RAF Station Gate Guardians
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I remember when the US Airforce went to move one of theirs, one of the team hopped into the cockpit and the seat went off killing him, it had never been disarmed, an urgent call went out to all Stations in the States and ours were checked also to ensure none of the Gate Guardians had live seats left in them.... I believe some more were found in the US.
Also I think the Spit that was on the gate at Coltishall many moons ago had a padlock fitted on the canopy after some one was found "sleeping it off" in the cockpit
Far from that it was brought about by the amount of by now rare Spitfires and the likes being left to crumble on the gates..... I for one thought it was the best thing they did to bring them inside and down off their poles, so that they could be used as exchanges etc to bolster the RAF Museums fleet of rare and exotic RAF aircraft which otherwise would have been financially none viable. A plastic Spitfire conveys exactly the same sentiment and appearance without endangering a precious asset.
Also I think the Spit that was on the gate at Coltishall many moons ago had a padlock fitted on the canopy after some one was found "sleeping it off" in the cockpit
foldingwings
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The Buccaneer at Honington, now the Rockape HQ, was officially designated by the then Staish as a war memorial to prevent its removal at a time when the engineering hierarchy (a
oles) decided that gate guardians were too expensive to maintain and should all be removed. Many are now plastic because of that ground-pounder intervention about 15 years ago!
Foldie
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The Buccaneer at Honington, now the Rockape HQ, was officially designated by the then Staish
as a war memorial to prevent its removal at a time when the engineering hierarchy (aoles) decided that gate guardians were too expensive to maintain and should all be removed. Many are now plastic because of that ground-pounder intervention about 15 years ago!Foldie
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Civvie airfield Shoreham on the south coast has a Tornado on the approach road.
Not sure if it is a plastic one, and maybe related to some sort of Eng firm down there I suppose.
Not sure if it is a plastic one, and maybe related to some sort of Eng firm down there I suppose.
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Historic Flying IIRC - but it was just a few of the gate Spits in return for a lot of plastic Spits. Some of the ex-Gate guardian Spits were used in exchanges, a couple given to other museums (The mk 21 now in Glasgow Art gallery for example) and I beleive a couple may still be in storage.
Thought police antagonist
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A bit off topic, but in the late 70's, 17 at Bruggen had a Gannet in one of the revetments.....I suppose it was scrapped at some point unless anybody knows otherwise ?
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Twas not there in the early 80's when I was there or I never saw it, just a bunch of dead frightnings cluttering up the place that they used to warm under with a blow torch every now and then to fool the Russian satellites........ NOT.We had a Hunter outside 20 sqn carpark, but the less said about that Sqn the better.....
431MU not to be outdone had a Big truck parked up on a ramp as their "Gate Guardian", their argument being if every one else could have one then they would too
The Jaguar mounted on a pole outside SHQ which was cobbled up from several crashed bits and the trainer off QRA? I believe ended its days, first at Colt and now in Norwich, still balancing on a pole and defying its service career by actually looking fast.... Still, looks ain't everything
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Sealand Spitfire
When I was a nipper we would travel to N Wales on holiday (we were poor!) and each time we passed RAF Sealand my mother would point out the Spitfire. It was eventually replaced by a Hunter. I was wondering where said Spitfire ended up, I Googled it and lo and behold it is flying again (No CR_S) and is now flown by my ex-Boss!...small world eh?...but you wouldn't want to hoover it!
Another point, the Hunter that replaced it was painted in my old Sqn colours.
Another point, the Hunter that replaced it was painted in my old Sqn colours.
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You should get yourself a copy of my book
RAF Gate Guards 'Signposts to History'
Published by Airlife
All you need to know about Gate Guards, there are still some copies around, PM me if you want to know anything specific, i still have most of my research data.
As for the Spit,s and Hurricans being removed in the 80,s and replaced by plastics, selling the family silver came to mind, I even got a letter in Air Clues on the subject,
RAF Gate Guards 'Signposts to History'
Published by Airlife
All you need to know about Gate Guards, there are still some copies around, PM me if you want to know anything specific, i still have most of my research data.
As for the Spit,s and Hurricans being removed in the 80,s and replaced by plastics, selling the family silver came to mind, I even got a letter in Air Clues on the subject,
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Once upon a time all sorts of places had a spitfire. Even the ATC Squadron in Worcester had one. Situated at the Gate to Perdiswell Park. Used for elementaryflying training during the second world war and asorted sports ever since.They were cheap, had no further use and would certainly never fly again. Then the Worcester one and a few other as unimportant as it went to star, on the ground, in the Battle of Britain movie in the late 60's. Local wisdom has it that it was blown up in the raid on Duxford sequence. It was replaced by a Javelin that subsequently went away about ten years later. The fact was that all these spitfires would never fly again as their main spars had life expired. Then, in the early 80's, some one discoverd a set of jigs for making spitfire main spars and all of a sudden these aeroplanes had a future and a VALUE! So they were all sold, re-spared and most of them are flying again in private hands. (And some sharp cookie came up with the idea of GRP models to replace them,)
As to RN Shore establishments, most of the Figureheads at gates, well near the Main Masts to be more accurate, (that's flag poles to you land lubbers), are from former ships of the same name as the establishment.
Can't speak for the Army but the guns over looking the parade ground at BRNC were captured by young officers and cadets in the War against Zanzibar in 1896. (The shortest war in history, Zanzibar surrendered after 38 mins.) They have provided hours of fun and entertainment for cadets/midshipmen over the years, polishing them before breakfast.
As to RN Shore establishments, most of the Figureheads at gates, well near the Main Masts to be more accurate, (that's flag poles to you land lubbers), are from former ships of the same name as the establishment.
Can't speak for the Army but the guns over looking the parade ground at BRNC were captured by young officers and cadets in the War against Zanzibar in 1896. (The shortest war in history, Zanzibar surrendered after 38 mins.) They have provided hours of fun and entertainment for cadets/midshipmen over the years, polishing them before breakfast.
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Slightly off post ,
But does anyone know remember the Buccaneer jet sitting in the forecourt of the (i think) Esso petrol station in Elgin, its also called the buccaneer service staion , i used to deliver there and was always a pleasure to look at , at one point he had steps you could climb to look in the cockpit(lit up) but under H&s he had to remove them
The story i was told by Ian (owner) was he bought it from MOD/RAF on the deal it was delivered down from lossiemouth witch is only up the road BUT mod being wot they are they flew it down to i think he sayed somewhere in Wales to de-arm, de-radar etc it , was told it was ready to be picked up from Wales! he pointed out it was in the contract it was to be deliverd , so the RAF had to transport on a artic up to him! where as far as im i know its still there ,
Any one based in lossiemouth prob has past if , and if you go into the shop he has a rather large whisky collection with strong RAF conections , diff sq whiskys , very nice !
But does anyone know remember the Buccaneer jet sitting in the forecourt of the (i think) Esso petrol station in Elgin, its also called the buccaneer service staion , i used to deliver there and was always a pleasure to look at , at one point he had steps you could climb to look in the cockpit(lit up) but under H&s he had to remove them
The story i was told by Ian (owner) was he bought it from MOD/RAF on the deal it was delivered down from lossiemouth witch is only up the road BUT mod being wot they are they flew it down to i think he sayed somewhere in Wales to de-arm, de-radar etc it , was told it was ready to be picked up from Wales! he pointed out it was in the contract it was to be deliverd , so the RAF had to transport on a artic up to him! where as far as im i know its still there ,
Any one based in lossiemouth prob has past if , and if you go into the shop he has a rather large whisky collection with strong RAF conections , diff sq whiskys , very nice !
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The Elgin Buccaneer is still there, at the Elgin Service Station, complete with sharks mouth and lots of bolt on (even a Targetting pod)
All completely true about towing it down the road from Lossy in the dead of night, it didnt come from Wales, best bit of the tail was that local plod insisted that a Qualified Bucc pilot sat in the cockpit to man the brakes, they wouldnt let a groundy sit in it.
Strange people are Plod
All completely true about towing it down the road from Lossy in the dead of night, it didnt come from Wales, best bit of the tail was that local plod insisted that a Qualified Bucc pilot sat in the cockpit to man the brakes, they wouldnt let a groundy sit in it.
Strange people are Plod
187 (City of Worcester) Squadron ATC Spitfire
The Worcester Spitfire was indeed taken away and used in the Battle of Britain Film for ground shots it then graced the gates at RAF Locking and finally ended up in the Glasgow museum. The Javelin that replaced it at Worcester now resides in York, last saw it at Fairford a few years back when it was transported down for a RIAT.
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......have heard that the French have tried many, many times to break that record.
.......and succeeded, surely, at the battle of Twickenham, 15th March 2009, surrendering after about one minute?
Whereas at Brize?
Or do all the ancient airliner-derived tankers sitting on the aerodrome count in lieu?
When the VC10 reaches its OSD, a way simply has to be found to putting one in a suitable location as a gate guardian......
Or do all the ancient airliner-derived tankers sitting on the aerodrome count in lieu?
When the VC10 reaches its OSD, a way simply has to be found to putting one in a suitable location as a gate guardian......
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When the VC10 reaches its OSD....
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Kinloss & Brize Norton are the only two stations never to have been guarded.....but
Kinloss actually nearly had a gate guard in the late 70,s early 80,s a Shackleton T4 was prepared and almost got put in place, unfortunately it got damaged in a storm and interest subsequently wained it ended its days on the fire dump
Brize Norton has nearly had 2, the first was the Avro York currently residing at Cosford, it spent a few years in bits on the far side of Brize before moving to Cosford, then it was rumoured that a Britannia was to be put in place, this unfortunately fell through.
St Mawgan currently home to a Shackleton AEW3 looking like a MR2, is also interesting as it never saw a days service at the place. It will be interesting to see what happens to it now the place is shut, its rumoured to be going to one of several places because it was one of the last to get its main spar sorted and is probably taxiable.
Kinloss actually nearly had a gate guard in the late 70,s early 80,s a Shackleton T4 was prepared and almost got put in place, unfortunately it got damaged in a storm and interest subsequently wained it ended its days on the fire dump
Brize Norton has nearly had 2, the first was the Avro York currently residing at Cosford, it spent a few years in bits on the far side of Brize before moving to Cosford, then it was rumoured that a Britannia was to be put in place, this unfortunately fell through.
St Mawgan currently home to a Shackleton AEW3 looking like a MR2, is also interesting as it never saw a days service at the place. It will be interesting to see what happens to it now the place is shut, its rumoured to be going to one of several places because it was one of the last to get its main spar sorted and is probably taxiable.