Ascoteers ?
Thread Starter
Tourist
750 Squadron, was that when they used the Sea Prince ? I remember seeing the Heron once ISTR. Thanks for that its surprising where Ascot has been used.
Smudge
750 Squadron, was that when they used the Sea Prince ? I remember seeing the Heron once ISTR. Thanks for that its surprising where Ascot has been used.
Smudge
Thread Starter
I have to admit, I never noticed the hair, the perfect "gurn" of bottom lip over nose ensured that I got back to my hammock on the ramp ASAP. 
Smudge
Smudge
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I may be getting old but I'm pretty sure that the "Brit" that took me to Singapore in 1965 belonged to Transport Command and used the Ascot call sign which I think it was restricted to the fixed wing elements Brits and Comets etc. It's a good story but as Ascot seems to predate lAir Support Command I'm not convinced. 
Last edited by Bill4a; 26th Mar 2013 at 01:44. Reason: Brain and finger failure
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Let us not forget the other really superb piece of work that Wg Cdr Basil d'Oliviera achieved when he went to Upavon after his tour as OC 216 which was to introduce the system of allowances that RAF Ascoteers lived off until at least 1996 when I left, and probably longer. HM paid for the bed, and a claim was put in for meals when one was on the ground.
This system was fair and was the envy of the pointy yank and bank merchants and the RN transport guys too!
mcdhu
This system was fair and was the envy of the pointy yank and bank merchants and the RN transport guys too!
mcdhu
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I have enjoyed reading the banter thread re ASCOT, sorry I am not a shiny aircrew type but I can claim to be one of the guys on the other end of your H/F SSB link, and served at various Flight Watch locations during my 37 years such as Upavon/Gibraltar/Cyprus/Gan and Singer,s, where the ASCOT c/s became very much part of my working life.
Sadly I can still recall many of the SELCAL codes including some VC10 (EGAL and EGAK) Hercs (AHJM AKDL etc) and many is the time I have fiddled with the SELCAL buttons whilst realigning the LogP aerial to secure a ''SELCAL watch'' with an a/c.
Prior to SSB of course it was all wiggly amps and Samuel Morse, ears straining through crackling atmospherics trying to pick out the dits and dahs, and R/T messages that often faded into oblivion (QSB)
One of the best a/c c/s I found to send in morse was the Flight Checker IRIS, it really flowed off the key...will stop waffling now and return to my cubby hole
Sadly I can still recall many of the SELCAL codes including some VC10 (EGAL and EGAK) Hercs (AHJM AKDL etc) and many is the time I have fiddled with the SELCAL buttons whilst realigning the LogP aerial to secure a ''SELCAL watch'' with an a/c.
Prior to SSB of course it was all wiggly amps and Samuel Morse, ears straining through crackling atmospherics trying to pick out the dits and dahs, and R/T messages that often faded into oblivion (QSB)
One of the best a/c c/s I found to send in morse was the Flight Checker IRIS, it really flowed off the key...will stop waffling now and return to my cubby hole
Thread Starter
Hiya Sparkie, or should we say Architect ? I can certainly say I was grateful for the odd HF Link to SWMBO to explain my 5 day delay down route etc. all during routine HF Testing of course 
you boys and girls were also part of the team, and, a link home when a long way away.
also remember ARINC, another "link"
Smudge
you boys and girls were also part of the team, and, a link home when a long way away. also remember ARINC, another "link"Smudge
Last edited by smujsmith; 26th Mar 2013 at 22:18.
sparkie,
Flight watch - a wonderful system - I bet we have spoken. One day in the early 70s, I was flying across the south of Australia on a VIP trip and something broke. It was decided we needed a spare positioning at the next stop where we had a few days off and if we could get an HF message home, the spare could be on the way before we landed. Thinking I could get some relays across the world, I called Singapore FW. After a number of calls without an answer, Upavon came in loud and clear and offered to do a relay for me - "No thank you, it's you I needed to speak to in the first place!" I wonder how many times that call bounced off the earth?
Flight watch - a wonderful system - I bet we have spoken. One day in the early 70s, I was flying across the south of Australia on a VIP trip and something broke. It was decided we needed a spare positioning at the next stop where we had a few days off and if we could get an HF message home, the spare could be on the way before we landed. Thinking I could get some relays across the world, I called Singapore FW. After a number of calls without an answer, Upavon came in loud and clear and offered to do a relay for me - "No thank you, it's you I needed to speak to in the first place!" I wonder how many times that call bounced off the earth?
Thread Starter
Skip bounce, I believe was the expression. I also remember that we had some charts, probably only understood by the Navs, which gave you different HF freqs for different regions and times of the day. Anyone remember those ? My best "phone home"whilst airborne was over the Pyramids. It was quite surreal talking to Mrs Smudge about my daughters school report with Cheops floating by below, and, the whole crew rolling their eyeballs when she told me to stop being a prat and listen it was important. That was me told !
Yup, I remember those charts .. published in the en-route supplement IIRC 
I remember being U/S in Diego Garcia .. a place you DON'T want to be stuck in, trying desperately to get a phone patch home and exploring every frequency known to man to no avail. In desperation tried the "civvy" HF net, ended up talking to Quaintarse Sydney, who patched me to their London office, who got a conference call to Upavon and Lyneham.... bit was ordered, went to Fairford and came out via USAF jet the next day, we left just 48 hour delayed..
Nice international rescue we thought !!
I remember being U/S in Diego Garcia .. a place you DON'T want to be stuck in, trying desperately to get a phone patch home and exploring every frequency known to man to no avail. In desperation tried the "civvy" HF net, ended up talking to Quaintarse Sydney, who patched me to their London office, who got a conference call to Upavon and Lyneham.... bit was ordered, went to Fairford and came out via USAF jet the next day, we left just 48 hour delayed..
Nice international rescue we thought !!
Thread Starter
As mentioned, I always found it a bit hit and miss. The most reliable way of getting a quick natter with SWMBO was to get the Co to fix up a reverse charge call through ARINC HF to your home phone. After my first attempt I remember well finally getting home and having to explain that due to lag etc, in future calls we would say "over" when ready to hear from the other end. I'm sure most of the following attempts gave the crew something to laugh about (SWMBO not too good on the taking instructions side). Aaaahh, all happy days, and all part of being part of an Ascot team down route.
Smudge
Smudge
Last edited by smujsmith; 27th Mar 2013 at 22:58.
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They were called HF Propagation Prediction Charts. They were published by 1 (later) 38 Gp and carried by the Co. I had a 'plastic brain' (Aircrew Information Folder) full of the bloody things.
The ERC merely gave HF Frequencies but did not really predict their usability any more than in a very basic way.
Smuj, I remember getting you a reverse charges 'Phonepatch' via Portishead Radio on more than one occasion. ARINC was more used in places Easterly.
Of course, with Portishead, if you were in the S Hemisphere with an ASCOT C/S they gave you the phonepatch for free.
The ERC merely gave HF Frequencies but did not really predict their usability any more than in a very basic way.
Smuj, I remember getting you a reverse charges 'Phonepatch' via Portishead Radio on more than one occasion. ARINC was more used in places Easterly.
Of course, with Portishead, if you were in the S Hemisphere with an ASCOT C/S they gave you the phonepatch for free.
Last edited by ExAscoteer; 28th Mar 2013 at 01:33.
Thread Starter
ExAscoteer
I forgot about Portishead. And thanks for getting me a line home I always worried about the cost on our phone bill, but never remember being billed. So your last comment would explain it.
Smudge
I forgot about Portishead. And thanks for getting me a line home
I always worried about the cost on our phone bill, but never remember being billed. So your last comment would explain it.Smudge
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Nice to read the comments about Flight Watch use, we were always glad of the 'business' particularly on those long night shifts, listening on several frequencies at once with QRM and other static noises did tend to grate on the brain after a while.
Phone patches were often a challenge, particularly if the QSO was weak but I did, on many occasions patch an HRH through to Buck House, or a VVIP to a Government department. Once the callers at either end remembered to day over we had it sussed
Started out my Flight Watch days in Singapore (JATCC Paya Lebar) when R/T and C/W were still very much in ''fashion'' with Brittania/Comet Ascots, as well as the Beverleys out of Seletar and Hastings out of Changi, not to mention the Kiwi Bristol Vibrators. Then technology advanced and SSB moved in consigning many of the AEO slots to posterity and in its place came the flashing light and pinging bell of SELCAL...no need for any cockpit crew to QAP after than
Mind you it was pretty efficient and on more than one occasion when at Upavon, with the right frequency, a log P aerial and time of day I managed a successful SELCAL check with an ASCOT just airborne from Kai Tak
Happy days oh well back to the App I can hear Gander trying to contact a Speedbird
Phone patches were often a challenge, particularly if the QSO was weak but I did, on many occasions patch an HRH through to Buck House, or a VVIP to a Government department. Once the callers at either end remembered to day over we had it sussed
Started out my Flight Watch days in Singapore (JATCC Paya Lebar) when R/T and C/W were still very much in ''fashion'' with Brittania/Comet Ascots, as well as the Beverleys out of Seletar and Hastings out of Changi, not to mention the Kiwi Bristol Vibrators. Then technology advanced and SSB moved in consigning many of the AEO slots to posterity and in its place came the flashing light and pinging bell of SELCAL...no need for any cockpit crew to QAP after than
Mind you it was pretty efficient and on more than one occasion when at Upavon, with the right frequency, a log P aerial and time of day I managed a successful SELCAL check with an ASCOT just airborne from Kai Tak
Happy days oh well back to the App I can hear Gander trying to contact a Speedbird
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'And thanks for getting me a line home'
More than welcome Smuj.
I think I am on record here as saying that GEs (and SVCs) were always IMO part of the/my crew.
More than welcome Smuj.
I think I am on record here as saying that GEs (and SVCs) were always IMO part of the/my crew.