MR2 MAD circle flying
For the mushroom man...
....DCS could have stood for Distinguished Conduct Service, but ACTUALLY stood for Dairy Cream Sponge. This was one of those frozen desserts issued by in-flight ration store which was incredibly popular with MPA crews.
"Allto cockulus in" MR1 was was fitted with but very rarely used. An abstruse bit of kit hung over from the '50s. The clue being in the name given to it as Autolycus was described as "a picker-up of unconsidered trifles". Ah the benefits of a classical education.
The Ancient Mariner
"Allto cockulus in" MR1 was was fitted with but very rarely used. An abstruse bit of kit hung over from the '50s. The clue being in the name given to it as Autolycus was described as "a picker-up of unconsidered trifles". Ah the benefits of a classical education.
The Ancient Mariner
Was that "whorelike yawing" the reason the MRA4 got all those bits* added to the back end - I don't think any other aircraft, except a small twin from Beech ever had so many "fixes", which showed there was "summat odd aft". "If it looks right ..." and Vicky Verky.
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: SWAPS Inner
Posts: 567
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Wasn't the 'drogue' the thingy that a certain crew thought was a fighter chasing them up the Persian Gulf one day? Oh no! That was a turd 
"Guilotine the TRD" ( for evasive flying )
"Captain port beam, the fighter's gone now"
...and in the Adriatic, from the Nav looking through the Challenger tank sight..
"Captain Nav fighter 2 0'clock high.... oh hang on... its the moon"
"Guilotine the TRD" ( for evasive flying )
"Captain port beam, the fighter's gone now"
...and in the Adriatic, from the Nav looking through the Challenger tank sight..
"Captain Nav fighter 2 0'clock high.... oh hang on... its the moon"
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: A 1/2 World away from Ice Statio Kilo
Posts: 404
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Adriatic
The call from the Nav messing around with sandpiper was "Mark Mark Barrage Balloon break right! 
" I think young Kev went on to be a pilot for the great unwashed.
Charlie sends
" I think young Kev went on to be a pilot for the great unwashed.Charlie sends
Charlie
Nearly right, miss out the mark mark call, they were pretty boring flights and sandpiper was the only toy we had. Did i every tell you about winding up the captain by telling him that reporting point Millfield had been incorrectly plotted and all vessel reporting for the precceeding 2 weeks was in error. Kept the story going for a couple of days, the captain is over your way and the second nav had very red hair.
Nearly right, miss out the mark mark call, they were pretty boring flights and sandpiper was the only toy we had. Did i every tell you about winding up the captain by telling him that reporting point Millfield had been incorrectly plotted and all vessel reporting for the precceeding 2 weeks was in error. Kept the story going for a couple of days, the captain is over your way and the second nav had very red hair.
The only DCs I remember were green, as old as I was and weighed 250 lb.
I don't recall the Autolycus ever being used on the Nimrod. The bit about "snapper up of hidden trifles" came from Shakespeare. In yer ancient classics he was described as the greatest thief and LIAR of his time. They got that right.
Ο Ξένος
I don't recall the Autolycus ever being used on the Nimrod. The bit about "snapper up of hidden trifles" came from Shakespeare. In yer ancient classics he was described as the greatest thief and LIAR of his time. They got that right.
Ο Ξένος
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Wherever I'm Sent
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Richlear
As others have said this is not a MAD circle being flown. That said, I can't tell you exactly what is happening.
Using all the clues: the RADALT reads 650', VOR 2 is tuned to Inverness (109.2), IAS 246 kts (well above VMSW for the weight on the VDC), BARO alt 600', Flt system selector is set to 'off', Deviation display indicator set to 'buoy' and the flight director is selected off. As somebody else has said, the VDC is the wrong way round to be operating on task. Looks like fuel is 15K or 18K and (possibly) they have BARO selected, vice RADALT, on FD/Autopilot panel. I'd guess this is an SCT sortie and the crew are either just wrapping up a LL serial (probably in D807), and the eng has pushed the VDC forward in anticipation of transit home, or they're in the cct turning right downwind for initials (unusual off R/W 26) to run back in for a break.
White trim on the pilot's name badge would indicate 201 Sqn.
Brings a tear to my eye to see the photo; can't believe none of us will fly the old girl again.
I found a pic taken from behind the pilots in an MR2 where it looks as if they have about 60 degree bank on. If I read the rather blurry radalt I think it reads 450ft - presume this is in a MAD circle?
Using all the clues: the RADALT reads 650', VOR 2 is tuned to Inverness (109.2), IAS 246 kts (well above VMSW for the weight on the VDC), BARO alt 600', Flt system selector is set to 'off', Deviation display indicator set to 'buoy' and the flight director is selected off. As somebody else has said, the VDC is the wrong way round to be operating on task. Looks like fuel is 15K or 18K and (possibly) they have BARO selected, vice RADALT, on FD/Autopilot panel. I'd guess this is an SCT sortie and the crew are either just wrapping up a LL serial (probably in D807), and the eng has pushed the VDC forward in anticipation of transit home, or they're in the cct turning right downwind for initials (unusual off R/W 26) to run back in for a break.
White trim on the pilot's name badge would indicate 201 Sqn.
Brings a tear to my eye to see the photo; can't believe none of us will fly the old girl again.
Join Date: Sep 1998
Location: wherever
Age: 55
Posts: 1,616
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The picture I posted on the previous page was the crew who avoided the moon. It was just before GW 1 probably a couple of nights after I took that pic. I'm surprised no one has chastised Sooty for flying at 100' without gloves!
Oh happy days.
Oh happy days.
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: St Annes
Age: 68
Posts: 638
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
White trim on the pilot's name badge would indicate 201 Sqn.
Then again, perhaps it was a pilot thing... for some reason they seemed fairly keen not to let me into the front stalls, so maybe it's a combination of colour and the seat you were in....back in radar everything had more a green tinge than anything else, especially on Mk1's.
Dave
As a young rigger on what was the NMSU 72-74, I asked if it would be posssible to go on the flight test of the aircraft I had worked on, even in those days it was not the done thing but eventually I was cleared as a engineering advisor, or some such technical term.
Two parts which I was impressed with was the stall warning check and what I was told was a MAD comp, which from memory consisted of basically throwing the aircraft about to make sure the MAD equipment stayed 'on line', one pilot I recall was more enthusiastic whilst doing this check and I seem to remember looking out of the galley window with the aircraft at what almost appeared to be about 60-70 degrees of bank and then snapping to opposite roll, once level then followed by raising the nose up to stick shakers and then stick almost fully forward, this being repeated a couple of times.
But that might just be my perception and exagerated memory from an excited youngster who was overawed at flying in our aircraft, though spent many happy times over the years in the Nimrod (in my case MR1/R1)flying to various places so will miss her.
Off topic but on one air test we had climbed to height to do the aformentioned check and then got told to strap in as the nose was put in to a steep dive to land at kinloss declaring an emergency as we fell out of the sky, one of the front windscreens had cracked right across the outside layer, bit of a moment for me if truth be told.
Two parts which I was impressed with was the stall warning check and what I was told was a MAD comp, which from memory consisted of basically throwing the aircraft about to make sure the MAD equipment stayed 'on line', one pilot I recall was more enthusiastic whilst doing this check and I seem to remember looking out of the galley window with the aircraft at what almost appeared to be about 60-70 degrees of bank and then snapping to opposite roll, once level then followed by raising the nose up to stick shakers and then stick almost fully forward, this being repeated a couple of times.
But that might just be my perception and exagerated memory from an excited youngster who was overawed at flying in our aircraft, though spent many happy times over the years in the Nimrod (in my case MR1/R1)flying to various places so will miss her.
Off topic but on one air test we had climbed to height to do the aformentioned check and then got told to strap in as the nose was put in to a steep dive to land at kinloss declaring an emergency as we fell out of the sky, one of the front windscreens had cracked right across the outside layer, bit of a moment for me if truth be told.
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Wherever I'm Sent
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
ME TOO
That was fine if turning back out to initials with gear and flap up - as in photo.
#1 HP cock is on and locked. Also, photo was taken a month after the loss of XV230. I wasn't on the Fleet then, but I don't think engines were shutdown for fuel economy at that time.
I stand to be corrected but I believe 42 and 120 had yellow surrounds. Could be a 51 pilot on convex or SCT mind. Anyway, enough of the anorak for me, time to kill more brain cells with the whisky.
Not in the circuit. Only the inboards are thrusting
# 1 seems to be shut down
Oooh, you were doing SO well up to that point, but I had white surrounds and 201 is the only Sqn I was never on! (Although 42 I only held on).
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
To try and explain the photo discussed, as I was the one who took it!
As a photographer I was authorised to fly with a planned operational sortie on the day. After much 'on the bus off the bus' and back due to several faults, the planned six hour sortie was eventually canned. After discussions in Ops it was decided that the crew would fly what (if I remember correctly) was called a 'training flight' around the local area of Findorn Bay with a few circuits at local airfields.
During this time I was taking photographs from various locations on the aircraft and asked the Captain if he could give me a max angle of bank turn to allow me to take the photo discussed. This he duly obliged - after giving me the hang on tight brief!
Again, if I remember correctly, there was minimum crew on board and it was not what I believe is called an operational sortie.
Hope this helps in the discussion!
Regards, and once again many thanks to the crew, who will remain nameless.
A20 DEK
As a photographer I was authorised to fly with a planned operational sortie on the day. After much 'on the bus off the bus' and back due to several faults, the planned six hour sortie was eventually canned. After discussions in Ops it was decided that the crew would fly what (if I remember correctly) was called a 'training flight' around the local area of Findorn Bay with a few circuits at local airfields.
During this time I was taking photographs from various locations on the aircraft and asked the Captain if he could give me a max angle of bank turn to allow me to take the photo discussed. This he duly obliged - after giving me the hang on tight brief!
Again, if I remember correctly, there was minimum crew on board and it was not what I believe is called an operational sortie.
Hope this helps in the discussion!
Regards, and once again many thanks to the crew, who will remain nameless.
A20 DEK
...asked the Captain if he could give me a max angle of bank turn to allow me to take the photo discussed...
All those who have attended the FSS will probably go
at the mention of performing for the camera.....
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: The Shed
Posts: 195
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Beags, while your point about performing for the camera is valid in a general aviation context, in this case I think a tad unfair.
Nim pilots were taught to fly high AOB for training and operational sorties and practiced the manoeuvre on a regular basis. The guys in this excellent image were not doing anything out of the ordinary. Also, given the date, I don't think any MR2 pilots, let alone a Sqn Ldr, would do anything to put the crew at risk just over a month after a really bad event for the force.
Derek, really nice picture, captures the essence of low level maritime work better than most I've seen!
TS
Nim pilots were taught to fly high AOB for training and operational sorties and practiced the manoeuvre on a regular basis. The guys in this excellent image were not doing anything out of the ordinary. Also, given the date, I don't think any MR2 pilots, let alone a Sqn Ldr, would do anything to put the crew at risk just over a month after a really bad event for the force.
Derek, really nice picture, captures the essence of low level maritime work better than most I've seen!
TS