Panther Trails, etc
Thread Starter
Panther Trails, etc
The operation/exercise of taking a receiver or receivers down the route with tankers was always known as a trail. The name of the trail was determined by the type of receiver. Thus we had:
Lightnings - Panther Trail
Phantoms - Ghost Trail
Buccaneers - Pirate Trail
Harriers - Hawk Trail
Jaguars - Leopard Trail
So a few questions. As I left before the type came in I never refuelled a Tornado, so what was a Tornado Trail called, and if we have Typhoon Trails what about them? Ought to be something like Whirlwind and Hurricane Trails if precedent was followed. Also, why Panther for Lightnings? The connections for the others are obvious, but the connection between Lightning and Panther eludes me.
TTN
Lightnings - Panther Trail
Phantoms - Ghost Trail
Buccaneers - Pirate Trail
Harriers - Hawk Trail
Jaguars - Leopard Trail
So a few questions. As I left before the type came in I never refuelled a Tornado, so what was a Tornado Trail called, and if we have Typhoon Trails what about them? Ought to be something like Whirlwind and Hurricane Trails if precedent was followed. Also, why Panther for Lightnings? The connections for the others are obvious, but the connection between Lightning and Panther eludes me.
TTN
All the Lightning trails I did were known as 'Flash Trails'....
VC10C1P truckie trails were 'Medal Trails'.
VC10K / VC10K TTF trails in 1985 were 'Clarion Trails'.
Nimrod Trails were 'Grouse Trails'.
Italian Tornado trail was a 'Stormo Trail'.
F4J trails from USA to UK were 'Tiger Trails'....
VC10C1P truckie trails were 'Medal Trails'.
VC10K / VC10K TTF trails in 1985 were 'Clarion Trails'.
Nimrod Trails were 'Grouse Trails'.
Italian Tornado trail was a 'Stormo Trail'.
F4J trails from USA to UK were 'Tiger Trails'....
Thread Starter
Thanks guys - yes the Tornado/Typhoon ones seem logical, but can't see where Medal, Clarion and Grouse come from.
Never heard that one Beagle, must have been before my time. But then, you are very old
All the Lightning trails I did were known as 'Flash Trails'....
Flash trails?!
All the Lightning trails I did were known as 'Flash Trails'....
Last edited by nipva; 22nd Jan 2010 at 19:55. Reason: addition
Well, I did the last ever Lightning APC trail to Akronelli with 2 x VC10K2 and it was most certainly a 'Flash Trail'! I sold over 100 photos of the view over the Alps at daybreak, with 2 x Lightnings in contact on the lead VC10K and another 2 in echelon. ('Observation' in silly Spam-speak....)
'Op Order' - how very quaint and 1970s....
'Op Order' - how very quaint and 1970s....
Because they're Spams....
Medal = VC = VC10
Grouse = Scotch = ISK = Nimrod
Clarion was the original VC10K Sqn Ops call-sign in the halcyon days when we weren't overcontrolled by 'Stn Ops' - and even had our own Ops radio, thanks to the lads in GRF!
Medal = VC = VC10
Grouse = Scotch = ISK = Nimrod
Clarion was the original VC10K Sqn Ops call-sign in the halcyon days when we weren't overcontrolled by 'Stn Ops' - and even had our own Ops radio, thanks to the lads in GRF!
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The Lightning trails seem to have become Flash Trails round about 1986. Do not know why. To complete the picture the Vulcan ops from Ascension were of course called Blackbuck and the Hercules were Cadbury, also known as Chocolate Lorry.
I only remember Flash trails for lightnings. But I am (relatively) young!
HASTLE trails were for the SAOEU in their frequent holidays to the US to drop things that went bang. Aparently they could only do that the other side of the iso-dollar line. It stood for HAwk, STorm and LEopard combined.
And they were lots of hassle.
HASTLE trails were for the SAOEU in their frequent holidays to the US to drop things that went bang. Aparently they could only do that the other side of the iso-dollar line. It stood for HAwk, STorm and LEopard combined.
And they were lots of hassle.
Thread Starter
TTB
I recall an occasion when a 74 Sqn a/c broke a probe during refuelling, provoking a 214 poet to remark:
"Tiger, tiger burning bright,
Did you lose your end last night?"
I recall an occasion when a 74 Sqn a/c broke a probe during refuelling, provoking a 214 poet to remark:
"Tiger, tiger burning bright,
Did you lose your end last night?"
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I recall an occasion when a 74 Sqn a/c broke a probe during refuelling, provoking a 214 poet to remark:
"Tiger, tiger burning bright,
Did you lose your end last night?"
"Tiger, tiger burning bright,
Did you lose your end last night?"
The wording was, IIRC, slightly different.
Line 2 was ... "Did you blunt your end last night?
I think it was then displayed on a shelf behind the Bar [the posh upstairs one].
Ahhh, so long ago, in those happy day of Empire!!
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