Ripping Yarns : Strange But True
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Lost bag Found
I was working for BMI and paxing EMA LHR MME for work the next day.
Arriving at MME I was presented with a suit carrier that looked like mine but was too light. On examination it wasn't mine so a bag switch somewhere
Some weeks later Im sitting with a gang of pilots in the departure lounge at LHR, all off to points various when a nice US lady strolls over and says, are you guys pilots. Bit obvious really black pyjamas on, we all say yes and she asks if we know of an airport called Tea Side. Much laughing then why you ask,, Oh she says this b airline sent my husbands suitcase there last year. Oh really says we trying to look contrite what sort of suitcase, oh a fold over suit carrier
Getting serious here what colour did it have some white shirts in it, yep it was mine where did he leave it, Sofia Bulgaria.
I got it back in the end, G Linaker the Chief Pilot watched this and never forgot it
Arriving at MME I was presented with a suit carrier that looked like mine but was too light. On examination it wasn't mine so a bag switch somewhere
Some weeks later Im sitting with a gang of pilots in the departure lounge at LHR, all off to points various when a nice US lady strolls over and says, are you guys pilots. Bit obvious really black pyjamas on, we all say yes and she asks if we know of an airport called Tea Side. Much laughing then why you ask,, Oh she says this b airline sent my husbands suitcase there last year. Oh really says we trying to look contrite what sort of suitcase, oh a fold over suit carrier
Getting serious here what colour did it have some white shirts in it, yep it was mine where did he leave it, Sofia Bulgaria.
I got it back in the end, G Linaker the Chief Pilot watched this and never forgot it
Last edited by Tinribs; 16th Aug 2013 at 15:04.
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A while back I decided to go out for a long cycle on my road bike.
Road cycling jerseys have 3 deep pockets on the lower back that I stuff various things into.
Anyway, it was a lovely day feeling fit and the bicycle was working well. So I ended up cycling off camp and doing a big circular route through all the country back roads for a few hours.
I got back to the camp gates just as it was getting dark, I stopped at the barrier of the main gate to show my ID card to the guard.
"It's around here somewhere"... Patting down pockets...Bit more fumbling... my wallet is one of these pockets somewhere... still cant find my wallet... Start to panic!
S**t ! If my wallet has bounced out of the back of my cycling jersey it could be anywhere on a route maybe 40 to 50 miles in length! I'll never find something so small across such a big area. I had a grim vision of going through all the hassle of having to cancel bank cards, do without money for days, how am I going to eat? Renew driving licence, ID card, etc.
The guard on the main gate saw me panic as I was frantically searching for my wallet. He then piped up "Ah you must be the owner of the wallet some woman handed into the guardroom an hour ago? She was out walking her dog and found it laying in the middle of a country road".
Whats the chances of that? Not only her coming across such a small object on a big route but what amazes me the most is my wallet finding its way back before I did.
Unfortunately the mystery woman left no contact details but she saved me a lot of trouble, thank you.
Road cycling jerseys have 3 deep pockets on the lower back that I stuff various things into.
Anyway, it was a lovely day feeling fit and the bicycle was working well. So I ended up cycling off camp and doing a big circular route through all the country back roads for a few hours.
I got back to the camp gates just as it was getting dark, I stopped at the barrier of the main gate to show my ID card to the guard.
"It's around here somewhere"... Patting down pockets...Bit more fumbling... my wallet is one of these pockets somewhere... still cant find my wallet... Start to panic!
S**t ! If my wallet has bounced out of the back of my cycling jersey it could be anywhere on a route maybe 40 to 50 miles in length! I'll never find something so small across such a big area. I had a grim vision of going through all the hassle of having to cancel bank cards, do without money for days, how am I going to eat? Renew driving licence, ID card, etc.
The guard on the main gate saw me panic as I was frantically searching for my wallet. He then piped up "Ah you must be the owner of the wallet some woman handed into the guardroom an hour ago? She was out walking her dog and found it laying in the middle of a country road".
Whats the chances of that? Not only her coming across such a small object on a big route but what amazes me the most is my wallet finding its way back before I did.
Unfortunately the mystery woman left no contact details but she saved me a lot of trouble, thank you.
Last edited by gr4techie; 16th Aug 2013 at 16:23.
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One of the pilots in the hangar next to us flies a piston twin and left his bunch of keys in the door when he took off, they fell out and actually landed on the perimeter road that they use to check the fence, being just outside the ILS zone there is nothing else near the narrow road but lots and lots of grass, the airport security bod doing a fence check saw them on the road, remembering the aircraft had taken off earlier popped round and asked the pilot later in the day are these yours?
Yes, where did you find them... Ohhh at the end of the runway was the reply.
Yes, where did you find them... Ohhh at the end of the runway was the reply.
Last edited by NutLoose; 16th Aug 2013 at 16:58.
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bcgallacher
Some years back while working on the ramp at the terminal in Lagos I lost my wallet with all the essentials in it. Two days later got a call from my base at Manston saying they had my wallet with everything intact. It had been handed in by an MK f/e who said he found it while doing his walk round before departure from the cargo ramp. How it got to the cargo ramp from the passenger ramp I do not know as I had not been there for at least two years. The best guess is that it fell out of my pocket while refueling a 747 and it landed on the bowser chassis,it the fell off on the cargo ramp.
Last edited by bcgallacher; 16th Aug 2013 at 17:16. Reason: spelling mistake
In 1989 I got married in Scotland and on return to Laarbruch was issued my first quarter which was in Goch.
We met and became firm friends with the Rigger and his wife at the other end of the row of five houses. Daughter was hatched in Wegberg in 1991 and we returned to the UK in 1992. We were posted to Brize and quartered accordingly.
Rigger and his wife became godparents to daughter later in the year.
In 1993 I was posted to Halton and in the autumn I marched into our new quarter....It was the same one that Rigger and his family had lived in on his fitter's course years before we met.
It was very strange to be shown photos of his family life that had been taken in our front room!
We met and became firm friends with the Rigger and his wife at the other end of the row of five houses. Daughter was hatched in Wegberg in 1991 and we returned to the UK in 1992. We were posted to Brize and quartered accordingly.
Rigger and his wife became godparents to daughter later in the year.
In 1993 I was posted to Halton and in the autumn I marched into our new quarter....It was the same one that Rigger and his family had lived in on his fitter's course years before we met.
It was very strange to be shown photos of his family life that had been taken in our front room!
I was on a fishing trip out of Minehead and got chatting to the a local who had come along for the trip on the pretext he was helping the skipper. Turned out he was a retired policeman, a very senior policeman actually, and had opted for the quiet Somerset life away from the smell and noise of London. "Were you in the Met then?" I asked whereupon he replied "For my entire police career". I told him I had helped put a load of his colleagues on a Herc which was going out to Anguilla as part of Op Sheepskin back in 1969/70 and recalled the police taking their riot gear, respirators, golf clubs and fishing rods. "I was part of that deployment" he replied. "In fact, I was in charge of the first party and got a bit of a shock when I stepped on board the Hercules. Surely we weren't going to fly out in the freight compartment. That flight was a nightmare and I have never been so glad to get of an aircraft".
Some months later, I'm on holiday with SWMBO and we book into a hotel on North Hill. Who should be the owner, but the aforementioned ex-policeman. After dinner, we settled in the bar and had another long chat over several beers. He then produced an album which contained photos of his deployment, including some taken at Fairford just before they flew out. There, in one of the snaps was yours truly. Mrs 4ma looked at the photo of her husband when he was young, single and happy, then laughed. "Good god" she said "What on earth is that growing on your top lip?" - no mention of my youthful good looks or fine physique. Thanks wifey!.
Some months later, I'm on holiday with SWMBO and we book into a hotel on North Hill. Who should be the owner, but the aforementioned ex-policeman. After dinner, we settled in the bar and had another long chat over several beers. He then produced an album which contained photos of his deployment, including some taken at Fairford just before they flew out. There, in one of the snaps was yours truly. Mrs 4ma looked at the photo of her husband when he was young, single and happy, then laughed. "Good god" she said "What on earth is that growing on your top lip?" - no mention of my youthful good looks or fine physique. Thanks wifey!.
As a UAS QFI, I was chatting with the new students one training night. I happened to mention that I'd been a student on the very same UAS back in the early 1970s - at London Queen Mary College.
"Really?", said one rather delightful but somewhat naive young lady, "My mother was at QMC then. Perhaps you knew her?"
This was too good to miss. "Hmm, perhaps I did, err....'know' her. How old did you say you were?"....
The penny dropped as she did some mental arithmetic. "Sir? I'm not sure I quite liked that......
"
And no, I didn't, before anyone comments. But the student and I are still good platonic friends some 20+ years later!
"Really?", said one rather delightful but somewhat naive young lady, "My mother was at QMC then. Perhaps you knew her?"
This was too good to miss. "Hmm, perhaps I did, err....'know' her. How old did you say you were?"....
The penny dropped as she did some mental arithmetic. "Sir? I'm not sure I quite liked that......
"And no, I didn't, before anyone comments. But the student and I are still good platonic friends some 20+ years later!
During WW2 my Dad was in the fire brigade in London. For some time he was on the same crew as Ernest Lough, who as a boy had recorded "Oh For The Wings of a Dove" at the City Temple. 1986 I am one of 3 RAF officers at what was then Mount Pleasant Airport, the others being a sqn ldr supplier, and a wg cdr navigator from Lyneham. One day as we sat in our portacabin in the Tristar Hangar, from the radio came the usual FIBS pop music, interrupted by the Ernest Lough recording. "Same fire brigade crew as my old man in the blitz in May 41 when the City Temple was hit", I said. Wg cdr perked up - "Say that again", so I repeated it. "Then your old man and mine were in the same crew that night", so later we had a beer on that little coincidence.
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In 1969/70 I was part of the servicing team on the Harrier Simulator at RAF Wittering.
At that time the simulator was still being built /commissioned by Link Miles. Part of that work including the final build / very detailed Artwork on the Airfield Model. Link Miles contracted very skilled expert professional artists to do the job. One of these experts was a chap named Warrick?
We got to know these chaps well and shared a few beers etc. When the simulator was completed and taken over by the RAF these chaps left the site and we lost touch.
3 or 4 years later I was driving home to Somerset from Wittering for a weekend off, and at about 0200hrs in the morning stopped at a M4 service station for coffee and eats. As I sat at my table I saw this bloke looking at me, and well I’ll be dammed it was Warrick.
Its turned out that Warrick was working full time as a Crain driver in the south Wales steel works, but was also still working as an artist and on his days off would hitch hike up to London to work at the Royal College of Art (or some such place). He was hitching home for an early shift the next day and was stuck and needed a lift. Well it was out of my way to cross the Seven Bridge but so what, I took him almost to his home.
I have often thought about his artwork and hope he has been successful. Grand Chap with a beautiful view of life.
Ships in the night
***
At that time the simulator was still being built /commissioned by Link Miles. Part of that work including the final build / very detailed Artwork on the Airfield Model. Link Miles contracted very skilled expert professional artists to do the job. One of these experts was a chap named Warrick?
We got to know these chaps well and shared a few beers etc. When the simulator was completed and taken over by the RAF these chaps left the site and we lost touch.
3 or 4 years later I was driving home to Somerset from Wittering for a weekend off, and at about 0200hrs in the morning stopped at a M4 service station for coffee and eats. As I sat at my table I saw this bloke looking at me, and well I’ll be dammed it was Warrick.
Its turned out that Warrick was working full time as a Crain driver in the south Wales steel works, but was also still working as an artist and on his days off would hitch hike up to London to work at the Royal College of Art (or some such place). He was hitching home for an early shift the next day and was stuck and needed a lift. Well it was out of my way to cross the Seven Bridge but so what, I took him almost to his home.
I have often thought about his artwork and hope he has been successful. Grand Chap with a beautiful view of life.
Ships in the night
***
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When I was at Uni, I had joined the Army Reserve here in Aus
and after a few years, did Officer Training etc and ended up at
what was called 2 Cdo Coy, I Cdo Reg't. Platoons were named
after the famous Singapore Raids by M & Z Force or Z Special
unit.
Anyway, I also worked at a large Retail store doing security on
the floor. At one store in a not so nice area of Melbourne, an old
gentleman, white hair, always smartly dressed worked the menswear
department. We got on well, he knew of my Army service and
always asked how it was going.
Anyway, the first ANZAC day dawn service at my unit, turned up in uniform for the parade and nearly fell over when I bumped into him. He had a Z Special badge on. We had a chat before and after the parade and he had served with them during the war and he said that was why he took an interest in what I was doing.
I thought the chance of meeting one at work was so slim considering how few were left.
and after a few years, did Officer Training etc and ended up at
what was called 2 Cdo Coy, I Cdo Reg't. Platoons were named
after the famous Singapore Raids by M & Z Force or Z Special
unit.
Anyway, I also worked at a large Retail store doing security on
the floor. At one store in a not so nice area of Melbourne, an old
gentleman, white hair, always smartly dressed worked the menswear
department. We got on well, he knew of my Army service and
always asked how it was going.
Anyway, the first ANZAC day dawn service at my unit, turned up in uniform for the parade and nearly fell over when I bumped into him. He had a Z Special badge on. We had a chat before and after the parade and he had served with them during the war and he said that was why he took an interest in what I was doing.
I thought the chance of meeting one at work was so slim considering how few were left.
Last edited by 500N; 16th Aug 2013 at 20:50.
Beags.....was that a typo......did you not mean "1870"?
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I don't know, they never abolished keel hauling until 1853 and rumour is he witnessed one.
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After I left the RAF I emigrated to Western Australia where, for my sins, I was elected as a Shire President for a while. One of the lady councillors, who was my deputy, eventually left and went to live in Tasmania.
A few years later we were on holiday in Tasmania and I idly thought of looking her up. I knew she lived in the Launceston area but not exactly where. Anyway, it all got too difficult and I decided to give it a miss.
As we motored up to Devonport to catch the ferry the galactic ruleress decided that she wanted to visit a stately home - Clarendon House.
We walked up the steps to the front door and knocked. It took an age for footsteps to echo on the stone floor of the entrance hall and the door eventually creaked open.
Yep. It was my ex deputy President! She was on voluntary guide duties.
A few years later we were on holiday in Tasmania and I idly thought of looking her up. I knew she lived in the Launceston area but not exactly where. Anyway, it all got too difficult and I decided to give it a miss.
As we motored up to Devonport to catch the ferry the galactic ruleress decided that she wanted to visit a stately home - Clarendon House.
We walked up the steps to the front door and knocked. It took an age for footsteps to echo on the stone floor of the entrance hall and the door eventually creaked open.
Yep. It was my ex deputy President! She was on voluntary guide duties.
Late 2001 and a planned trip to the USA is canned (11/9, and all that), so my holiday has to be planned for elsewhere. I eventually decided to spend a week in Goa, India just before Xmas. In those days there was only really one way of getting there, and that was a package tour, and only really one company doing the package; also, only one flight a week, so the holiday was either 7-days or 14-days.
Come the day of the start of the trip, a taxi to Heathrow for the Green-Line coach to Gatport Airwick. At Gatwick, check-in for the flight to Goa, and I recognise somebody queuing in front of me ... a bloke that was on the coach from Heathrow. The check-in desk is processing passengers for several flights, so maybe he's going somewhere else?
On the flight, I see him wandering around the cabin a few times!
We arrive in Goa, and eventually claim our bags. As you exit the terminal you are greeted by the tour-rep who directs you to a particular coach. Suitcase-wallah grabs bag, charges me £1 for the privilege, and leads the way to the coach. As I sit on the coach waiting, the bloke from the flight (and the check-in, and the coach!) gets on and is seated a few rows in front of me.
Once the coach is full we set-off to the various hotels and resorts. Matey-boy gets off the coach at the first hotel; he's staying in a hotel about 1 mile away.
6 days later, the coach picks-up at my hotel to go back to the airport, but this time it's doing the journey in reverse order. Oddly enough, matey-boy doesn't get on the coach. At the airport we're all checked-in and waiting to board when I notice that he's already here.
The next time that I see him is at the baggage carousel at Gatwick, and then 20 minutes later we're boarding the same Green-Line coach back to Heathrow.
Step forward 4 years ... I'm in the local building society. The bloke in front of me finishes his business and stands aside, and I walk up to the counter. As I'm sorting out my money, I'm aware that the bloke hasn't moved away and is staring patiently. As I finish and turn to walk away, he says to me "did I see you on a holiday in Goa about 4 years ago"?
Come the day of the start of the trip, a taxi to Heathrow for the Green-Line coach to Gatport Airwick. At Gatwick, check-in for the flight to Goa, and I recognise somebody queuing in front of me ... a bloke that was on the coach from Heathrow. The check-in desk is processing passengers for several flights, so maybe he's going somewhere else?
On the flight, I see him wandering around the cabin a few times!
We arrive in Goa, and eventually claim our bags. As you exit the terminal you are greeted by the tour-rep who directs you to a particular coach. Suitcase-wallah grabs bag, charges me £1 for the privilege, and leads the way to the coach. As I sit on the coach waiting, the bloke from the flight (and the check-in, and the coach!) gets on and is seated a few rows in front of me.
Once the coach is full we set-off to the various hotels and resorts. Matey-boy gets off the coach at the first hotel; he's staying in a hotel about 1 mile away.
6 days later, the coach picks-up at my hotel to go back to the airport, but this time it's doing the journey in reverse order. Oddly enough, matey-boy doesn't get on the coach. At the airport we're all checked-in and waiting to board when I notice that he's already here.
The next time that I see him is at the baggage carousel at Gatwick, and then 20 minutes later we're boarding the same Green-Line coach back to Heathrow.
Step forward 4 years ... I'm in the local building society. The bloke in front of me finishes his business and stands aside, and I walk up to the counter. As I'm sorting out my money, I'm aware that the bloke hasn't moved away and is staring patiently. As I finish and turn to walk away, he says to me "did I see you on a holiday in Goa about 4 years ago"?
As I'm in the last throes of a very nice Jura at the moment, I would relate to you the saga of a Pilot who, to this day, makes racial equality look like "fairy stories". I hasten to say that I only had the honour to fly with this gentleman as my Captain, on Albert, once. The following is the stuff of total denial of prejudice of any sort. Our hero, known to all, but identified here as HJ, if you know him you know it's true, is, and was a pilot, of Carribean extraction who became an Aircraft Captain of the C130 variety.
from top of the drop to handover to local into Grantley Adams on an exercise in support of inter Carribean forces, its the Co pilots landing and HJ is doing the radios. All the way down the "Jive talk" has been flowing from Albert, and now they are handed to Tower;
HJ. - Hello dere Tower, dis here is de Ascot 4579, can ya jig us down on to de Tarmac, at your best speed fellas ? (All authentic lingo)
Tower - Roger Ascot 4579, turn left heading ......
It goes on for about 10 minutes ! Until clearance to land.
Tower - Ascot 4579, cleared to land Rwy 01, after landing Captain and pilot on radio to report to the tower, "and by God one of you had better be black"!!
Second HJism.
Lands first at Banjul, in a stream of 3 Alberts, all night stopping at the same hotel. He's a XX Squadron Captain. The other two crews are from YY ( across the airfield ), they know him not, and he has a plan. As they arrive, both YY Crews are invited to the Albert party room, which happens to be HJs Co pilots suite. They are all there and the Co says, lets have some room service wine chaps, orders are placed and, after the appropriate delay, a knock on the door and in walks the waiter (HJ if not obvious). XX squadron crew Co pilot goes ballistic when he spots the order for reds and whites is wrong. Proceeds to give the waiter a "bloody good hiding and ear cuffing" and waiter exits door screaming in agony. Followed closely by the YY Squadron crews who suggest that the Co might like to prepare his case for assaulting locals etc.
I'm sure there's a few people who knew HJ on this forum, the man was legend and I'm also sure someone can confirm these yarns.
Smudge
from top of the drop to handover to local into Grantley Adams on an exercise in support of inter Carribean forces, its the Co pilots landing and HJ is doing the radios. All the way down the "Jive talk" has been flowing from Albert, and now they are handed to Tower;
HJ. - Hello dere Tower, dis here is de Ascot 4579, can ya jig us down on to de Tarmac, at your best speed fellas ? (All authentic lingo)
Tower - Roger Ascot 4579, turn left heading ......
It goes on for about 10 minutes ! Until clearance to land.
Tower - Ascot 4579, cleared to land Rwy 01, after landing Captain and pilot on radio to report to the tower, "and by God one of you had better be black"!!
Second HJism.
Lands first at Banjul, in a stream of 3 Alberts, all night stopping at the same hotel. He's a XX Squadron Captain. The other two crews are from YY ( across the airfield ), they know him not, and he has a plan. As they arrive, both YY Crews are invited to the Albert party room, which happens to be HJs Co pilots suite. They are all there and the Co says, lets have some room service wine chaps, orders are placed and, after the appropriate delay, a knock on the door and in walks the waiter (HJ if not obvious). XX squadron crew Co pilot goes ballistic when he spots the order for reds and whites is wrong. Proceeds to give the waiter a "bloody good hiding and ear cuffing" and waiter exits door screaming in agony. Followed closely by the YY Squadron crews who suggest that the Co might like to prepare his case for assaulting locals etc.
I'm sure there's a few people who knew HJ on this forum, the man was legend and I'm also sure someone can confirm these yarns.
Smudge
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Can both confirm and add Smuj. Rock ape roulement to Belize. Due to Hurricane Gilbert giving Jamaica a damn fine blowing Albert spends additional night at Homestead . While sorting rooms out for all at Cutlers Ridge I take he opportunity to give pax heads up about the dangers of visiting the local mall on foot. Breakfast next morning with HJ when 2 x 6ft 27 in rocks arrive at table and inform me they had gone shopping night before. Asking them if it had been ok they informed both of us that "some n***er armed with a knife had attempted to relieve them of their valuables. " We both asked how much they had lost - response was "nothing , we beat the crap out of him and took his wallet "
Standing looking into a local pond watching a trout....when a lady walks past and I point out said fish. Detecting a familiar foreign accent in her response, I strike up conversation in her language having spent some years on exchange with her country's Air Force. We exchanged notes on life in her country and it transpires that she was a teacher at the school in the village where I lived....at the time I was on exchange. Now resident in UK having married...a pilot!
Never saw her again until attending a house warming at a mates many years later when who should appear?
Never saw her again until attending a house warming at a mates many years later when who should appear?
Avoid imitations
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I once had to delay our takeoff due to poor weather. My co-pilot for the day was a new freelancer who I'd not met before. As the weather wasn't clearing, we decided to go for lunch at a nearby motorway services, just outside the airport.
We began to chat about our previous life history and flying experiences, as pilots do. I had recently returned to UK from working and living in the far east and was talking about some of the folk I'd known out there. As I talked, my gaze suddenly fell on a figure sitting at the next occupied table, with his back to us.
I instantly recognised him as a policeman, one of the people I'd just mentioned, a near neighbour from the far east and a family friend; his sons had played rugby for the same team as my sons! He was travelling back to UK to see his mother, who had been taken ill and had just stopped for a coffee break as he drove up the motorway.
A strange coincidence that we were both there at the same time, he was over 6,000 miles from his home yet he appeared right in the middle of my tale!
We began to chat about our previous life history and flying experiences, as pilots do. I had recently returned to UK from working and living in the far east and was talking about some of the folk I'd known out there. As I talked, my gaze suddenly fell on a figure sitting at the next occupied table, with his back to us.
I instantly recognised him as a policeman, one of the people I'd just mentioned, a near neighbour from the far east and a family friend; his sons had played rugby for the same team as my sons! He was travelling back to UK to see his mother, who had been taken ill and had just stopped for a coffee break as he drove up the motorway.
A strange coincidence that we were both there at the same time, he was over 6,000 miles from his home yet he appeared right in the middle of my tale!
