Hands to Flying Stations Scimitars and Sea Vixens
Originally Posted by david parry
Landroger.... Johnnie Eacott has Two photos of the Gannet 073, which is the call sign of your lost A/C.. I usually borrow
photos from his collection, with his permission. But i dont like to push my luck, to much him being a RN Officer Ha! Ha!
photos from his collection, with his permission. But i dont like to push my luck, to much him being a RN Officer Ha! Ha!
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Extract from 849 Sqn C Flight;
....."Finally, we can record with pride the achievement of the Flight during the period off Biera in March. Twenty-four hours aday surveillance of an area as large as the Mozambique Channel requires all the best performance of the Gannet and we can congratulate ourselves on our success over all the days on which we were required to operate, and that our serviceability was first class. In addition to the routine searches and the direction of visual and photographic probes by our flightier cousins, we can also record that a Gannet did the only positive fighter interception of the Commision when it headed off a Portugese intruder. Is there nothing these boys can't do?"
Do you by any chance, know the names of the crew of O73 XL493 E 849 D Flight HMS Eagle 24/06/1966 When she ditched??? Regards David
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Off topic for a moment if I may. The photo on Post 97 shows a series of horizontal "masts" mounted aft of the island and slightly below deck level. I've seen pics of them rigged upright too. What were they for?
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WT Aerials... I think?? you will have to ask the fish heads, always at that position shown in pic 97 when ship is at Flying Stations. For obvious reasons.Other wise vertical, when not at flying stations
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Hi, I was that man! Keith Jones. You will find details in Wikipedia under Gannet AEW 3, Harness restraint issues. Perhaps not the only night ditching, but the only unrestrained night ditching. The negative 'G' strap failed to come loose when I tried to bail out.
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Hi David, I am not familiar with older vs later versions having started on Sea Vixens (899 NAS) and was only called upon to fill the gap created by Tony Trudget when he was killed at a practice air display. Was Lofty Nash the Looker at the time? He survived.
There was an underwater ejection system but would not have done me much good as the following explains. (It might have helped John Sillett had he had one, though seemingly he didn't need it. Incidentally, I, too knew John at Linton-on-Ouse in 1968. We both played rugby for the Station.)
Following an engine failure and unable to feather and brake the prop I could not maintain level flight. The only release device, once the mechanism had failed to release the negative G strap, was the QRB. By the time I had diagnosed the problem, which took some time in the dark, I was too low to re-connect the other straps and attempt another bail out, so I was committed to an unrestrained night ditching. The best I could do was jettison the external stores (canopy already gone), head into where I recalled was where the wind was from, guess where the sea was because barometric altimeters are not too accurate and slow the thing down to as close to stalling as I possibly could - and of course pray!!
Also, concerning an earlier comment, I wouldn't be too hard on Bushy Shrub. He had after all, abandoned a perfectly serviceable G&T and clearly needed to get back to finish it. He did, in fact, apologise to me later and no harm was done.
Incidentally, my two Lookers were Allen (Speak to me Bones) Harland and Don Ross. Both parted company with the aircraft at 2,000' upon my instructions and were picked up by sea boats - Ark Royal & Devonshire I believe. Now this truly is a first; the only time any Looker has ever obeyed a pilot immediately and without question!
Keith
There was an underwater ejection system but would not have done me much good as the following explains. (It might have helped John Sillett had he had one, though seemingly he didn't need it. Incidentally, I, too knew John at Linton-on-Ouse in 1968. We both played rugby for the Station.)
Following an engine failure and unable to feather and brake the prop I could not maintain level flight. The only release device, once the mechanism had failed to release the negative G strap, was the QRB. By the time I had diagnosed the problem, which took some time in the dark, I was too low to re-connect the other straps and attempt another bail out, so I was committed to an unrestrained night ditching. The best I could do was jettison the external stores (canopy already gone), head into where I recalled was where the wind was from, guess where the sea was because barometric altimeters are not too accurate and slow the thing down to as close to stalling as I possibly could - and of course pray!!
Also, concerning an earlier comment, I wouldn't be too hard on Bushy Shrub. He had after all, abandoned a perfectly serviceable G&T and clearly needed to get back to finish it. He did, in fact, apologise to me later and no harm was done.
Incidentally, my two Lookers were Allen (Speak to me Bones) Harland and Don Ross. Both parted company with the aircraft at 2,000' upon my instructions and were picked up by sea boats - Ark Royal & Devonshire I believe. Now this truly is a first; the only time any Looker has ever obeyed a pilot immediately and without question!
Keith
Chief Bottle Washer
Keith,
Wonderful to hear from you, and your description of the night: I still remember it well! How you survived an unrestrained night ditching was remarkable, especially with that radome to tip you over
And your magnanimity toward Bushy: his co-pilot certainly had a more colourful story to tell, and certainly not a very complimentary one
Whilst you were bobbing around there was an on air squabble as the Ship's Flight Wessex was 2 minutes away with the Doc on board and Bushy was told to hold off:
"Negative: I found him first, he's mine!"
Wonderful to hear from you, and your description of the night: I still remember it well! How you survived an unrestrained night ditching was remarkable, especially with that radome to tip you over
And your magnanimity toward Bushy: his co-pilot certainly had a more colourful story to tell, and certainly not a very complimentary one
Whilst you were bobbing around there was an on air squabble as the Ship's Flight Wessex was 2 minutes away with the Doc on board and Bushy was told to hold off:"Negative: I found him first, he's mine!"
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tarantonight:
____________________________________________________________ ______
Lieutenant John Michael Stutchbury.
There is mention of this incident if you go to the Aviation History and Nostalgia forum. "Scimitar crash nr Ben Vorlich 10 Nov 1959." Posts #36 and #37. You may have to go to the forum and then put it into a search as the last post was in May.
____________________________________________________________ ______
Lieutenant John Michael Stutchbury.
There is mention of this incident if you go to the Aviation History and Nostalgia forum. "Scimitar crash nr Ben Vorlich 10 Nov 1959." Posts #36 and #37. You may have to go to the forum and then put it into a search as the last post was in May.
The Vixen pilot received the George Medal for his amazing efforts in rolling his unpowered Vixen twice to try and help his Observer to escape.
The pilot concerned was Allan Tarver, GM MIMechE AFRAeS, an air engineer officer sub specialised as a pilot, and I suspect that he was also qualified as a maintenance test pilot which may very well have helped him in his valiant efforts to help John Stutchbury.
Jack
The pilot concerned was Allan Tarver, GM MIMechE AFRAeS, an air engineer officer sub specialised as a pilot, and I suspect that he was also qualified as a maintenance test pilot which may very well have helped him in his valiant efforts to help John Stutchbury.
Jack
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Martyn Dean's first rate web site is now back and running, if not yet complete, here. Sea Vixen. Royal Navy. Carrier Jet. - Home
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Well, I guess feelings were running a bit high. It's what the SAR live for and to be pipped at the post by an AS guy must have upset them. I seem to recall the SAR pilot was a Chris 'Someone'. You are correct, he was not a happy man that night.
Incidentally, I will be meeting with Nigel Pearce (849B) (and a few others) in three weeks. A re-union of the 140 to 142 FW courses at Linton, plus a few others - Keith 'Black Humph' Bainbridge to mention one.
Incidentally, I will be meeting with Nigel Pearce (849B) (and a few others) in three weeks. A re-union of the 140 to 142 FW courses at Linton, plus a few others - Keith 'Black Humph' Bainbridge to mention one.