Ripping Yarns : Banner Target Fun
I towed a banner with a Jag (it was attached to the brake chute attachment
point) at Lossie a couple of times for the QWI cse. IIRC once airborne we'd slow
down and drop Full Flap for the rest of the sortie to stay below the weak link's
break speed.
point) at Lossie a couple of times for the QWI cse. IIRC once airborne we'd slow
down and drop Full Flap for the rest of the sortie to stay below the weak link's
break speed.
Did some passenger flying in gliders for the aircrew association once. I took a WW2 fighter chap flying who had been wounded in combat and subsequently downgraded to 'non combatant stautus' or suchlike while he was convalescing. He was however allowed to keep flying and was posted to a unit doing target towing - which he and his fellow ex fighter pilots found frightfully dull. So they invented various challenges for each other - one of which was arrivving back home with a knot in the cable!
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My first APC after Chivenor was on Squadron detachment to Cyprus, 1960. One of the flight commanders, H**** D*******, scored 58 hits on the flag from 50 shots fired. The extra hits were put down to rippling of the flag in the slipstream.
We also strafed and fired rockets, and raised our strafing and rocketing averages to 50% and 16 yards respectively, greatly helped by M*** T****** scoring a direct hit with each of his four rockets and M** C****** scoring 100% on an air-to-ground shoot
We also strafed and fired rockets, and raised our strafing and rocketing averages to 50% and 16 yards respectively, greatly helped by M*** T****** scoring a direct hit with each of his four rockets and M** C****** scoring 100% on an air-to-ground shoot
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BEagle ... I guess that some stories are best told over a pint in convivial company and surroundings ... so we better leave Skipper and The Whale 
Having had a dig around I came across a piece on the InterWeb relating to Llanbedr and the wonderful machines of DERA. Thought it might be of interest to some ...
Late 90's DERA Target Resources Llanbedr
Also some very good pics here of Llanbedr
RAF Llanbedr
I also found a few cracking pics of the DERA TT18 Canberra's, WH734 and WK128 proudly displaying their Ruston Winches along with the Flare and Stiletto Targets.
There are also some cracking pics of former 100 and 7 Squadron Canberra's along with a couple of FRADU Canberra's.
Well done to the enthusiasts for recording these wonderful aircraft
Air Show Forum : Canberra Target Tugs
As an aside de we still operate the Jindivik ? ... I guess all the Meteor U15/16's will have gone ?
Looks like someone "munched" on the tail of this one
Llanbedr Meteor U16 WK800
Best regards ...
Coff.
Having had a dig around I came across a piece on the InterWeb relating to Llanbedr and the wonderful machines of DERA. Thought it might be of interest to some ...
Late 90's DERA Target Resources Llanbedr
Also some very good pics here of Llanbedr
RAF Llanbedr
I also found a few cracking pics of the DERA TT18 Canberra's, WH734 and WK128 proudly displaying their Ruston Winches along with the Flare and Stiletto Targets.
There are also some cracking pics of former 100 and 7 Squadron Canberra's along with a couple of FRADU Canberra's.
Well done to the enthusiasts for recording these wonderful aircraft
Air Show Forum : Canberra Target Tugs
As an aside de we still operate the Jindivik ? ... I guess all the Meteor U15/16's will have gone ?
Looks like someone "munched" on the tail of this one
Llanbedr Meteor U16 WK800
Best regards ...
Coff.
Last edited by CoffmanStarter; 2nd May 2013 at 06:16.
The black and orange markings remind me of a day in the early seventies. I was just airborne from Odiham, passing North Gate, and coming the other way was a MOSQUITO. It was the final day of the target towing ones down in Cornwall somewhere and the were doing a quick tour. It had to bank to avoid running in to me and that was when I saw the striping.
Fareastdriver, are you sure of the date? The last Mosquitoes were TT35s operated by No. 3 CAACU at Exeter, but they were retired in May 1963 and replaced by Meteor TT20s. I'm not sure when 3 CAACU closed, but the Meteors were still flying in the early 1970s.
Living in the West Country back then, we had a really interesting variety of aircraft flying overhead. Unlike today....
Living in the West Country back then, we had a really interesting variety of aircraft flying overhead. Unlike today....
Fg Off Courtney also got the blame for blowing up one of 29 Sqn's guns. Half way through the burst there was a very loud bang , the gun stopped instantly and a whole bunch of telelight captions (warning lights) came on. It turns out that the gun had attempted toinsert two live rounds into the same barrel - result both rounds exploded and fired bits of metal up therough the bottom of the fuselage and the underside of the wings.
How we laughed.
How we laughed.
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Thanks for sharing your pics Courtney ...
Not good to have two up the spout at one time ... you know what I mean ... hats off to the Armours for sorting that little lot out !
Mind you ... with your second photo I almost mistook you for being put on Fire Detail
Coff.
Not good to have two up the spout at one time ... you know what I mean ... hats off to the Armours for sorting that little lot out !
Mind you ... with your second photo I almost mistook you for being put on Fire Detail
Coff.
I was holding on 79 Sqn at Chiv post Valley/pre Chiv. 79 was running a PAI course, and they had just started the air-to-air phase. Knowing nothing about anything, I tried to join in their enthusiasm at the coffee bar (my domain) following their first air-to-air shoot.
They spotted the Landrover with the banner driving towards the Sqn and rushed outside. Trying to match their enthusiasm, I joined them and stood next to the instructor running the PAI course as the banner was unfurled. It was covered in multi-coloured holes which were being happily counted by the wannabe PAI's.
Feeling the need to say something, I looked at the PAI instructor and said "Well, that's not very good, is it." He looked sideways at me, and I quickly concluded that I had said something wrong. I decided to rectify the situation, and said "I assume that they are aiming for the black circle in the centre of the banner, and there are very few holes there!"
He took me by the collar, marched me into the cineroom, and showed me an air-to-air cine film.
I then had to spend a whole lot of time clearing out the cine room.
Wonderful times!!
They spotted the Landrover with the banner driving towards the Sqn and rushed outside. Trying to match their enthusiasm, I joined them and stood next to the instructor running the PAI course as the banner was unfurled. It was covered in multi-coloured holes which were being happily counted by the wannabe PAI's.
Feeling the need to say something, I looked at the PAI instructor and said "Well, that's not very good, is it." He looked sideways at me, and I quickly concluded that I had said something wrong. I decided to rectify the situation, and said "I assume that they are aiming for the black circle in the centre of the banner, and there are very few holes there!"
He took me by the collar, marched me into the cineroom, and showed me an air-to-air cine film.
I then had to spend a whole lot of time clearing out the cine room.
Wonderful times!!
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Luvverly pix Coffy. Given that the meatboxes are owned and flown by a civilian corporation it begs the question as to why they still fly with a military serial number and not a civilian G-XXXX sequence.
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I do recall a really pissed off Boss on one of our trips to Akrotiri. Besides being the CO of the squadron, he was an AWI and a bit of a punchy/stroppy bugger who (understandably) thought of nothing but guns and bombs and stuff. He'd spent a fair bit of time organising Dark Blue in Light Blue territory and, so, really had the bit between his teeth.
899 had gone down there to do the air-to-air gunnery phase of the training syllabus and all the students were keen to get their scores on the doors. Now, on this particular detachment, rather than the much-loved banners, Flight Refuelling had brought some new, fandangled, acoustical contraptions. It looked a bit like a fat torpedo and got towed on a bit of string attached to one of their Falcons. The idea was to shoot behind this gizmo, where the flag would normally be and this thingy could measure where the bullets went. It even had some sort of radar reflector in it so we could lock it up and get all the good gen in the HUD.
First wave got airborne consisting of a bunch of instructors and, possibly, one stude. The steely brigade had to test this new machine and prove what experts we all were (ahem). After a few dry runs in comes number one to go hot. Locks up the target, death cross about where it's about to be and rat-a-tat-tat (Adens). Splash one f*%$ing expensive acoustical target, which takes leave of its bit of string and plunges into the Med, never to be seen again.
Boss is spitting feathers and calling into question the parentage of all gathered, even those who weren't on the sortie. Lots and lots of threats made to all and sundry and woe betide anyone who does something nasty again to the one and only spare that FR have......not in Cyprus but in total.
You know what's coming but off goes wave two, this time with a high stude to instructor ratio. Same scenario with the dry runs and then comes Stude 1. Rat-a-tat-tat (still Adens) and then a scream from the FR guy, roughly translated as 'cease fire'. Left wobbling on its cable with all the aerodynamics of a not very aerodynamical thing was the torpedo with a bunch of holes in it and the FR guys wondering if they're going to be able to jettison it near the base since they can't recover it, thanks to Stude 1's peppering of the target AND buggering the towing system.
Well, the old and bolds of FR did manage to get it back to Akrotiri and, even more amazingly, Crab Air got it back to Yeovilton. And there it hung in 899's crewroom for a goodly amount of time and oft used as a conversation starter for visitors.
The Boss, needless to say, was apoplectic and stomped around in a hissy fit for days. Luckily we'd brought a couple of 2-seaters, so managed to keep ourselves 'current' by taking the Army nurses flying and enjoying the pay-backs. I think we managed to tick off a few other syllabus trips but not really what we went there for. You'll be stunned to know that we didn't get to shoot at those gizmos again
Now, about the RN who not only smashed the other students at Chivenor on the flag but toasted their instructors too
Yeah, you were there Courtney (on the other squadron)
899 had gone down there to do the air-to-air gunnery phase of the training syllabus and all the students were keen to get their scores on the doors. Now, on this particular detachment, rather than the much-loved banners, Flight Refuelling had brought some new, fandangled, acoustical contraptions. It looked a bit like a fat torpedo and got towed on a bit of string attached to one of their Falcons. The idea was to shoot behind this gizmo, where the flag would normally be and this thingy could measure where the bullets went. It even had some sort of radar reflector in it so we could lock it up and get all the good gen in the HUD.
First wave got airborne consisting of a bunch of instructors and, possibly, one stude. The steely brigade had to test this new machine and prove what experts we all were (ahem). After a few dry runs in comes number one to go hot. Locks up the target, death cross about where it's about to be and rat-a-tat-tat (Adens). Splash one f*%$ing expensive acoustical target, which takes leave of its bit of string and plunges into the Med, never to be seen again.
Boss is spitting feathers and calling into question the parentage of all gathered, even those who weren't on the sortie. Lots and lots of threats made to all and sundry and woe betide anyone who does something nasty again to the one and only spare that FR have......not in Cyprus but in total.
You know what's coming but off goes wave two, this time with a high stude to instructor ratio. Same scenario with the dry runs and then comes Stude 1. Rat-a-tat-tat (still Adens) and then a scream from the FR guy, roughly translated as 'cease fire'. Left wobbling on its cable with all the aerodynamics of a not very aerodynamical thing was the torpedo with a bunch of holes in it and the FR guys wondering if they're going to be able to jettison it near the base since they can't recover it, thanks to Stude 1's peppering of the target AND buggering the towing system.
Well, the old and bolds of FR did manage to get it back to Akrotiri and, even more amazingly, Crab Air got it back to Yeovilton. And there it hung in 899's crewroom for a goodly amount of time and oft used as a conversation starter for visitors.
The Boss, needless to say, was apoplectic and stomped around in a hissy fit for days. Luckily we'd brought a couple of 2-seaters, so managed to keep ourselves 'current' by taking the Army nurses flying and enjoying the pay-backs. I think we managed to tick off a few other syllabus trips but not really what we went there for. You'll be stunned to know that we didn't get to shoot at those gizmos again
Now, about the RN who not only smashed the other students at Chivenor on the flag but toasted their instructors too
Yeah, you were there Courtney (on the other squadron)
Last edited by Pontius; 2nd May 2013 at 11:43.