British Aviation in Belize??
Set off for the UK in a 115 Sqn Andover after doing Calibration runs in Oct 91, arrived home a week later after the Yanks broke it for us during an over night stop at Washington - some good field repairs on that trip! 
1417 Flt... So called because they were always done and on their way to the beach by 2:20pm!
Remember more than once a VC10 falling off the edge of the runway. Saw many airliners flying quite sporty visual approaches into Belize, guess it was before this Stab App busines.
Remember more than once a VC10 falling off the edge of the runway. Saw many airliners flying quite sporty visual approaches into Belize, guess it was before this Stab App busines.
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You may have seen it but some interesting photos here:
British Army Helicopters flown by 25 Flt AAC in Belize - a set on Flickr
British Army Helicopters flown by 25 Flt AAC in Belize - a set on Flickr
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And then there was the Army Doc in 1977 Can't remember his name, and probably just as well! One of his routine duties was to inspect the employees of the Big 'C' (If you don't know, use your imagination). He used to carry out the weekly inspection on a Friday afternoon, after Happy Hour. But before leaving the bar, he would auction his spare white coat. The girls never really worked out why he had a different 'assistant' every week.
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British Aviation in Belize
To get back to the thread:
It was in Jan 1972 that the Guats threatened to over-run British Honduras (now Belize). The British govt deployed troops to repel them and an airlift using Hercs and VC10s was set up. Belize City airport (more an airfield) could not take more than a Herc in those days so the troops were were flown in all types of AT ac to Nassau and then the Herc flew them into Belize. Nassau-Belize was 3 hours each way. A nice day's work with the T/R. The only let down aid was a NDB which, in a storm, became unrelible so it was mostly the Mk 1 eyeball to get us in.
The USA did not wish to offend the Guats so denied us all over-fly rights so the routing was Lyn-Santa Maria-Bermuda-Nassau. The last leg was avoiding Florida (not that it mattered) and the diversion was the Cayman Is - a long way for a div.
Rudi was a dispatcher in those days and he rose to be the Airport Manager IIRC. On departure fm Belize, we had to file an airborne flt plan with a radar site in the south of Mexico for the trip back to Nassau.
This skirmish was beneficial to British Honduras. Money poured in and the hinterland, which was a tropical forest, was opened up to the extent that a highway and a new capital city were built after a hurricane left a blot on the coastal landscape. BH became Belize in 1973.
In Jan 1973, a weekly Herc schedule was started to re-supply the Belize Garrison. Every Saturday, a Herc left LYE to route YQX-BZE-YQX-LYE. YQX-BZE-YQX was avoiding the USA (still not friendly). This was a very ambitious schedule and the first flight was running out of fuel so diverted to Nassau where it promptly went U/S with a bleed air leak and spent 3 days while a seal was flown out via the schedule BOAC LHR-Nassau- Mexico City schedule. The powers be realised that a flag stop at Nassau had to be built into the schedule. This schedule continued for many years and when the USA became 'friendly', a flag stop at' No Hope Pope' in NC was in the itin.
In addition to these re-supply flights, there were extras for the Rapier sqn rotation, replacement airframes for Harrier and Gazalle and sadly, bringing back the fallen.
Belize runway was extended but I was not on the fleet when this happened.
Later, on VC10s, I went to Belize on numerous occasins to see a thriving and busy airport. All the comms had been installed and the RAF even put in a radar. There was a schedule TACA flight from Miami and RAF AT lost the priority that it was used to in the past. Commercial pressures, you know!
One highlight was to fly in a Herc over the 'Black hole' and see it from the air.
Sorry, not many dates but you may be able use this story with other tales to compile a worth while write-up. Track down Rudi and he'll be a gold mine of information if not sugar bags and timber!! Good luck and Best wishes.
It was in Jan 1972 that the Guats threatened to over-run British Honduras (now Belize). The British govt deployed troops to repel them and an airlift using Hercs and VC10s was set up. Belize City airport (more an airfield) could not take more than a Herc in those days so the troops were were flown in all types of AT ac to Nassau and then the Herc flew them into Belize. Nassau-Belize was 3 hours each way. A nice day's work with the T/R. The only let down aid was a NDB which, in a storm, became unrelible so it was mostly the Mk 1 eyeball to get us in.
The USA did not wish to offend the Guats so denied us all over-fly rights so the routing was Lyn-Santa Maria-Bermuda-Nassau. The last leg was avoiding Florida (not that it mattered) and the diversion was the Cayman Is - a long way for a div.
Rudi was a dispatcher in those days and he rose to be the Airport Manager IIRC. On departure fm Belize, we had to file an airborne flt plan with a radar site in the south of Mexico for the trip back to Nassau.
This skirmish was beneficial to British Honduras. Money poured in and the hinterland, which was a tropical forest, was opened up to the extent that a highway and a new capital city were built after a hurricane left a blot on the coastal landscape. BH became Belize in 1973.
In Jan 1973, a weekly Herc schedule was started to re-supply the Belize Garrison. Every Saturday, a Herc left LYE to route YQX-BZE-YQX-LYE. YQX-BZE-YQX was avoiding the USA (still not friendly). This was a very ambitious schedule and the first flight was running out of fuel so diverted to Nassau where it promptly went U/S with a bleed air leak and spent 3 days while a seal was flown out via the schedule BOAC LHR-Nassau- Mexico City schedule. The powers be realised that a flag stop at Nassau had to be built into the schedule. This schedule continued for many years and when the USA became 'friendly', a flag stop at' No Hope Pope' in NC was in the itin.
In addition to these re-supply flights, there were extras for the Rapier sqn rotation, replacement airframes for Harrier and Gazalle and sadly, bringing back the fallen.
Belize runway was extended but I was not on the fleet when this happened.
Later, on VC10s, I went to Belize on numerous occasins to see a thriving and busy airport. All the comms had been installed and the RAF even put in a radar. There was a schedule TACA flight from Miami and RAF AT lost the priority that it was used to in the past. Commercial pressures, you know!
One highlight was to fly in a Herc over the 'Black hole' and see it from the air.
Sorry, not many dates but you may be able use this story with other tales to compile a worth while write-up. Track down Rudi and he'll be a gold mine of information if not sugar bags and timber!! Good luck and Best wishes.
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Sioux City
Hi Red Phos. Myself and 2 other pilots were the last sioux flight in Belize before Gazelles took over.
I'll have dig around for photos, but don't recall taking any. I have names dates etc from my log books if any good to you.
I'll have dig around for photos, but don't recall taking any. I have names dates etc from my log books if any good to you.
In about 1978 some fashion company decided to do some swimsuit shots in the Blue Hole. For those who don't know it was a sink hole off the Carribean Barrier Reef that plummeted down to some enormous depth with some exquisite coral formations. The sexy model, after a 20min course on deep sea diving, went down to do the shots. She got disorientated and started swimming downwards. They recovered her but she then had a bad case of the bends.
Luckily the heros of 33Sqn had just done their winching training so off we flew to do the rescue. For those used to ponsing around in a Sea King a final height of 80ft is required on a Puma when transfering to and from a boat. Due to brilliant guidence and skillful flying the winchman was deposited on a fairly small launch first time to be confronted by a topless model offering him a large G&T. As she hadn't provided any for the rest of the crew he unselfishly turned this down and prepared the casualty for transfer.
Things went very well and back at Airport Camp the medical staff had hardly enough time to gloat over her when a Learjet pitched up from Miami. This was the 'Divers Special' and it had an overpressurisation system to take a diver below sea level during the trip back to the States.
No thanks, nothing, not a Dickie Bird from those we had helped out. Maybe we should have sent them a bill.
Luckily the heros of 33Sqn had just done their winching training so off we flew to do the rescue. For those used to ponsing around in a Sea King a final height of 80ft is required on a Puma when transfering to and from a boat. Due to brilliant guidence and skillful flying the winchman was deposited on a fairly small launch first time to be confronted by a topless model offering him a large G&T. As she hadn't provided any for the rest of the crew he unselfishly turned this down and prepared the casualty for transfer.
Things went very well and back at Airport Camp the medical staff had hardly enough time to gloat over her when a Learjet pitched up from Miami. This was the 'Divers Special' and it had an overpressurisation system to take a diver below sea level during the trip back to the States.
No thanks, nothing, not a Dickie Bird from those we had helped out. Maybe we should have sent them a bill.
San Pedro
Does anybody remember Little Italy restaurant on Ambergris key in San Pedro, i am lucky enough to have my neighbour who used to owne the restaurant? She asks if anyone is missing a pair of Union Jack shorts?
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There was a GR3 Engineer Cpl on 1417Flt in 90-91 who used to enjoy strolling through the Rose Garden. So much so that when he left to go back to the UK, the viewing balcony at the airport was crowded with teary (note I didn't say weeping) employees of aforementioned Garden. *z I think his name was.
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Extension
Dagama/Sharpend
The runway was extended in '89 - I was one of the engineers working on site with the Mexican contractor.
Used to make us laugh watching you guys hanging out the door, but we weren't happy with the damage those tyres caused on our new asphalt while making the turns
The runway was extended in '89 - I was one of the engineers working on site with the Mexican contractor.
Used to make us laugh watching you guys hanging out the door, but we weren't happy with the damage those tyres caused on our new asphalt while making the turns
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Hello,
I was flying the Gayzelle in 2001 and can drop some photos your way if you wish. Have some good memories of the Lazy Lizard on Caye Caulker and pushing a bit of negative G off of 1000ft falls. Top tour.
Let me know if you want the snaps.
I was flying the Gayzelle in 2001 and can drop some photos your way if you wish. Have some good memories of the Lazy Lizard on Caye Caulker and pushing a bit of negative G off of 1000ft falls. Top tour.
Let me know if you want the snaps.
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Typically 146-148 feet turning circle on a 150 feet wide runway.
I remember the chaps at "Butcher Radar" would always grade your landing by holding up a big sign saying "Magic" or "Crap". You had to remember to wave at them as you taxied past or they were likely to revise a "Magic" into a "Crap".
