another formation member who mistakenly moved into his slot - both pilots got out safely. An amusing sideline was that the formation was to mark the celebration of x thousand hours Jag by Baggers. All and sundry were gathered to watch and greet Baggers after landing - however, the champers, glasses and trays were consequently hurriedly put away!
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Jag formations
Wasn't there a similar incident with a Jag formation run and break when Willie K-P had to leap? He managed it twice in his career... If this wasn't the same formation, the boys were a careless lot.
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Don't remind me of the Bruggen mid-air - frightening. One of the jets came down in the (conventional) bomb dump and the other in the woods just outside the perimeter fence, close to the SSA. The collision occurred about 6.00 pm, just as I was heading back to the Mess. I hurtled back to ASF to start getting the crash kit out when the WO fire chief asked for techies to help man another fire truck. Half the night shift shot off in the fire truck and the rest of us got the crash kit ready to roll, while half expecting Bruggen to go into orbit judging by the black smoke belching from the bomb dump. I think that was Willie K-P's second ejection.
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Bruggen memories
Mandator, we have probably met.
The mid-air is still firmly stuck in my memory. I was on the XX peri track driving a V loader with bomb kit trolley, waiting for 'our' wave to return. Watched the run in and break, saw the immediate aftermath of the collision and the subsequent smoke.
If there had been a large 'x' on the ground inside the bomb dump fence to mark the safest place to put an impact site thats where the inner of the 2 landed.
RIP the man that did not survive.
See: List being compiled - can you he
XX Mar 80 to Mar 82, moved to 14, rtuk Nov 82.
The mid-air is still firmly stuck in my memory. I was on the XX peri track driving a V loader with bomb kit trolley, waiting for 'our' wave to return. Watched the run in and break, saw the immediate aftermath of the collision and the subsequent smoke.
If there had been a large 'x' on the ground inside the bomb dump fence to mark the safest place to put an impact site thats where the inner of the 2 landed.
RIP the man that did not survive.
See: List being compiled - can you he
XX Mar 80 to Mar 82, moved to 14, rtuk Nov 82.
Last edited by L1A2 discharged; 28th Oct 2008 at 22:29. Reason: found a link
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W K_P
His first Jag was deposited, IIRC, in the Dresdner Bank car park in Elmpt. We had his "shreddies" and a cheque for £10 mil in the 17 (F) crew room!
Lucky chap.
3P
Lucky chap.
3P
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Was one of the OCs Crash Guard for the aircraft that landed outside the Bomb Dump (and other sad losses at Bruggen) and was nearly taken out during a walkabout in the early hours by one of the boys hiding behind a tree with a big stick. Thought I was a Wild Boar!
RIP JC
RIP JC
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F4 v Canberra
Lurking 123.
MMmmm, didn't this happen to a 19(F) F4, which landed back at Wilders, on a Friday morn, early 90's? Pilot AT, Nav ?W.
I was a liney on 19 at the time. I'm abso pos we weren't on det at the time.
Bold Gauntlet was one det I won't forget. (Dead cat syndrome!)
IFU
BTW 17 yrs tomorrow (30/10/91) FI.
Mongo & CJ, great memories of great friends. Never forgotten.
MMmmm, didn't this happen to a 19(F) F4, which landed back at Wilders, on a Friday morn, early 90's? Pilot AT, Nav ?W.
I was a liney on 19 at the time. I'm abso pos we weren't on det at the time.
Bold Gauntlet was one det I won't forget. (Dead cat syndrome!)
IFU
BTW 17 yrs tomorrow (30/10/91) FI.
Mongo & CJ, great memories of great friends. Never forgotten.
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The throng gathered outside the hangar at Goose Bay as Baggers led the 1st flypast. As the formed up for a 2nd flypast our view was obscured by another hangar. The first we knew that something was wrong was when Bagger’s a/c flew past alone. SD’s a/c was then seen veering to the north, with flames coming out the back. SD ejects and the a/c slowly rolls on its back and dives into the ground.
Total silence from the crowd as we tried to absorb what we’d just seen. First words uttered was by a nearby Canadian bowser driver who shouted “Jezz, you guys had better do something, you’ve just lost an a/c”. “Yes we know” someone said quietly.
Things got a bit hectic after that , but it probably took about another 10mins for news to filter through that we’d lost a 2nd a/c flown by BR (our view of the collision having been obscured by the hangar). Thankfully, soon after, news came through that both pilots were safe.
Having worked on both a/c during the turnround, it was with some relief later that day that BR and SD both said their a/c were serviceable prior to the collision. Thoughts like “did I secure the PMD properly or did it fall out onto the stick” etc had been racing through both mine, and fellow Wasser’s, minds.
As I remember, SD suffered a sprained/broken? arm when he landed in trees and spent the rest of the detachment as “duty driver”. BR suffered from hyperthermia and spent most of the detachment in hospital.
It’s with thanks to these two pilots that, despite having worked on both a/c prior to flight, I never had to give evidence at the subsequent BOI.
Despite a big reward from Martin Baker, I don’t think the locals ever found either seat in the bog. Also, I never found out if the MOD’s import licence for “Sepecat Jaguar aircraft x 2” was ever approved by the Canadian government.
Total silence from the crowd as we tried to absorb what we’d just seen. First words uttered was by a nearby Canadian bowser driver who shouted “Jezz, you guys had better do something, you’ve just lost an a/c”. “Yes we know” someone said quietly.
Things got a bit hectic after that , but it probably took about another 10mins for news to filter through that we’d lost a 2nd a/c flown by BR (our view of the collision having been obscured by the hangar). Thankfully, soon after, news came through that both pilots were safe.
Having worked on both a/c during the turnround, it was with some relief later that day that BR and SD both said their a/c were serviceable prior to the collision. Thoughts like “did I secure the PMD properly or did it fall out onto the stick” etc had been racing through both mine, and fellow Wasser’s, minds.
As I remember, SD suffered a sprained/broken? arm when he landed in trees and spent the rest of the detachment as “duty driver”. BR suffered from hyperthermia and spent most of the detachment in hospital.
It’s with thanks to these two pilots that, despite having worked on both a/c prior to flight, I never had to give evidence at the subsequent BOI.
Despite a big reward from Martin Baker, I don’t think the locals ever found either seat in the bog. Also, I never found out if the MOD’s import licence for “Sepecat Jaguar aircraft x 2” was ever approved by the Canadian government.
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Apocryphal story no XXX:
Ops room phone rings, " Hi boss - its WKP"
Auth, "Where are you"
WKP, "At the bank"
Auth, "Whoa, you're supposed to be flying"
WKP, "I was until 3 minutes ago - the jet's in the car park. Can someone pick me up"
Probably not true but a good story for the bar
Ops room phone rings, " Hi boss - its WKP"
Auth, "Where are you"
WKP, "At the bank"
Auth, "Whoa, you're supposed to be flying"
WKP, "I was until 3 minutes ago - the jet's in the car park. Can someone pick me up"
Probably not true but a good story for the bar
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I seem to remember that CAS Desig was in the wrong ref Goose Bay VRIAB from Arrow! Something like a difference between STC and PTC SOPs. Anyhow thats how the other guy related the incident to me.
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BSweeper: That wasn't WK-P - that was Jerry Whittingham. His jet caught fire on approach to Bruggen and he dumped it in the edge of a wood. He landed in a village close to JHQ. Clutching his parachute, he rang Ops from a bank to say where he was and the DOO told him to 'go away' because a jet had just crashed.
A couple of "Drop In's"
It would have been circa '88 at Gut when a Belgique Mirage used the
"Qwik Drop" facility at the married quarters video rental shop.
IIRC the story concerned a Belgian Mirage that had popped over for the day. Unfortunately he ended up in some sort of ATC holding pattern; seeing his fuel indicators exit gauge left he tried to put into Bielefeld airstrip. The improbably short strip prompted the fellow to turn back to Gut whereupon he flamed out,
the ship hit the deck ever so gently and remained intact, the jockey having banged out and landed in the video shop car park amongst the Volvo 343's and Nissan Bluebirds that were popular at the time. The airframe was quickly dragged back and sat on sticks outside PCSF for some time. Apart from an intake full of Westphalia the only damage immediately visible was a rippling of the spine panels.
Continuing with the Belgian theme, can anyone elaborate on the poor old fella on his tractor that got hit by an East German/Polish MIG?
"Qwik Drop" facility at the married quarters video rental shop.
IIRC the story concerned a Belgian Mirage that had popped over for the day. Unfortunately he ended up in some sort of ATC holding pattern; seeing his fuel indicators exit gauge left he tried to put into Bielefeld airstrip. The improbably short strip prompted the fellow to turn back to Gut whereupon he flamed out,
the ship hit the deck ever so gently and remained intact, the jockey having banged out and landed in the video shop car park amongst the Volvo 343's and Nissan Bluebirds that were popular at the time. The airframe was quickly dragged back and sat on sticks outside PCSF for some time. Apart from an intake full of Westphalia the only damage immediately visible was a rippling of the spine panels.
Continuing with the Belgian theme, can anyone elaborate on the poor old fella on his tractor that got hit by an East German/Polish MIG?