Drinking Culture in the RAF Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.
I understand that the Tornado GR1 needed a software tweak due to erroneous results from the system when flying over the fine powder sand of parts of the desert during OP GRANBY work-up training?
In 1989, I was authorised for a 300' m.s.d VC10K sunset ceremony flypast. Running in, concentrating on flying the right speed to hit the target on time, the line looked spot on but I thought we seemed rather low even with 500' indicated on the altimeter. The VC10K didn't have a rad alt back then (I don't know if it subsequently did) and I eased up a bit as we approached the parade, before flying over the Officers' Mess. I can still picture our trusty mate-on-the-roof-with-wireless, young 'Humper', cowering visibly as we whistled overhead. I thought about pressure error and various other nonsense - then as we flew over Cartoontown, the penny dropped. We'd been loafing around the local area on RPS and in all the frantic activity to sort out the bandmasters 60 sec timing error, I hadn't reset QFE
......
Brize has an elevation of 288'.... As they say "Do the maths.....".
Still, the boss and the rest of the punters thought it looked epic!
In 1989, I was authorised for a 300' m.s.d VC10K sunset ceremony flypast. Running in, concentrating on flying the right speed to hit the target on time, the line looked spot on but I thought we seemed rather low even with 500' indicated on the altimeter. The VC10K didn't have a rad alt back then (I don't know if it subsequently did) and I eased up a bit as we approached the parade, before flying over the Officers' Mess. I can still picture our trusty mate-on-the-roof-with-wireless, young 'Humper', cowering visibly as we whistled overhead. I thought about pressure error and various other nonsense - then as we flew over Cartoontown, the penny dropped. We'd been loafing around the local area on RPS and in all the frantic activity to sort out the bandmasters 60 sec timing error, I hadn't reset QFE
......Brize has an elevation of 288'.... As they say "Do the maths.....".
Still, the boss and the rest of the punters thought it looked epic!
Last edited by BEagle; 8th Jul 2013 at 21:22.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Not birds but we discovered the Alt 7 was pinging off the ground whereas the Alt 6 was pinging off the top of the canopy. Tall trees there!
Remember a low level Gnat trip going down the east coast looking for a railway station in the fens near the wash ranges - me getting agitated as cannot see the target - quiet voice from the back " go back up to 200' and you will see it" You know what, he was right! At debrief reckoned we had got down to 50' as the eye and brain got used to the speed and so crept lower and lower.
Gentleman Aviator
In a Shack, the clue to v low level was propwash. Saw it just the once - and that was once too many!
Indignation at having ones para-teepee blown away was ameliorated somewhat by the delivery shortly thereafter of a Lindholme Container of cold Amstel!!
[I guess that's low flying AND drinking culture!]
Last edited by teeteringhead; 9th Jul 2013 at 11:39.
Got a Shack visit on our annual sea survival drill, which as a deployment squadron we did in Cyprus.
. Our waterborne bronzy session was interrupted by an unasked-for Shack. Each pass got lower. Then there was a dinghy drop which practically hit one guy on the head.We all spontaneously decided that miniflares might make useful micro-SAMs, which had the desired effect of getting the Shackmen back up to dangerously low. Come happy hour we discovered that they were indeed trying to hit us with the dinghies, and so considered the miniflares a fair cop.
. Our waterborne bronzy session was interrupted by an unasked-for Shack. Each pass got lower. Then there was a dinghy drop which practically hit one guy on the head.We all spontaneously decided that miniflares might make useful micro-SAMs, which had the desired effect of getting the Shackmen back up to dangerously low. Come happy hour we discovered that they were indeed trying to hit us with the dinghies, and so considered the miniflares a fair cop.
One remembers being a young newly married living in private accommodation in Gűtersloh town.
CG
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On my final nav test on Harvards in Canada in1957 when on the lo level leg (250 agl) I remember the testing QFI remarking that he had never seen a 250 ft high chicken coop before. I think he was enjoying it because I got 98%.
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Low Level Frosties
teeteringhead
If that was from Sharjah circa 1970, then I was flying the Shack!
As a point of interest, we spotted flashes from the heliograph miles out - before we saw the coloured smoke.
Neppie
If that was from Sharjah circa 1970, then I was flying the Shack!
As a point of interest, we spotted flashes from the heliograph miles out - before we saw the coloured smoke.
Neppie
"Mildly" Eccentric Stardriver
TTH and NR. Expedition training in Sharjah '68. After a couple of days getting further and further into the desert, the warm water was getting a bit monotonous, when this happened.
Bliss!!
Bliss!!
Gentleman Aviator
teeteringhead
If that was from Sharjah circa 1970, then I was flying the Shack!
If that was from Sharjah circa 1970, then I was flying the Shack!
Two more details strike me. The 'chute on the container candled/maldeployed, so some of the tins had split! And the DS, who were some distance away in their "normal" campsite, guessed what happened and were legging it to the Lindholme too.
We were closer - so when they got there I think only the split tins were left.
I think MARDET had just become - or was about to become - 210 (?), as Grocer Heath had unexpectedly extended our "East of Suez" presence.
My only experience of Shack propwash was in the Far East it -was never calm enough to get it on the North Atlantic.Tail lookout reckoned that at 100feet (our normal minimum) the wake started to split into two. On Cat Board visits we were allowed to go down to 50 feet under their supervision. Tail lookout reckoned that at that height there were four distinct wakes.
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The Beer Prayer
As this thread draws to a closed I would just like to say thank you for some fantastic stories and contributions and would ask you to bow your heads and join me in Prayer:
The Beer Prayer
Our Larger
Which art in barrels
Hallowed be thy drink
They will be drunk
I will be drunk
At home as it is in the tavern
Give us this day our foamy head
And forgive us our spillages
As we forgive those who spill against us
And lead us not to incarceration
But deliver us from hangovers
For thine is the beer, the bitter and the larger.
Barmen.
Our Larger
Which art in barrels
Hallowed be thy drink
They will be drunk
I will be drunk
At home as it is in the tavern
Give us this day our foamy head
And forgive us our spillages
As we forgive those who spill against us
And lead us not to incarceration
But deliver us from hangovers
For thine is the beer, the bitter and the larger.
Barmen.
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The NAAFI Odiham, apparently when the lunchtime bar closed someone found it was possible to push a tube through the grill onto the pumps and operate the pump, took the NAAFI staff weeks before they worked out where all the beer went and installed boards behind the shutters..
Last edited by NutLoose; 10th Jul 2013 at 18:11.
1974-ish - some patch brats did a similar thing in the Colerne Pigs Bar early one Sunday morning by pushing open the taps with a pool cue through the lattice shutters. Admittedly it was something dreadful like Starlight or Tartan but any spilt beer is is a tragedy..
Keeping on topic, the Colerne Gliding Club painted the inside of the bar windows black so as to escape the late night/early morning attention of Old Bill, the snowdrop corporal who was the spitting image of Lord Kitchener. A likeable sort of cove, despite his trade. Fell asleep on driving patrol once and ended up inverted somewhere near the new tower.
Keeping on topic, the Colerne Gliding Club painted the inside of the bar windows black so as to escape the late night/early morning attention of Old Bill, the snowdrop corporal who was the spitting image of Lord Kitchener. A likeable sort of cove, despite his trade. Fell asleep on driving patrol once and ended up inverted somewhere near the new tower.
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The NAAFI Odiham, apparently when the lunchtime bar closed someone found it was possible to push a tube through the grill onto the pumps and operate the pump,