Your best moment in the military.
SimonK - I think I may well have been in that gaggle...
Kintyred - a given we've flown together...the Cresta Run was always fun..
A few from ops; as a junior CR captain in Skopje (Jun99) having the 'boss' leg it past us with a paraphrased 'don't just stand there...get one up..'. No auth, no brief and signed for the cab whilst starting it...14 helicopters lined up ready to go in less than 4 minutes....
Taking a VSI Iraqi kid the same age as one of mine, on my birthday, from Al Amarah to Basrah with his very emotional dad trying to get into the cockpit to throw dollars at us...kid survived...
Picking a double amputee Royal off the field in Afghan less than 15 minutes after he triggered the IED...he survived..
Being asked by ATO if I minded taking 3500lb of improvised explosive in the back of my cab in Fermanagh....I said 'no'...my first op Sortie with Swampy Traill (I got lost...) and delivering the RUC into the middle of a melee at Drumcree...
On training a few stand out. For sheer, unadulterated fun, a 2v2 with a Puma against a pair of GR7s in Scotland - Jets said they could fight for an hour, the Puma broke on start and so MG and I just had a fab fight...still the only time I've had to climb at the guns break to avoid the jet....
In the FI, hammering an F3 crew so badly on an Affil sortie that their Boss sent them out of Happy Hour and challenged OC78 to a duel - imagine how we laughed when OC1435 couldn't find OC78 in a yellow sea king on the Stanley Road....great guys though - we all debriefed in The Goose in good spirits..
Doing a StanEval check teaching HvH...much more fun than USLs or IF.....
Kintyred - a given we've flown together...the Cresta Run was always fun..
A few from ops; as a junior CR captain in Skopje (Jun99) having the 'boss' leg it past us with a paraphrased 'don't just stand there...get one up..'. No auth, no brief and signed for the cab whilst starting it...14 helicopters lined up ready to go in less than 4 minutes....
Taking a VSI Iraqi kid the same age as one of mine, on my birthday, from Al Amarah to Basrah with his very emotional dad trying to get into the cockpit to throw dollars at us...kid survived...
Picking a double amputee Royal off the field in Afghan less than 15 minutes after he triggered the IED...he survived..
Being asked by ATO if I minded taking 3500lb of improvised explosive in the back of my cab in Fermanagh....I said 'no'...my first op Sortie with Swampy Traill (I got lost...) and delivering the RUC into the middle of a melee at Drumcree...
On training a few stand out. For sheer, unadulterated fun, a 2v2 with a Puma against a pair of GR7s in Scotland - Jets said they could fight for an hour, the Puma broke on start and so MG and I just had a fab fight...still the only time I've had to climb at the guns break to avoid the jet....
In the FI, hammering an F3 crew so badly on an Affil sortie that their Boss sent them out of Happy Hour and challenged OC78 to a duel - imagine how we laughed when OC1435 couldn't find OC78 in a yellow sea king on the Stanley Road....great guys though - we all debriefed in The Goose in good spirits..
Doing a StanEval check teaching HvH...much more fun than USLs or IF.....
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A good thread, it is fighting off the Alzheimers.
We were on finals into Crossmaglen with the doctor on board when a RM was shot walking out the gate. We had him in hospital in Belfast 30 minutes later.
Margaret Thatcher and Dennis in the back, again going to Crossmaglen, Xmas eve. We gave her a clockwork helicopter as a present and she sent Dennis to the tail end and then sent the toy up and down to each other. You needed to laugh sometimes.
Every successful casevac!
We were on finals into Crossmaglen with the doctor on board when a RM was shot walking out the gate. We had him in hospital in Belfast 30 minutes later.
Margaret Thatcher and Dennis in the back, again going to Crossmaglen, Xmas eve. We gave her a clockwork helicopter as a present and she sent Dennis to the tail end and then sent the toy up and down to each other. You needed to laugh sometimes.
Every successful casevac!
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Rolling to 135 degrees of bank and seeing 4 HE LGBs in close formation that we had just tossed at Garvie Island, then, pulling like fark to get out the way when I realised that all the wires and stuff hanging off them were the arming devices that were arming the fuses. Then rolling the other way and seeing all four of 'em going BNAG as they hit the rock under the guidance of the friendly Bucc behind us! 
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Many flying moments, mainly in Army helicopters, but the biggie for me was watching a radar talkdown on a Hunter in rapidly deteriorating weather (heavy rain and a crosswind). On descending on the glidepath for his first radar approach he declared a PAN with fuel shortage. He didn't get visual, so overshot.
At that point, the SATCO told me "You're in the seat for the next approach". The Director positioned the jet for a short pattern GCA. Downwind, the Hunter declared MAYDAY and stated that if he couldn't land of the next approach he wanted vectors over water to eject.
Colour state Red, the aircraft was turned in inside 6 miles - drove the Hunter down the glidepath and helped him land - no pressure there then! A pat on the back from the Boss. Hard to beat for me.
At that point, the SATCO told me "You're in the seat for the next approach". The Director positioned the jet for a short pattern GCA. Downwind, the Hunter declared MAYDAY and stated that if he couldn't land of the next approach he wanted vectors over water to eject.
Colour state Red, the aircraft was turned in inside 6 miles - drove the Hunter down the glidepath and helped him land - no pressure there then! A pat on the back from the Boss. Hard to beat for me.
Best moments?
- 870KIAS (M1.35) at low level with missiles over the sea ('kin quick)
- M1.2 at low level over the US desert
- M2.15 at high altitude (didn't look that fast but it was great to do it)
- Watching a Jindivik go 'bang'!
- Being grounded on Red Flag for a couple of days for being attached to a tanker that flew in Salt Lake City airspace (I don't have a full recall of the 'couple of days')
- Firing a 50cal out the side of Sea King
- Firing a 'General' out the back of Chinook
- Shooting a 50cal Barrett sniper rifle
Biggest regret?
- Not being able to fire the minigun out the side of the same Chinook!
- Not pulling the Barrett properly into my shoulder!
I wonder what I'll do in the remaining 13 years?
- 870KIAS (M1.35) at low level with missiles over the sea ('kin quick)
- M1.2 at low level over the US desert
- M2.15 at high altitude (didn't look that fast but it was great to do it)
- Watching a Jindivik go 'bang'!
- Being grounded on Red Flag for a couple of days for being attached to a tanker that flew in Salt Lake City airspace (I don't have a full recall of the 'couple of days'
)- Firing a 50cal out the side of Sea King
- Firing a 'General' out the back of Chinook
- Shooting a 50cal Barrett sniper rifle
Biggest regret?
- Not being able to fire the minigun out the side of the same Chinook!
- Not pulling the Barrett properly into my shoulder!
I wonder what I'll do in the remaining 13 years?
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Leon look what you missed out on
Aug 68 "Its confirmed- you're off to Cranwell in September
Jan 69- "It's confirmed - you're off to University in September.
Sep 75- " It's confirmed - you're off to Germany in March
May 78-"It's confirmed - you're back to University in September.
Jan 92- "It's confirmed- you're seconded to Spain in March.
And a lot of great times in between.
NO REGRETS .
Jan 69- "It's confirmed - you're off to University in September.
Sep 75- " It's confirmed - you're off to Germany in March
May 78-"It's confirmed - you're back to University in September.
Jan 92- "It's confirmed- you're seconded to Spain in March.
And a lot of great times in between.
NO REGRETS .
On training a few stand out. For sheer, unadulterated fun, a 2v2 with a Puma against a pair of GR7s in Scotland - Jets said they could fight for an hour, the Puma broke on start and so MG and I just had a fab fight...still the only time I've had to climb at the guns break to avoid the jet....
For me, two things stand out:
First night of the first Gulf War, egressing in excess of M1.0, TFR after having had an open-loop pull up after dropping our JP233. After we landed, the engineers were on shift change, so both shifts were there when we got off the bus to sign the jets in. I'll never forget the cheering and the good wishes that we were all back safely.
Much later, in another world, navigating two Chinooks on Operation Maidenly In Sierra Leone to pick up 23 UN observers, including 1 UK officer, who had been isolated by the RUF for a couple of months. The weather was so bad we couldn't see one side of the river bank from the other and we had over a dozen birdstrikes as we slowly made our way toward the target. Finding the two targets for the Indian SF troops that we were carrying and then finding the UN compound, having been given coordinates in the wrong format, in weather that I shall never forget, was hugely rewarding.
SimonK, you never did get out much, did you?!
Nutty
What an idiot. It looks like he's shooting over about 2-300m, the Barrett needs at least 500m to shoot it safely or a very deep sand trap! He's lucky he caught it on the ear cup of his ear defenders - he could have lost an eye if it hit him in the face.
I took my shot over about a kilometre and some of the guys had taken shots at 1.5 - 2kms! It really is quite a beast of weapon.
LJ
What an idiot. It looks like he's shooting over about 2-300m, the Barrett needs at least 500m to shoot it safely or a very deep sand trap! He's lucky he caught it on the ear cup of his ear defenders - he could have lost an eye if it hit him in the face.
I took my shot over about a kilometre and some of the guys had taken shots at 1.5 - 2kms! It really is quite a beast of weapon.
LJ
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Coming back safely with nine other blokes from somewhere tricky in 1999. The sense of relief was only overwhelmed by that of achievement.
In close second place was the day I left the RAF, looking back on a fantastic 23 years.
In close second place was the day I left the RAF, looking back on a fantastic 23 years.
Evalu8r yes you were there my friend, happy days long gone
MG - yes I agree I don't get out much, but when I do the sparks fly, last time in your office I remember when I had a sense of humour failure
Enjoy civvie street, it rocks!
MG - yes I agree I don't get out much, but when I do the sparks fly, last time in your office I remember when I had a sense of humour failure
Enjoy civvie street, it rocks!
Perhaps a tad "old fashioned" but I think the common thing that comes through, loud and proud, in this thread can be summed up in one word, comradeship. Whatever branch, trade activity, we all seem to remember them in connection with our fellow servicemen of the time. I for one can guarantee that my time was made more enjoyable by the many superb people I was lucky enough to serve with. With that in mind I raise my glass to old friends, both living and departed, and wish our current replacements the same luck that we had.
Smudge
Smudge
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Surplus
100 yard CPA on the Alpha buoy.
100 yard CPA on the Alpha buoy.
YS
That will be completely lost on the vast majority here, although even better when 20 minutes earlier you were contemplating a Charlie buoy.
That will be completely lost on the vast majority here, although even better when 20 minutes earlier you were contemplating a Charlie buoy.
Only one thing could be better, 100 yard CPA on the Bravo buoy as well.
Being taught to fly Whirlwinds as an 18 year old LAC at Tern Hill - "If we can teach LAC Rigga, we can teach anyone!"
20hrs in all...and hovering into the corners of Chetwynd - brilliant.
As a Sgt, being told my Chinook was next for an NI Det and was needed in five weeks - re-planning the Minor (with 2 Cat 3 repairs) and stopping 18 from robbing it to death. Best of all - delivering it on time and from only one Air Test. "My Team did that!"
20hrs in all...and hovering into the corners of Chetwynd - brilliant.
As a Sgt, being told my Chinook was next for an NI Det and was needed in five weeks - re-planning the Minor (with 2 Cat 3 repairs) and stopping 18 from robbing it to death. Best of all - delivering it on time and from only one Air Test. "My Team did that!"
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Rolling to 135 degrees of bank and seeing 4 HE LGBs in close formation that we had just tossed at Garvie Island, then, pulling like fark to get out the way when I realised that all the wires and stuff hanging off them were the arming devices that were arming the fuses. Then rolling the other way and seeing all four of 'em going BNAG as they hit the rock under the guidance of the friendly Bucc behind us!
This is the best of PPrune. Keep them coming.
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March, '45.
The signal said: "Posted to No. 1340 (Special Duty) Flight, Cannanore, with immediate effect, to command with acting rank of Flight Lieutenant".
Head double the size for 24 hours (Lasted 12 months - my First Command - and my last !)
Could I please be a pedant and point out that I served in the Royal Air Force for five years in war and 23 years afterwards. Not in any Military.
"Military" is an adjective, not a noun. You can speak of a Military Objective, and in the US (as an Aviation Cadet in the U.S.A.A.F.), I was bidden to move about, and do everything else, for that matter, in a "Mil-it-ary Manner".
Away with "Military" as a noun !
D.
The signal said: "Posted to No. 1340 (Special Duty) Flight, Cannanore, with immediate effect, to command with acting rank of Flight Lieutenant".
Head double the size for 24 hours (Lasted 12 months - my First Command - and my last !)
Could I please be a pedant and point out that I served in the Royal Air Force for five years in war and 23 years afterwards. Not in any Military.
"Military" is an adjective, not a noun. You can speak of a Military Objective, and in the US (as an Aviation Cadet in the U.S.A.A.F.), I was bidden to move about, and do everything else, for that matter, in a "Mil-it-ary Manner".
Away with "Military" as a noun !
D.
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Sitting on the grass on a pleasant summers day idling away my time while doing a see off on an OCU Wessex, it was excruciatingly slow as the Student tried to remember the prestart checks,
(some see off's had been known to take an hour, I kid you not)
When in frustration the instructor says over the intercom, "for gawd sake... Nutloose, what is the next item on the check?" And straight back like a shot I replied "2 inches of right pedal"....... Poor guy, he really got it in the neck then when it was pointed out even the ground crew had memorised them, although 3 years plus of listening to it being recited, you couldn't help knowing them.....
(some see off's had been known to take an hour, I kid you not)
When in frustration the instructor says over the intercom, "for gawd sake... Nutloose, what is the next item on the check?" And straight back like a shot I replied "2 inches of right pedal"....... Poor guy, he really got it in the neck then when it was pointed out even the ground crew had memorised them, although 3 years plus of listening to it being recited, you couldn't help knowing them.....