SHFNI Stories!
72 Sqn at North Weald
Quite a old friends served in NI some AAC, RAF SHF and even relatives in the FAA who did a tour in NI with CHF. Anyhow was going through my photo archive and came across my North Weald air show collection from two decades ago and saw 72 Sqn mount there. 
cheers
cheers
Avoid imitations
Avoid imitations
Just been rereading this very entertaining thread.
Having been on detachment there in 1991, I mainly flew the Puma by night with the 100 gallon ferry tank permanently fitted in the cabin and normally filled right up; we seldom carried more than one passenger in addition to the kit we carried (those who know will understand).
One evening we landed at last light at one of the FOBs, having completed one job (I can’t recall which base it was) and needed refuelling to maximum asap and a crew briefing for a further urgent task. The TSW chap said he was happy to refuel by himself and so we three crew went off to brief. We came back after the briefing to find fuel everywhere and the TSW chap almost in tears and similarly soaked in fuel at the side of the aircraft, leaning on the fuel cap!
The ferry tank had been used to feed the mains on the previous flight. Due to a crew error, (no names mentioned but he was a navigator), the tap on the tank hadn’t been closed after it had drained. The TSW chap unfortunately decided off his own bat to fill the ferry tank first, which wasn’t usual. He therefore inadvertently filled the mains via the ferry tank opening! When he opened the mains cap, the main tank was already bulging full and it blew back at him, with a head of a good metre of Jet fuel above him. He couldn’t get the cap back on fully due to the pressure, so he had to stand holding it on, like the Dutch boy with his finger in the dyke, until we returned about fifteen minutes later. I turned off the ferry tap and we got the cap back on. We sent the TSW chap (who thankfully wasn’t injured, apart from severe loss of composure) off to drain his wellies and get himself sorted. We all stank of jet fuel for the rest of the night.
Having been on detachment there in 1991, I mainly flew the Puma by night with the 100 gallon ferry tank permanently fitted in the cabin and normally filled right up; we seldom carried more than one passenger in addition to the kit we carried (those who know will understand).
One evening we landed at last light at one of the FOBs, having completed one job (I can’t recall which base it was) and needed refuelling to maximum asap and a crew briefing for a further urgent task. The TSW chap said he was happy to refuel by himself and so we three crew went off to brief. We came back after the briefing to find fuel everywhere and the TSW chap almost in tears and similarly soaked in fuel at the side of the aircraft, leaning on the fuel cap!
The ferry tank had been used to feed the mains on the previous flight. Due to a crew error, (no names mentioned but he was a navigator), the tap on the tank hadn’t been closed after it had drained. The TSW chap unfortunately decided off his own bat to fill the ferry tank first, which wasn’t usual. He therefore inadvertently filled the mains via the ferry tank opening! When he opened the mains cap, the main tank was already bulging full and it blew back at him, with a head of a good metre of Jet fuel above him. He couldn’t get the cap back on fully due to the pressure, so he had to stand holding it on, like the Dutch boy with his finger in the dyke, until we returned about fifteen minutes later. I turned off the ferry tap and we got the cap back on. We sent the TSW chap (who thankfully wasn’t injured, apart from severe loss of composure) off to drain his wellies and get himself sorted. We all stank of jet fuel for the rest of the night.
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"Mildly" Eccentric Stardriver
XR 525 sits proudly on a plinth at the RAF Museum, Midlands. It's last appearance in my logbook: 31st August '70. Border Patrol. A LONG time ago
"Mildly" Eccentric Stardriver
A question, which may be buried within this thread. On 15th Apr '76, a Wessex landing at Crossmaglen was hit by a RPG, causing substantial damage. This is no longer classified, and appears in the Belfast Telegraph of 18 Jan 2015. It names names, but doesn't give the registration. Can anyone help on this? Rumour has it that it was XR 525, on display at the RAF Museum, Midlands. However, from what I can find, 525 suffered Cat 3 damage in May '75, and did not return to 72 until Aug '76. Thanks to anyone who can help.
...followed by the geezer in the LHS retarding both ECLs just as the RHS HP was pulling an armful of collective..
interesting conversation thereafter inside the base - not at all affected by the cockpit rank gradient, to the amusement of the Para incumbents.
interesting conversation thereafter inside the base - not at all affected by the cockpit rank gradient, to the amusement of the Para incumbents.
Avoid imitations
The Wessex in the bomb explosion at Warrenpoint was an interesting story…is that in the public domain?
(Expatfrance may know, seeing that he was the pilot flying it).
(Expatfrance may know, seeing that he was the pilot flying it).
Good question. There is lots of stuff from those times that it'd be interesting to talk about, but as we've seen events over there still cast a long shadow. I suppose keeping your mouth shut is often the only safe option.
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For what it’s worth Wessex XR 525 was serviceable 20 May 1975 at Odiham (no blame on me for any cat 3 damage!), and likewise in September and October 1975 at Aldergrove. Last flew it in June 1976 at Odiham - with Taff Walker as it happens……
Taken from a Gazelle on the occasion of OC Handover from The Great Santini to BS. Tasking was halted and we all flew in from the various sites. Engineers positioned the Cabs, photo taken we all Bomb burst back from whence we came!
