QRA, Battle Flight, RAF Gutersloh and RAF Wildenrath and More
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: northumberland
Age: 67
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Phantom scramble
Hi
Having been a part of hundreds of scrambles from QRA at Leuchars over the years 1975-82 I was interested to see the F4 in question being crewed in without the aid of ground crew! Very clever...I wonder how the crew got in and how the rear ladder was pulled down and who helped with straps, did up panels, took noddy caps off, pulled chocks, marshaled out, put out starter fires.
Every scramble video I have ever seen concerning RAF F4's always show this mysterious absence........it was the same for all ground activities such as servicing, line work, rectification......mayhap it was those mysterious pixies that came in the night to do it all magically
Nice stumble up the steps by the Nav!!
Tchuss
Having been a part of hundreds of scrambles from QRA at Leuchars over the years 1975-82 I was interested to see the F4 in question being crewed in without the aid of ground crew! Very clever...I wonder how the crew got in and how the rear ladder was pulled down and who helped with straps, did up panels, took noddy caps off, pulled chocks, marshaled out, put out starter fires.
Every scramble video I have ever seen concerning RAF F4's always show this mysterious absence........it was the same for all ground activities such as servicing, line work, rectification......mayhap it was those mysterious pixies that came in the night to do it all magically
Nice stumble up the steps by the Nav!!
Tchuss
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: northumberland
Age: 67
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
QRA Leuchars
Hi
Just thought I would throw my two pennyworth in. I was on 111(F) from 1974-82 at Coningsby and then Leuchars where we took post on QRA with 43. I take issue with your statement that UK QRA was at a less status than RAFG. Total hog!!
There was never time to visit the loo if the hooter went and I have been party to scrambles right through the day and night and most were 'hot' and at all times we reacted with the same professional attitude as expected on the finest squadron. We met every tasking through winter arctic snows, horizontal rain/sleet and always gave 100% to the requirement as ground engineers.
Every single scramble was met with full tasking by we engineers and our support to the aircrew effort was total.
I balk at the suggestion that RAFG was somehow of more import that northern QRA, were we not all in the same RAF? were we not all doing the same thing in protecting sovereign airspace?
Spook
Just thought I would throw my two pennyworth in. I was on 111(F) from 1974-82 at Coningsby and then Leuchars where we took post on QRA with 43. I take issue with your statement that UK QRA was at a less status than RAFG. Total hog!!
There was never time to visit the loo if the hooter went and I have been party to scrambles right through the day and night and most were 'hot' and at all times we reacted with the same professional attitude as expected on the finest squadron. We met every tasking through winter arctic snows, horizontal rain/sleet and always gave 100% to the requirement as ground engineers.
Every single scramble was met with full tasking by we engineers and our support to the aircrew effort was total.
I balk at the suggestion that RAFG was somehow of more import that northern QRA, were we not all in the same RAF? were we not all doing the same thing in protecting sovereign airspace?
Spook
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 543
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
QRA was QRA. Northern Q, Southern Q, Battle Flight and The Falklands. All were important but all were different. Ssafe to say that every single person in the loop was important from aircrew to groundcrew to the photog who processed the pics to the ops clerk who sent the admisrep. Not glamorous nowadays but vital at the time.
Last edited by Geehovah; 15th Jun 2012 at 17:27.
I'm amazed that no-one has yet picked up on the Battle Flight scramble times in RAFG. The Lightning was normally airborne well under 5 minutes after the call, while that American triumph of thrust over aerodynamics was sitting at Wildenwrath waiting for the INAS to align for nearer ten minutes - and that was ten minutes flying time west of the IGB!
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 33,037
Received 2,912 Likes
on
1,247 Posts
Used to do QRA at Bruggen, but we never launched a thing, the food was good though..... That Tiffie scramble....wasn't that lucky there just happened to be a full crew and pilot loitering at the side of the taxiway when the alert went off...
Still better than jumping out of bed and into your boots in the middle of the night on a practice scramble to find some git has emptied a can of swarfega into them.. Then running out to the HAS squelching as you go, leaving a slimy green trail behind you.
Still better than jumping out of bed and into your boots in the middle of the night on a practice scramble to find some git has emptied a can of swarfega into them.. Then running out to the HAS squelching as you go, leaving a slimy green trail behind you.
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 543
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Battle Flight at Wildenrath was RS05. Every F4 scramble was under 5 minutes. The fact that the base was 20 mins flying time west was politics (the Harrier GR1 needed to be closer to the FEBA) and nothing to do with the AD crews. The INAS took 90 seconds to align. The record was just over 3 minutes from asleep to wheels in the well - at 4AM after a TACEVAL hooter. Can't say I enjoyed sleeping in a G suit though.
Last edited by Geehovah; 15th Jun 2012 at 20:04.
Any pole dancers at our QRA?
I take it there was no pole for our guys to slide down as soon as the klaxon went off 
whether it be at Wildenrath, Conningsby, Leuchars or Leeming, as with the USAF crews at Bitburg or any other QRA stateside.
I saw a photo in a classic photo book on the F-4 and the same in Cold War Interceptors (Osprey Motorbooks colour pub 1989) of a Minnesota Phantom at the alert barns at Ramstein during the 80s taking charge of alert as the Ramstein guys were transitioing from The F-4E to the F-16. Didn't know Ramstein had ZUlu barns as well.
Cheers
whether it be at Wildenrath, Conningsby, Leuchars or Leeming, as with the USAF crews at Bitburg or any other QRA stateside. I saw a photo in a classic photo book on the F-4 and the same in Cold War Interceptors (Osprey Motorbooks colour pub 1989) of a Minnesota Phantom at the alert barns at Ramstein during the 80s taking charge of alert as the Ramstein guys were transitioing from The F-4E to the F-16. Didn't know Ramstein had ZUlu barns as well.
Cheers
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 33,037
Received 2,912 Likes
on
1,247 Posts
Some of our pilots would have gone down it head first, they were not exactly the sharpest cookies in the barrel.
Seriously though, the hard and soft were across the taxy way from the HAS's
Seriously though, the hard and soft were across the taxy way from the HAS's
Last edited by NutLoose; 15th Jun 2012 at 21:17.
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Muscat, Oman
Posts: 604
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
After watching 24 hr tv/vids at Binbrook one Sunday afternoon with brain well and truely engaged in neutral, suddenly manned up because we heard the Station hooter. Had to shout at groundcrew to man up on the way as they hadn't responded. Eventually, after no response from Neatishead on telebrief, figured out it was a tv programme about the Thames Flood Barrier and their siren sounded remarkably like our stn hooter!
Also got very pissed off when we were not scrambled for the civvie at Flight Level Nose Bleed with everybody dead on board and an F-4 was taken off PIs instead and used all it's gas to get alongside, so nobody plotted the crash site. Only found about it from the News at 10 that night and Neat's excuse was "we didn't want to bother you".
Apart from that, my 3 live scrambles were well worth the 7 years in the shed at Binbrook and ended up diverting to Leuchars off one on a single engine, and Lossie on another which was Blue/Black until just before I got there.
Also got very pissed off when we were not scrambled for the civvie at Flight Level Nose Bleed with everybody dead on board and an F-4 was taken off PIs instead and used all it's gas to get alongside, so nobody plotted the crash site. Only found about it from the News at 10 that night and Neat's excuse was "we didn't want to bother you".
Apart from that, my 3 live scrambles were well worth the 7 years in the shed at Binbrook and ended up diverting to Leuchars off one on a single engine, and Lossie on another which was Blue/Black until just before I got there.
1000+ hours in the shed and not one live launch.
I reckon the Rooskies were scared of me*
That's real deterrence!
I can, of course, recite the entire script of Life of Brian and tell you how many miles it is to Chicago when it's dark and you're wearing sunglasses.
We also served......
* and the Argies, for that matter
I reckon the Rooskies were scared of me*
That's real deterrence!
I can, of course, recite the entire script of Life of Brian and tell you how many miles it is to Chicago when it's dark and you're wearing sunglasses.
We also served......
* and the Argies, for that matter
Last edited by Fox3WheresMyBanana; 15th Jun 2012 at 21:45.
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 33,037
Received 2,912 Likes
on
1,247 Posts
I find this rather ironic, you join the RAF as a plod, you get posted to Bruggen as your first tour to do a totally none plodish job, sitting in a box staring at a fence, 20+ years later you revisit your old Bruggen haunt blag your way onto the station and what do you do...
http://www.rafpa.com/Bike%20trip%2006%20%2810%29.JPG
Bike trip to Bruggen
http://www.rafpa.com/Bike%20trip%2006%20%2810%29.JPG
Bike trip to Bruggen
Last edited by NutLoose; 15th Jun 2012 at 21:49.
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 33,037
Received 2,912 Likes
on
1,247 Posts
Yup, but I used to feel for them, they were suckered into the police with tales of daring do chasing bad guys, investigating cases, to find themselves sitting in one of those boxes for 3 years watching 20 foot of fence line. The only time they got anything to do was when a rabbit strayed into the sterile and set off a motion sensor, or when we used to stand behind the bank on 20 sqn near HAS 49? And throw stones at the sensors 
Must admit I would like to have a look round the place myself once more before I shuffle off.
Must admit I would like to have a look round the place myself once more before I shuffle off.
Thought police antagonist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Where I always have been...firmly in the real world
Posts: 1,372
Received 117 Likes
on
84 Posts
" to find themselves sitting in one of those boxes for 3 years watching 20 foot of fence line"
Be fair here, they did get rotated between boxes...and the Q gate guard...
As for Bruggen QRA, given that we never launched in anger, other than once / twice a year by "prior arrangement" I seem to recall and even then with the mighty Jag only having internal fuel and no tanks fitted, the benefit of being there was the remarkably sensible....for the RAF....start and finish time of 10.00hrs...thus allowing one to "socialise" the evening before....and recover thereafter.
Be fair here, they did get rotated between boxes...and the Q gate guard...
As for Bruggen QRA, given that we never launched in anger, other than once / twice a year by "prior arrangement" I seem to recall and even then with the mighty Jag only having internal fuel and no tanks fitted, the benefit of being there was the remarkably sensible....for the RAF....start and finish time of 10.00hrs...thus allowing one to "socialise" the evening before....and recover thereafter.
1000+ hours in the shed and not one live launch.
Several live launches from Southern Q, but for reasons various but mostly technical never a rooskie at the end of it....the piece de resistance being the night 6 1/2 hour epic that went wrong somewhere S E of Iceland, several hours in, when the gadget bent
as we were being vectored onto the trade, and ended up with a diversion to Leuchars after having to go around from minimums at Watashame......that was a long night......
FWIW did "get" a Rooskie eventually - off Cyprus during an APC....
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: middle england
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Cup of tea anyone?
There we were, 19(F) Sqn, Wildenrath Battle Flight 1977 sitting in the portacabins just to the side of the HAS. Only just worked up after moving over from 2 Sqn at Laarbruch and taking over from the Lightnings at Gutersloh there had as yet been no actual scrambles - we were ready though.
BLAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH went a hooter WAAAAAAAAAHH went the lot of us legging it out on to the pan and to the HAS, here we go! Er, no we don't. The water boiler had a buzzer that went off when the water boiled and someone was making a cup of tea. Settle down chaps, NATO standard all round?
BLAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH went a hooter WAAAAAAAAAHH went the lot of us legging it out on to the pan and to the HAS, here we go! Er, no we don't. The water boiler had a buzzer that went off when the water boiled and someone was making a cup of tea. Settle down chaps, NATO standard all round?
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 33,037
Received 2,912 Likes
on
1,247 Posts
Ahh Bruggen HAS's, they were worried about security of the aircraft and weapons in them, so fitted some all singing all dancing armoured padlocks on the doors to replace the ones we had.......... Then they had a Fire alarm, the boys from Trumpton turfed up, out came the cutters to gain access... Man rapidly dispatched to Guardroom to get keys after they realised they were so good they couldn't cut them off, the old locks made a miraculous reappearance.
Last edited by NutLoose; 16th Jun 2012 at 17:36.
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: northumberland
Age: 67
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
bananas bananas
Northern QRA. Sometime in the past. 111(F) Squadron F4's. So there we were all sprinting about whilst the hooter sounds its banshee siren and my man B has come hurtling out of the shower wearing just his large and very grubby towel which just encircles his ample waist. Keen see.
I am down stairs making sure the right hand donk is whirling up to speed but there is something wrong. I can see the 'Nav is not happy about something and then I see what it is and what an 'it' it truly is.
My man B was a large man in all respects and under his towel he is of course 'sans culottes' and my wouldn't his mummy be proud of him, and all this poor 'Nav can see is this great hairy apparition flopping about whilst the straps are passed and pin pulled. The next 6 hours are a living hell for the poor man as all he can see in the scope is that nightmare of skin, curly hair and veins.
However on landing and with lashings of ginger beer, jelly and copious counselling he recovers well enough but all porn and the man himself are kept out of sight for the next 18 hours.
Ah we that must serve!
Spook
I am down stairs making sure the right hand donk is whirling up to speed but there is something wrong. I can see the 'Nav is not happy about something and then I see what it is and what an 'it' it truly is.
My man B was a large man in all respects and under his towel he is of course 'sans culottes' and my wouldn't his mummy be proud of him, and all this poor 'Nav can see is this great hairy apparition flopping about whilst the straps are passed and pin pulled. The next 6 hours are a living hell for the poor man as all he can see in the scope is that nightmare of skin, curly hair and veins.
However on landing and with lashings of ginger beer, jelly and copious counselling he recovers well enough but all porn and the man himself are kept out of sight for the next 18 hours.
Ah we that must serve!
Spook