Deci Range
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Deci Range
For anybody interested, here is a video I made at the Deci Bombing Range in Sardinia. Taken in 1997 on APC it shows jets from 14 Sqn strafing, dropping dummy 1000 pounders and a few 3Kg/28lb drops. Not the greatest of quality video (age) but it does show the 1000 lb bombs whistling through the skies and hitting the ground. No cows were killed during this video! At the very end of the video you will see how close they get to the range.
As a reminder, sat in my study, I have a 27mm round taken from the range. It was still warm when I picked it up.
It is a bit repetitive but anybody who enjoys this kind of thing will like it. Also watch out for a rather good flypast at the 8 min mark
As a reminder, sat in my study, I have a 27mm round taken from the range. It was still warm when I picked it up.
It is a bit repetitive but anybody who enjoys this kind of thing will like it. Also watch out for a rather good flypast at the 8 min mark
If you hadn't said Deci I could have sworn this was Tain! Guess you'd get a better tan in Deci. Liked it, thanks for posting. I think you might have outed yourself at the end of the video.
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We went out with 20 Jags to watch, we were up in the tower when the boss beat it up and passed close at about window height... Ok below it.. We had erm, I think he was the visiting RAFG flight safety officer along with us, who had asked to come along unbeknown to the boss.. Lol
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Kreuger flap - Nice one
It was on her Santa’s list, red light and all. No expense spared in our house
As for the dog wearing the scarf, with 3 women in the house at Christmas, he has no choice. Do you really think I wanted to wear that silly red pinny
foldingwings
Thanks for the reminder. Do you think I could remember that name last night. I lost count of how many times I went to Deci (about 20 I think) and I went up the range on 4 occasions, so I should have known.
I have another video somewhere (but can’t find it) showing either a German or Italian Tonka entering the range with his arrester hook down. Anybody remember the incident?
Martin did you really buy your daughter an extension lead for christmas? Why did you make your dog wear that red scarf?
As for the dog wearing the scarf, with 3 women in the house at Christmas, he has no choice. Do you really think I wanted to wear that silly red pinny
foldingwings
It's Frasca Range!
I have another video somewhere (but can’t find it) showing either a German or Italian Tonka entering the range with his arrester hook down. Anybody remember the incident?
Last edited by SRENNAPS; 22nd Jan 2012 at 11:01. Reason: Add something!
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You can read my story in 'Out of the Blue' about 2 Italian G91s doing 'Divisional Dive Bombing' at Frasca back in the 70s!
Can't tell you the outcome as that would mean H4H and RAFBF didn't get your purchase money!
However, it started and finished in the bar at Deci!
Foldie
Can't tell you the outcome as that would mean H4H and RAFBF didn't get your purchase money!
However, it started and finished in the bar at Deci!
Foldie
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U mean pissed on the beach?
We took a little minibus up to the top of the island camping with about 7 of us in for the weekend, we were hurtling up this fantastic new wide road through a tunnel, came out the other side and it wasn't finished, the Tarmac ceased in a 3 inch step down to a crushed gravel track... We hit it at about 60 plus and still don't know how we got away with it.
We took a little minibus up to the top of the island camping with about 7 of us in for the weekend, we were hurtling up this fantastic new wide road through a tunnel, came out the other side and it wasn't finished, the Tarmac ceased in a 3 inch step down to a crushed gravel track... We hit it at about 60 plus and still don't know how we got away with it.
Or a nice round of golf down at the club where the England Wendie-ball team stayed during some cup or other.
The RAF RSO who seemed to get a permanent posting there set up shop near Cottesmore when he left, running a great pub where we'd take the students from TTTE for a beer and a sheep (cooked all day long in his outdoor oven. Yummy.
Other than that...the French Embassy used to get a lot of abuse but I never got to go to watch the ladies mud wrestling.
The RAF RSO who seemed to get a permanent posting there set up shop near Cottesmore when he left, running a great pub where we'd take the students from TTTE for a beer and a sheep (cooked all day long in his outdoor oven. Yummy.
Other than that...the French Embassy used to get a lot of abuse but I never got to go to watch the ladies mud wrestling.
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Confession!
I was actually there, running about 10 yards behind the 'golf cart' as it veered left into the Fortes Village swimming pool at circa 0200 hrs!
The driver was banned from every Fortes establishment in the World for life!
Some accolade.
Beat that!
Foldie
XV Sqn Det 1972!
I was actually there, running about 10 yards behind the 'golf cart' as it veered left into the Fortes Village swimming pool at circa 0200 hrs!
The driver was banned from every Fortes establishment in the World for life!
Some accolade.
Beat that!
Foldie
XV Sqn Det 1972!
Last edited by foldingwings; 22nd Jan 2012 at 21:16. Reason: To add: for life
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"The range, she eez clozed, sea state six" Off to the bar then 
Conversely
"Eeeh Eeenglish, you go Alpha North, Alpha South and wait." Often something to do with an Italian aircraft somewhere near Rome threatening to start
About the only other thing I remember is flaming sambuca.
Conversely
"Eeeh Eeenglish, you go Alpha North, Alpha South and wait." Often something to do with an Italian aircraft somewhere near Rome threatening to start
About the only other thing I remember is flaming sambuca.
Or a certain current *-star who was sent home from the bombing competition because...."Hey, London 1, you droppa 2 bomba, you go 'ome".
They departed the range, rejoin via Alpha, calling themselves Spitfire 1 or something..."Hey, Spitfire1, you London 1, you droppa 2 bomba, you go 'ome".
Larf.....did we ever!
They departed the range, rejoin via Alpha, calling themselves Spitfire 1 or something..."Hey, Spitfire1, you London 1, you droppa 2 bomba, you go 'ome".
Larf.....did we ever!
Good memories
Frasca Range famous calls for famous pilots:
"We observed your bomb falling over the clip into the water"..
"You hit frasca range"
"you got a foul, it was left range and left traffic not right range and right traffic"
Once on a hot day in 1978 after sitting in the cockpit of my F4 since 20 minutes in number one position waiting for take off clearance:
"Tiger, your flight is cancelled, there is too much heat on the tower"
franzl
"We observed your bomb falling over the clip into the water"..
"You hit frasca range"
"you got a foul, it was left range and left traffic not right range and right traffic"
Once on a hot day in 1978 after sitting in the cockpit of my F4 since 20 minutes in number one position waiting for take off clearance:
"Tiger, your flight is cancelled, there is too much heat on the tower"
franzl
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We did one trip and after we arrived (on Friday) it rained buckets and buckets for the whole weekend.
On Monday morning the airfield was declared closed because the arrestor system was knackered due to the rain. We were told we could fly the jets out of Deci but we could not land back again.
Our Flt Sgt (Elmo, RIP) came up with a brilliant, back of a fag packet plan, to launch and then land near Alghero after the sortie. In the meantime, we groundcrew would take the houchins, Mk11s, tools, etc, etc up by road.
It was a good ambitious plan but sadly rejected by the Wg Cdr (No names). (I think the Italians had the last say).
As true Brits the Sqn was chomping at the bit to fly. The arrestor system was finally fixed a couple of days later and we were asked to do a high speed taxi to test it out.
One of our jets taxied out to do this, but to our amazement returned to the Flt Line without doing the test. On interrogating the crew, we discovered that they had abandoned the test because the runway was covered in FROGS.
A couple of us grabbed a wagon and drove across and sure enough what a sight. Frogs hopping everywhere. Dam I wish I had my camera with me.
By the afternoon, the frogs had cleared and we did the test ( I was part of the hook recovery team). Deci was open again.
Deci was one of those dets that really brought the aircrew and groundcrew close together. Competitions such as nose wheel roulette, best (most silliest) marshaller and of course best bombing and strafing crew. Everybody mucked in and it really was a great 2 or 3 weeks.
Happy memories
On Monday morning the airfield was declared closed because the arrestor system was knackered due to the rain. We were told we could fly the jets out of Deci but we could not land back again.
Our Flt Sgt (Elmo, RIP) came up with a brilliant, back of a fag packet plan, to launch and then land near Alghero after the sortie. In the meantime, we groundcrew would take the houchins, Mk11s, tools, etc, etc up by road.
It was a good ambitious plan but sadly rejected by the Wg Cdr (No names). (I think the Italians had the last say).
As true Brits the Sqn was chomping at the bit to fly. The arrestor system was finally fixed a couple of days later and we were asked to do a high speed taxi to test it out.
One of our jets taxied out to do this, but to our amazement returned to the Flt Line without doing the test. On interrogating the crew, we discovered that they had abandoned the test because the runway was covered in FROGS.
A couple of us grabbed a wagon and drove across and sure enough what a sight. Frogs hopping everywhere. Dam I wish I had my camera with me.
By the afternoon, the frogs had cleared and we did the test ( I was part of the hook recovery team). Deci was open again.
Deci was one of those dets that really brought the aircrew and groundcrew close together. Competitions such as nose wheel roulette, best (most silliest) marshaller and of course best bombing and strafing crew. Everybody mucked in and it really was a great 2 or 3 weeks.
Happy memories
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Had to pay for a fly screen having walked through it in a comatose state, not very happy folks over that having gotten mossied to death in the night after I opened their "lunch box" for them..
17 Sqn jags before departing, someone lifted the water bottle in the hall, threw a chicken leg in it then put the bottle back on... Lot of people in the following week spent most of it on the toilet.
Trying to stea..... Borrow the F15 badge of their truck in the USAF car park with a pilot inside holding the nuts, went to find a screwdriver, opened a van to find two yanks in full session, her lying on her back munching popcorn, asked errr have you seen Dave? They fled in fright, left the popcorn though, so we had that...
Having to go round in pairs or more after the football stadium wall fell and killed a bunch of their supporters.
Ahhh I could go on....
17 Sqn jags before departing, someone lifted the water bottle in the hall, threw a chicken leg in it then put the bottle back on... Lot of people in the following week spent most of it on the toilet.
Trying to stea..... Borrow the F15 badge of their truck in the USAF car park with a pilot inside holding the nuts, went to find a screwdriver, opened a van to find two yanks in full session, her lying on her back munching popcorn, asked errr have you seen Dave? They fled in fright, left the popcorn though, so we had that...
Having to go round in pairs or more after the football stadium wall fell and killed a bunch of their supporters.
Ahhh I could go on....
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Hum, October 1982, at the end of noisy BBQ and running fracas with the armed militia on-site, team bounced SDO Mini sideways into the foyer in the mess, muggins posed naked on top with a rose between his teeth.
Next day, Sqn Cdr ordered muggins who was supposed to be on the VC10 to report to the Staish who wanted him to explain his Sqns behaviour in what was described as the worst ever experienced. Flying Officer Bladdered gave the Staish a real good listening to, whilst Sqn Cdr flew off into the sunrise!!
Happy dayz, you lot know who you are!! High spirits
Next day, Sqn Cdr ordered muggins who was supposed to be on the VC10 to report to the Staish who wanted him to explain his Sqns behaviour in what was described as the worst ever experienced. Flying Officer Bladdered gave the Staish a real good listening to, whilst Sqn Cdr flew off into the sunrise!!
Happy dayz, you lot know who you are!! High spirits
17 Sqn jags before departing, someone lifted the water bottle in the hall, threw a chicken leg in it then put the bottle back on...
As Impiger will recall, I royally screwed up one 2v1 session and lost a helluva lot of height. I didn't say so at the time, but I had severe stomach cramps and was pretty jaded after a night rushing back and forth to the 'facilities' - one simply didn't blame one's failings on such things...
But if it was because some childish Pussy Pratt idiot had poisoned the water....
