BEST CFS AC

[KPax]

As the Cosford airshow this year is going to celebrate CFS/CFS(H), I was wondering what was the best ac that CFS/CFS(H) had operated over the years.

[Mick Strigg]

Gazelle. Nuff said!

[fantom]

Bowlocks. Gnat.

[[email protected]]

Gnat - can go upside down 'n' stuff, can't hover.

Gazelle - can go upside down 'n' stuff, can hover.

[diginagain]

The beauty of the Gaz was that you could see what the clown sat next to you was about to do (to you), before he did it (to you).

[maximo ping]

In which case the answer must be Chipmunk. Lovely for upside downy stuff, and can hover in a stiff headwind. Oh, and smells like a proper aeroplane should.

[A2QFI]

Petrol, oil, and student vomit I don't think so!

[aw ditor]

Varsity! Kippers from Machrihanish and Deutsche Sekt from Gatow!

[just another jocky]

Hawk....most fun you can have clothed!

[tradewind]

Best CFS a/c?

Hawk XX172 - Despite all my attempts to screw it up, that a/c got me through an A2 checkride!

[Fareastdriver]

The Bristol Sycamore. If you could fly that you could fly anything.

[Old-Duffer]

Yeh the Sycamore!

I did the last SAR ever with a Sycamore, which was based at CFS(H) Tern Hill in Feb 66. This was a Saturday morning and two aircraft went off for the search in North Wales and I went along as crew.

If ever the RAF could find an aircraft less suitable to be used as a trainer it was the Bristol 171. It's eventual downfall came when several crashed at Tern Hill having run out of cyclic authority, with a strong wind under the quarter.

The other reason it was the best aircraft ever operated by CFS was 'cause it was followed by the Sioux which was just great!

Old Duffer

[Justin Cyder-Belvoir]

Bulldog: call in for a cup of at tea at Gamston or Sturgate:-)

[chopabeefer]

Ladies, Gents, and those others we now so proudly invite into our fold, I give you the Wessex. No arguing now. Hover? But of course. Upside down/90Nose up wingovers/90 Nose down bunts? Naturally. And it smelled like an old car - leather, phenol, hyd fluid and grease. And if you were good, and listened very carefully, each one spoke to you. There will never be another like it....

[Rigga]

Whirlwind 3 /Mk10

A really nice to fly "hands on" helicopter - that looked nice too!

Simple to fix - and even I was taught to fly it - from the left seat.

Ah, those balmy days of Nav-Ex's from Tern Hill and camping in the back yard of a Snowdonia pub.

[teeteringhead]

I was about to agree with the Gazelle - then Mmmmmmm Wessex!

Can smell it now .......

Took XV 722 to Scampton for a CFS group piccie with Queen Mum in 1989 - with a total of 15 A2s on board!!

1.40 flying for an appointment of 1/250 second - the rotary riff-raff had to go back to Shawbury after the piccie - not invited to the Lunch!

[Herod]

Now I'm spoilt for choice. Sioux: lovely, wonderful visibility, and the instructors were just getting used to it as well. Whirlwind: a classic, what more can one say? Wessex: just one lovely machine. Did what it said on the tin. Happy days, far too long ago.

[jindabyne]

Look - you're all missing it. The Hunter came late to CFS, but as a side-by-side, spacious, and relatively friendly, high performance trainer, followed by solo in the GT6, what could've been a better orgasmic combination? All else pales ----.
And as for things that are made up from clattering bits of thin aerofoil and hundreds of other silly rotating bits that pretend to be aeroplanes, give us a break, please!

[BEagle]

Only those fortunate enough to have flown the GT6 understand how very true those words of yours are, jinda'!

No prizes for guessing the worst CFS aeroplane ever - it had to be the abysmal Jetstream T Mk 1. A truly wretched device.

[Sun Who]

When you say GT6, do you mean:

http://slatford.co.uk/Pictures%20of%...h/69%20gt6.jpg

Regards,

Sun.