RAF Binbrook
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RAF Binbrook
Anyone got any good tales from the late 80`s at Binbrook, had the pleasure of working there and seeing out the end of the Lightnings. Or should I say privilage more than pleasure.
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Ah, Binbrook at the end of the 60s: the smell of aviation fuel drifting down over the married quarters and the background sounds of Avon engines from the Lightnings and Canberras as we made our way up to the guardroom for the school bus to Market Rasen...
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About 10 years ago I was working out of Humberside for a few days with Gill Airways, and bored and with a hire car at my disposal, I took myself to Binbrook. I was (then) able to drive up and down the runway, which looked as though it had just been resurfaced. You could have played billiards on it, it seemed that smooth. I was later told that Lightning runways had to be v smooth due the fragility of their gear and tyres. The surface certainly put many civil runways to shame. The hangars seemed to be being used for grain storage, and the rest of it seemed to be going to hell in a handcart. I think I recall seeing a Lightning vertical stab being used as some sort of statuary, possibly in the village school?
Originally Posted by vulcanite
I took myself to Binbrook. I was (then) able to drive up and down the runway, which looked as though it had just been resurfaced. You could have played billiards on it, it seemed that smooth. I was later told that Lightning runways had to be v smooth due the fragility of their gear and tyres. The surface certainly put many civil runways to shame.
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Check out this post - one of the most stunning photographs I have ever seen!
http://www.pprune.org/military-aircr...-binbrook.html
http://www.pprune.org/military-aircr...-binbrook.html
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Writing TAFS and trends at Binbrook in a screaming winter Northerly was fairly straightforward - BLU RAPID RED! Nothing between Binbrook and Svalbard but alot of cold grey oggin.
I was wondering if anyone had to div to Norway whilst Bear chasing or had the Noggy 104's picked them up before the gas ran out? How was the handover from RNoAF to RAF and vice versa cordinated? - and I'll Beadwindow myself here - no trade secrets please if this would give away current SOP's!!
I was wondering if anyone had to div to Norway whilst Bear chasing or had the Noggy 104's picked them up before the gas ran out? How was the handover from RNoAF to RAF and vice versa cordinated? - and I'll Beadwindow myself here - no trade secrets please if this would give away current SOP's!!
Does anyone have a photo of the excellent muriel from the LTF crewroom wall? It was the Heath Robinson-esque one that I think involved deerstalkers, tweeds and fireworks with candles under them.
I remember turning up at Binbrook (1967?) on an official visit; we remarked on how quiet the place was only to be told that the SDO had misread a signal re:a paper exercise and had everyone out of bed at 'O'migawd oclock' ... much embarassment over a/c serviceability states!!!
Much chuckling on way back to Northern Radar!!
Much chuckling on way back to Northern Radar!!
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Binbrook
Ah, Good old Binbrook.
Posted to DFCS, Hunter F6s in 65 and on to 5 Sqdn in 66. Often socked in with weather and everyone else open, or as happened in 67? during an excercise, we were the only one open on the East Coast. Never seen so many Lightnings in one place in my life and all wanting Op T/Rs. Brilliant day, the place was really humming.
Went back three years ago and it made you want to weep. What a mess.
Lots of truth in` never going back!!`
Posted to DFCS, Hunter F6s in 65 and on to 5 Sqdn in 66. Often socked in with weather and everyone else open, or as happened in 67? during an excercise, we were the only one open on the East Coast. Never seen so many Lightnings in one place in my life and all wanting Op T/Rs. Brilliant day, the place was really humming.Went back three years ago and it made you want to weep. What a mess.
Lots of truth in` never going back!!`
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First fast jet posting on XI(F) 84 - 87. Great times with excellent dets, APCs, MPCs (Valley
). Lots of incidents and happenings. After a tour on Lightnings I found that there were not many things that startled me. Always something going bang or catching fire.
Recall standing outside the Q Shed watching the survival scramble at the end of a Taceval. As the first jet thundered down the runway and got airborne off came the canopy and clumped the fin. Cue long line of Lightnings burning gallons of fuel and going nowhere whilst the errant jet was recovered.
Thanks to the Binbrook weather youngest daughter was born in an ambulance outside the Med Centre early one Feb morning in 85.
). Lots of incidents and happenings. After a tour on Lightnings I found that there were not many things that startled me. Always something going bang or catching fire.Recall standing outside the Q Shed watching the survival scramble at the end of a Taceval. As the first jet thundered down the runway and got airborne off came the canopy and clumped the fin. Cue long line of Lightnings burning gallons of fuel and going nowhere whilst the errant jet was recovered.
Thanks to the Binbrook weather youngest daughter was born in an ambulance outside the Med Centre early one Feb morning in 85.
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Green Flash is confused re. TAFS and TRENDS if memory serves.
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Due to an unfortunate, ahem, oversight, I once reproduced the Tivoli fountain in ASF whilst doing fuel leak repairs with 71MU....the display was quite impressive actually...tanks were pressurised to whatever..the weight that was supposed to be on the blow off valve on the upper wing suface wasn't.....it could have happened to anyone....cough !...and the system and valve worked as planned...what more could you ask for?.
ASF however, were" not very happy" with this cultural addition to their hangar...
ASF however, were" not very happy" with this cultural addition to their hangar...
If memory serves [and it may not, my seaweed has withered and chrystal balls dropped off]
TAFs used words like GRADU, INTER, RAPID
whereas
TRENDS were just a three colour sequence eg BLU YLO AMB
I was Binbrook SMetO's boss as PMetO 1 Group Bawtry 1980-3 [I know ...... the Met organisation only fitted the RAF where it touched!]
So PMetO Bawtry had line management of Met. at:
Leeming, Linton, Church Fenton, Finningley, Binbrook, Scampton, Waddington, Cranwell, Cottesmore [not Wittering!], Wyton and Marham.
As a secondary duty he had oversight of the Distant Learning Met Programme.
Come to think of it, I was overworked and underpaid.
TAFs used words like GRADU, INTER, RAPID
whereas
TRENDS were just a three colour sequence eg BLU YLO AMB
I was Binbrook SMetO's boss as PMetO 1 Group Bawtry 1980-3 [I know ...... the Met organisation only fitted the RAF where it touched!]
So PMetO Bawtry had line management of Met. at:
Leeming, Linton, Church Fenton, Finningley, Binbrook, Scampton, Waddington, Cranwell, Cottesmore [not Wittering!], Wyton and Marham.
As a secondary duty he had oversight of the Distant Learning Met Programme.
Come to think of it, I was overworked and underpaid.