Hands to Flying Stations Scimitars and Sea Vixens
I looked at this thread as a former 360 RN/RAF Sqn pilot to see if there were names I recognised - and immediately came upon those of Lofty Nash, my Flt Cdr on 360, and John Sillet, who instructs at my gliding club!
On the subject of Sea Vixens, XP924, the sole remaining airworthy example, returned to the air after over a year on the ground being repaired after minor u/c incident.
Here it is departing Hurn a few weeks ago en route to Yeovilton
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-ZlmJDnseE
Here it is departing Hurn a few weeks ago en route to Yeovilton
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-ZlmJDnseE
Last edited by GeeRam; 31st Jul 2013 at 19:23.
Brilliant - but is the (IMHO, BEAUTIFUL) Sea Hawk still flying?
News bit for March refers...
Royal Navy Historic Flight - Home Pages
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The memories came flooding back ........
Thanks for a great thread. 'Hands to Flying Stations' was shown to my course at BRNC Dartmouth. I seem to remember that the original version was considerably longer than the 8 - odd minutes of the You Tube video clip and featured our course DO (Divisional Officer) Bob McQueen, who will be remembered fondly by many of us who had the pleasure of serving with him.
The 60's and 70's were a great time for Naval Aviation and I am proud to have served with some of the best aviators ever to have worn their wings on their sleeves. Let us also remember that we had some great RAF aviators on exchange, many of whom went on to form the nucleus of the RAF Buccaneer force. The aircraft the RAF never wanted!
Names like Stumpy Faulkner, Bush Skrodski (sorry, I know the spelling is wrong), and others who are no longer with us will be indelibly printed in our minds, as will the abundance of incidents and accidents. There was always something new to discuss over a Horse's Neck, sometimes humorous, sometimes sad, but always, always, viewed as being merely part of the job.
Hopefully, when we have the new carrier(s) and the F35 (or whatever may end up in the inventory), we will see a return to the traditional Fleet Air Arm Air Group, that essential mix of fast-jet fixed-wing and rotary wing, all supported by a great bunch of young people who take the daily grind and risk of a busy flight deck in their stride.
The Fleet Air Arm has had to reinvent itself more than once in the past. There is no doubt that it will do so again in the future.
GW
The 60's and 70's were a great time for Naval Aviation and I am proud to have served with some of the best aviators ever to have worn their wings on their sleeves. Let us also remember that we had some great RAF aviators on exchange, many of whom went on to form the nucleus of the RAF Buccaneer force. The aircraft the RAF never wanted!
Names like Stumpy Faulkner, Bush Skrodski (sorry, I know the spelling is wrong), and others who are no longer with us will be indelibly printed in our minds, as will the abundance of incidents and accidents. There was always something new to discuss over a Horse's Neck, sometimes humorous, sometimes sad, but always, always, viewed as being merely part of the job.
Hopefully, when we have the new carrier(s) and the F35 (or whatever may end up in the inventory), we will see a return to the traditional Fleet Air Arm Air Group, that essential mix of fast-jet fixed-wing and rotary wing, all supported by a great bunch of young people who take the daily grind and risk of a busy flight deck in their stride.
The Fleet Air Arm has had to reinvent itself more than once in the past. There is no doubt that it will do so again in the future.
GW
Stumpy and I were on 360 together, and chanced to arrange our weddings on the same day. RN and RAF attended both weddings and a good time was had by all. I was starkly reminded by the 91 Wyton Canberra accident of an accident at Watton in the 60s when Stumpy and Dave Moore (RIP also) set off in a Canberra T4 for a CT sortie, to start with a practice EFATO. Clearly it all turned to worms and only at a late stage did the guys in front regain control, by which time sadly Norman Lake had ejected without getting rid of the hatch first and sadly died. It was discovered afterwards that there were as many varieties of mod standard, and solid and frangible hatches as there were T4s and B2s on the station.
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Brilliant!
Ah, those were the days! When men were men and a young lad wanting to smoke a pipe had to report to the dental officer to make sure his jaw was strong enough to handle the extra loading! But not before he had drawn some green oil from stores for the starboard lamps.
And living under 2 wire on 2 deck was not for the faint-hearted.
GW
And living under 2 wire on 2 deck was not for the faint-hearted.
GW
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Greywings, we must have overlapped at BRNC. Envy you having had Bob McQueen as DO, we had the notorious Beagle Burne - who made it quite clear he liked neither aircraft nor those who flew them.
However, he did show us the original "Hands to Flying Stations" in Jan. 1962. You are quite right. 30 minutes, with good detail and development, even if the commentary was a bit schoolboyish. Have been trying to locate it ever since to show to my grandsons.
Have you seen "Launch and Recover"? Youtube, the link is:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsE9oCdSEEI
Made at the same time as "Hands to...". I recently showed it to a bunch of older aviation enthusiasts here in Canada, the ex-RCAF types were openly astounded at the discipline and attention to safety on the Flight Deck. I felt quite proud!
My carrier time was in Gannets, left the RN in Dec. '69, now comfortably retired but seem to be as busy as ever!
Mike
However, he did show us the original "Hands to Flying Stations" in Jan. 1962. You are quite right. 30 minutes, with good detail and development, even if the commentary was a bit schoolboyish. Have been trying to locate it ever since to show to my grandsons.
Have you seen "Launch and Recover"? Youtube, the link is:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsE9oCdSEEI
Made at the same time as "Hands to...". I recently showed it to a bunch of older aviation enthusiasts here in Canada, the ex-RCAF types were openly astounded at the discipline and attention to safety on the Flight Deck. I felt quite proud!
My carrier time was in Gannets, left the RN in Dec. '69, now comfortably retired but seem to be as busy as ever!
Mike
@Gannet Driver
"Notorius" is a bit unkind, and I have to protest - my experience was that he was a very popular DO, who showed enormous sympathy for the 18-year olds in his charge. I think this was a common view, judging by the numbers who felt they wanted to go to his funeral.
But I guess there was an anti-aviation streak - probably trying to protect his protegés. I remember his response to a comment about flying pay on our return to Dartmouth from the day out at Yeovilton - "They pay you more because they don't pay you for so long"! In 1962, with great ideas like the VT fuse bomb being the latest new thing, this was sadly too true. It got better later and by the time I served in Ark in 69-71 we managed 2 years without a single flight deck accident.
we had the notorious Beagle Burne - who made it quite clear he liked neither aircraft nor those who flew them.
But I guess there was an anti-aviation streak - probably trying to protect his protegés. I remember his response to a comment about flying pay on our return to Dartmouth from the day out at Yeovilton - "They pay you more because they don't pay you for so long"! In 1962, with great ideas like the VT fuse bomb being the latest new thing, this was sadly too true. It got better later and by the time I served in Ark in 69-71 we managed 2 years without a single flight deck accident.
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Re Beagle Burne and "HMS Leviathan":-
OK, I withdraw "notorious", but in all honesty have to say that our particular term of SL(AIR) had a fairly heavy time of it with him, he made very clear his preference for the SL(SEA) group.
As to that unusual book of John Winton's, I agree. Not sure why he wrote it and also surprised by some of the technical oddities in it, from such a scrupulous researcher and historian. Have enjoyed all the rest of his fact and fiction immensely.
Mike
OK, I withdraw "notorious", but in all honesty have to say that our particular term of SL(AIR) had a fairly heavy time of it with him, he made very clear his preference for the SL(SEA) group.
As to that unusual book of John Winton's, I agree. Not sure why he wrote it and also surprised by some of the technical oddities in it, from such a scrupulous researcher and historian. Have enjoyed all the rest of his fact and fiction immensely.
Mike
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Hands to Flying Stations
Dear GD,
We may well have overlapped at BRNC and how interesting that you are also settled in Canada! I am in the sunny Okanagan.
I can honestly say that I loved every minute of my time with the RN, even at BRNC which at times seemed to belong to a delightful, eccentrically different age. My aviator time was spent not only with Dark Blue, but also Light Blue aviators, an experience that very much enhanced my service time.
In recent years I was involved in a reunion held at RAF Linton, where we had carried out our basic flying training many years previously. The RAF had been remarkably generous with accommodating our requests for accommodation, catering, etc, so it was obviously going to be a memorable weekend. On Friday afternoon we met in the bar where young lads (and lasses), dressed in flying suits, were noisily enjoying far more of the local electric soup than was good for their brain cells. I had a little chuckle to myself, enjoying the sense of deja vu and happy in the knowledge that the next generation of RN / RAF pilots seem to have the same spirit as we had many years previously.
GW
We may well have overlapped at BRNC and how interesting that you are also settled in Canada! I am in the sunny Okanagan.
I can honestly say that I loved every minute of my time with the RN, even at BRNC which at times seemed to belong to a delightful, eccentrically different age. My aviator time was spent not only with Dark Blue, but also Light Blue aviators, an experience that very much enhanced my service time.
In recent years I was involved in a reunion held at RAF Linton, where we had carried out our basic flying training many years previously. The RAF had been remarkably generous with accommodating our requests for accommodation, catering, etc, so it was obviously going to be a memorable weekend. On Friday afternoon we met in the bar where young lads (and lasses), dressed in flying suits, were noisily enjoying far more of the local electric soup than was good for their brain cells. I had a little chuckle to myself, enjoying the sense of deja vu and happy in the knowledge that the next generation of RN / RAF pilots seem to have the same spirit as we had many years previously.
GW
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Nostalgia, nostalgia! Greywings, have already sent you a PM re yours, many thanks. Small clip from it follows for Idle Bystander (above), re Beagle Burne.
The comment about him taking care of the 18-year-olds under his charge is well taken and he undoubtedly acquired rank and fame . I think Burne's problem as our DO was that several of us were in our twenties and had been in the outside world first - I'd done a 4-year-apprenticeship in Ship Repair and Marine Engineering, the chap in the bunk above me had been a Sergeant in the SAS, and so on. We were beyond his ken.........and we wanted to fly.
Mike
The comment about him taking care of the 18-year-olds under his charge is well taken and he undoubtedly acquired rank and fame . I think Burne's problem as our DO was that several of us were in our twenties and had been in the outside world first - I'd done a 4-year-apprenticeship in Ship Repair and Marine Engineering, the chap in the bunk above me had been a Sergeant in the SAS, and so on. We were beyond his ken.........and we wanted to fly.
Mike
