Bungling pilot lands RAF chief in wrong place
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Early eighties, a Jaguar (?) cleared fast into Duxford for a display
strake, that B-52 story is an urban myth.
They'd been vectored around the sky by the Flying Prevention Branch for some reason, then were offered an impossibly hard turn to line up for their display, so wisely refused and departed the scene!
Aerodrome mis-idents are amusing and an endless opportunity for banter - provided no-one gets hurt. As someone who once gave Withybush an impromptu 450KIAS flypast in one of HM's Hunters having mis-ID'd the IP for Brawdy, I can but sympathise.
Twiddling my thumbs as Duty Pilot at Sunny Scampton once, I was somewhat surprised to see a Jet Provost appear from the north-west at very low level, then fly a split-ar$e turn overhead the nuclear bomb store before disappearing whence it came. No-one else in the tower was looking out of the window
but there was only one unit which flew JP5s with tip tanks.....and it trained navigators!
A quiet call to Finningley followed! It seems they'd mistaken Scampton for the disused aerodrome at Blyton, some miles to the north......
They'd been vectored around the sky by the Flying Prevention Branch for some reason, then were offered an impossibly hard turn to line up for their display, so wisely refused and departed the scene!
Aerodrome mis-idents are amusing and an endless opportunity for banter - provided no-one gets hurt. As someone who once gave Withybush an impromptu 450KIAS flypast in one of HM's Hunters having mis-ID'd the IP for Brawdy, I can but sympathise.
Twiddling my thumbs as Duty Pilot at Sunny Scampton once, I was somewhat surprised to see a Jet Provost appear from the north-west at very low level, then fly a split-ar$e turn overhead the nuclear bomb store before disappearing whence it came. No-one else in the tower was looking out of the window
but there was only one unit which flew JP5s with tip tanks.....and it trained navigators!A quiet call to Finningley followed! It seems they'd mistaken Scampton for the disused aerodrome at Blyton, some miles to the north......
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I was at the event, and it caused much amusement to the hundreds of parents and local dignataries that saw the A109 do a flypast over the sqn headquarters, only for it to do another, and another! The weather was truly awful and we had staff awaiting the helicopter at the intended landing site to ferry him across town to the sqn. All ended very well.
There are two sites, both belong to the same company and he chose to land at the wrong one, 50-50 chance I suppose!
There are two sites, both belong to the same company and he chose to land at the wrong one, 50-50 chance I suppose!
Years and years ago there was military exercise area on the northwest peninsular of the New Territories of Hong Kong. It was within sight of a place called Nantou in the Peoples Republic of China and based there was an INT unit that would evesdrop on the radio traffic as the Britmil did their stuff. When they had an exercise with similar callsigns and traffic to a previous exercise they would play tape recordings of the previous ones to confuse everybody; and it usually worked.
One day there was a lot of traffic that was normal when a new operation was starting up. What was different was four Wessexs hoving into view and landing 400 metres up the road. They discharged loads of blokes with green berets and turned out to sea.
Wrong country.
A Hong Kong Navy Auxiliary boat that was stationed in the middle of Shenzhen Bay to deter IIs(illegal immigrants) had seen this and had got on with various blowers to inform the Admiralty. With unusual speed the helicopters were informed and they about turned and picked up the green berets, who were by now lemmings flocking onto their aircraft, and flew out to sea again.
There had been a fracas at the British Embassy in Beijing when the police had stood aside whilst the Red Guards had invaded the embassy. It was quite nasty, with them stripping the secretaries etc etc. The Chinese owed the UK one so this incident was quietly brushed under the carpet.
One day there was a lot of traffic that was normal when a new operation was starting up. What was different was four Wessexs hoving into view and landing 400 metres up the road. They discharged loads of blokes with green berets and turned out to sea.
Wrong country.
A Hong Kong Navy Auxiliary boat that was stationed in the middle of Shenzhen Bay to deter IIs(illegal immigrants) had seen this and had got on with various blowers to inform the Admiralty. With unusual speed the helicopters were informed and they about turned and picked up the green berets, who were by now lemmings flocking onto their aircraft, and flew out to sea again.
There had been a fracas at the British Embassy in Beijing when the police had stood aside whilst the Red Guards had invaded the embassy. It was quite nasty, with them stripping the secretaries etc etc. The Chinese owed the UK one so this incident was quietly brushed under the carpet.
Last edited by Fareastdriver; 16th Jun 2011 at 18:03.
Back in the 70's, the RAF decided to give Flight Refuelling Ltd a fly past to thank them for their contribution to several record breaking flights. We were allowed to finish early for lunch so that we could line the river bank. Bang on time, there was a Victor tanker with 2 Lightnings in refuelling mode........... 4 miles away. This was particularly galling as offers of a lead in by a company test pilot in a Meteor had been rejected by the RAF.
The embarrassment was further embellished when, a few months later, the FAA gave a similar show of gratitude after their victory in the race from the Post Office Tower to the Empire State building. After a sedate flypast with Vixens and Phantoms, each aircraft returned as a singleton and could not have got any closer to the factory. From the slight hill to the south of the factory, I swear that I looked down on a Phantom.
The embarrassment was further embellished when, a few months later, the FAA gave a similar show of gratitude after their victory in the race from the Post Office Tower to the Empire State building. After a sedate flypast with Vixens and Phantoms, each aircraft returned as a singleton and could not have got any closer to the factory. From the slight hill to the south of the factory, I swear that I looked down on a Phantom.
Avoid imitations
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strake, that B-52 story is an urban myth.
They'd been vectored around the sky by the Flying Prevention Branch for some reason, then were offered an impossibly hard turn to line up for their display, so wisely refused and departed the scene!
They'd been vectored around the sky by the Flying Prevention Branch for some reason, then were offered an impossibly hard turn to line up for their display, so wisely refused and departed the scene!
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strake, that B-52 story is an urban myth.
Then there was the LIghtning booked to do a flypast at Neatishead for a retiring OC Ops, the only FC Branch Officer wg cdr as I recall (John.....). Very quiet at Neatishead as pilot called he was pulling up between the masts - at Bacton gas terminal!
