Global Aviation Magazine : 60 Years of the Hercules
Ali,
mny thanks for your input and kind remarks. I had seen the website but I still cannot reconcile the 'anniversaire' celebrations we attended with the squadron formation. Or am I being more dense than usual ?
mny thanks for your input and kind remarks. I had seen the website but I still cannot reconcile the 'anniversaire' celebrations we attended with the squadron formation. Or am I being more dense than usual ?
Last edited by ancientaviator62; 27th Mar 2015 at 14:28. Reason: spelling
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Entente Cordial
An epic exercise was held at Evreux when the French C130s said that they would brief the sortie and we could lead it. They would tag on the back.
Well the plan was to arrive at Evreux in small groups of 3 to ease the ATC problem and rendezvous in the town. We arrived as MSP lead in the third wave. The RV was already heaving, and on entry the Rene like patron took our allowances and gave each of us 4 litre bottles of rouge. The sight of S****y S*****n with his head swathed in loo paper bandages bloodstained with wine singing WW1 melodies gave us the clue to drink heavily. The rest of the stream arrived in batches picked up their wine and joined in. I don't remember anybody taking solids during the soiree. I think the patron retired to St Tropez after that evening. The late night trans-hotel migration was like herding cats with many anecdotes unfit for these pages. On hearing that Postman Pat had broken a sink in the hotel we investigated only to find that it was a surplus sink he had found on a building site and wanted to take home but it slipped while he was fumbling for his key.
The unwelcome morning assembly looked like Afghan refugees. The interminable hand drawn French briefing slides drew yawns, snores, and abominable smells. After launching, the gorilla of 15 of us and 2 Frogs bimbled across most of France to the DZ at Causse de Comtal where the infamous climbing DZ saw the march of the MSPs like giant footprints up the hillside, bracketing a corrugated metal citroen bread van as it careered across the drop zone. Once we had tidied up and regrouped the recovery to Lyneham on SKE via Berry Head was a subdued affair, with an even more subdued debrief in STS.
I think that was what started my attack of gout.
Well the plan was to arrive at Evreux in small groups of 3 to ease the ATC problem and rendezvous in the town. We arrived as MSP lead in the third wave. The RV was already heaving, and on entry the Rene like patron took our allowances and gave each of us 4 litre bottles of rouge. The sight of S****y S*****n with his head swathed in loo paper bandages bloodstained with wine singing WW1 melodies gave us the clue to drink heavily. The rest of the stream arrived in batches picked up their wine and joined in. I don't remember anybody taking solids during the soiree. I think the patron retired to St Tropez after that evening. The late night trans-hotel migration was like herding cats with many anecdotes unfit for these pages. On hearing that Postman Pat had broken a sink in the hotel we investigated only to find that it was a surplus sink he had found on a building site and wanted to take home but it slipped while he was fumbling for his key.
The unwelcome morning assembly looked like Afghan refugees. The interminable hand drawn French briefing slides drew yawns, snores, and abominable smells. After launching, the gorilla of 15 of us and 2 Frogs bimbled across most of France to the DZ at Causse de Comtal where the infamous climbing DZ saw the march of the MSPs like giant footprints up the hillside, bracketing a corrugated metal citroen bread van as it careered across the drop zone. Once we had tidied up and regrouped the recovery to Lyneham on SKE via Berry Head was a subdued affair, with an even more subdued debrief in STS.
I think that was what started my attack of gout.
I remember being down route somewhere when a Noratlas parked up beside us. We had our usual few cases of beer they had what was tantamount to a full bar lashed down one side of the a/c. Respect !
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Dougie, that was the exercise where low loaders kept turning up at Toulose with the Army's newest concept vehicle, the flat pack land rover ! Even funnier was it was decided that the recovery vehicle was far too valuable to be dropped on an MSP so it was offloaded at Evreux and sent back to UK on a flat floor frame, with the windscreen tied to the side wall to be refitted slow time at base. Prior to landing at Lyneham the message was passed to the crew the vehicle was urgently needed in France, so the driver and his mate drove off the ramp and towards the ferry, with the windscreen found afterwards , at least they had goggles!
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AA62, I think I've found what you were looking for. It looks like 2/61 is indeed the squadron you partied with. If you take a look at this site HISTORIQUE DU « FRANCHE-COMTE »
you'll see that 2/61 is descended from a pre-war reconnaissance unit 2/52. Under the terms of the 1940 armistice, it was one of the squadrons the French were allowed to keep. It was posted to North Africa (AFN=Afrique française du Nord) and deactivated, reforming with B26s after the Allied landings in 1943 - this would tie in with the 50th anniversary bash in 1993. In 1946 it became a transport squadron, 2/62, before being rebadged as 2/61 in 1955.
you'll see that 2/61 is descended from a pre-war reconnaissance unit 2/52. Under the terms of the 1940 armistice, it was one of the squadrons the French were allowed to keep. It was posted to North Africa (AFN=Afrique française du Nord) and deactivated, reforming with B26s after the Allied landings in 1943 - this would tie in with the 50th anniversary bash in 1993. In 1946 it became a transport squadron, 2/62, before being rebadged as 2/61 in 1955.
Ksimboy, Dougie, keep it coming gentlemen, that sounds like the fleet I served as a GE all those years ago.
Ali, that link looks like it gives AA62 his answers. Top marks indeed.
Smudge
Ali, that link looks like it gives AA62 his answers. Top marks indeed.
Smudge
Ali,
many thanks. It does indeed all line up nicely. I had wondered if they were part of the Vichy airforce in North Africa as I could not connect them with any of the Free French squadrons in the UK.
many thanks. It does indeed all line up nicely. I had wondered if they were part of the Vichy airforce in North Africa as I could not connect them with any of the Free French squadrons in the UK.
AA62, GBII/61 was a Vichy bomber squadron based in Blida (Algeria) that operated Douglas DC-7s.
Source: Sutherland, J. and Canwell, D. (2011) Vichy Air Force at War, Barnsley, Pen & Sword Aviation.
Source: Sutherland, J. and Canwell, D. (2011) Vichy Air Force at War, Barnsley, Pen & Sword Aviation.
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Orleans/Bricy
Was there recently with a more modern machine..
Lots of C-160s in the graveyard on the far side of the field, and a handful of C130s on the flightline. Apparently, the C130 crews are regarded by their fellow C160 brethren as untermensch - the cheek of it!
Lots of C-160s in the graveyard on the far side of the field, and a handful of C130s on the flightline. Apparently, the C130 crews are regarded by their fellow C160 brethren as untermensch - the cheek of it!
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Skydel 2B
Thanks Coff for the upload destructions - I hope I have followed them rigorously.
Skydel and the infamous drop nose pins has been mentioned a time or two. Along with the inappropriate tool - the 1000 tensioner.
I came across a Kodak box containing some pics Pruners may be interested in. If this works I will have another go at others.
Photo credit must go to A2 E2 at Boscombe. the date 1990 so I guess I may have picked these up at JATE or in a muck out when the S&AD or Herc IPT moved offices. I hate throwing stuff in the skip. I did send a fair bit of material to the Air Hysterical branch. I think this is where we first kicked off with the Special Device no 19 the gingerbread man.
More to follow if it works. I will then have a go with the article I shared with Coff and AA62 from an RAF PR Mag I found in the summer house.
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LLP Cross over
I appear to have the hang of this. Thanks Coff.
The topic of the picture is the Low Level Parachute and image credit to the marvellous JATE Photogs circa 1994. the aim of the trial would be to determine safe separation during simultaneous stick parachuting. Both side doors used. The aircraft would have been a K but we did repeat the exercise with the J in South Africa. Khaki chutes went out one side white the other. It was important to get a stagger between sides to avoid entanglement. The short aircraft was worse than the long one. the LLP opened very quickly so was more of an issue than the PX4. When we did the J we found that without tanks and these 6 bladed props the cross over was worse. Sim sticks was not cleared from the short J. In latter years the only chutes we had were Khaki. (Ok have your argument over American Olive Drab or NATO Green!) Khaki works for me! the colours changed over the years and lead to my having to sign of numerous production permits (concessions).
I guess the K trials would have been done at El Cento - the usual haunt of the era. China Lake and YPG became more usual haunts in latter days. The South Africa det was in an effort to save costs. Not sure if it ever did but the game parks were more interesting than spending every night in Applebys.
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France Det
Sharing memories of my first France det. We set off one Sunday to Centre De Air Porte (CAP) part of the DGA at Toulouse. Took our own minibus. Finding parking outside the hotel was fun. I now know what bumpers are for. For some reason we had to share rooms. top to tail in a double bed. I think Colonel Robin had his own room. After a day of exchange technological briefings the following day we were bussed out to the DZ overlooked by some Grande house where we were served all sorts of niceties. Over the radio came a shout that the Transal was on the run in. So off we set to the patio. Load gone. The French used lots of timex troop chutes in clusters for stores. they all got tangled and the load piled in. A big cheer and sumptuous applause and back in for some more shampoo. half and hour of small talk, the radio bust into life. Out we all went for the C130 drop. Exactly the same result with a bigger load a bigger bang and much more applause. After the obligatory exchange of gifts, framed pictures, and the like we set off via the supermarket for our flight back to Brize. with all the booze it took two trips in the minibus.
Some will know that most of the JATE team lived in the east wing of the mess. My overriding memory is having to put up with the stink of rotting cheese for the rest of the week. The cleaning lady had complained to Mr P. but the owner of the cheese refused to throw away his cache. he was not going home for a few weeks. I went home for the weekend and came back the following week to find the smell lingering.
The JATE team provided MALDROP cover. I certainly recall the discussion over the MSPs into the hillside mentioned above. Capt PG telling me how luck he was to still be alive. I think one landed either side of him in the dark.
I had several more dets to France doing airdrop stuff. Perhaps that's where MJ coined the phrase you are not allowed to smoke 8 hrs prior to flying or drink within 50 yds of the aircraft.
Some will know that most of the JATE team lived in the east wing of the mess. My overriding memory is having to put up with the stink of rotting cheese for the rest of the week. The cleaning lady had complained to Mr P. but the owner of the cheese refused to throw away his cache. he was not going home for a few weeks. I went home for the weekend and came back the following week to find the smell lingering.
The JATE team provided MALDROP cover. I certainly recall the discussion over the MSPs into the hillside mentioned above. Capt PG telling me how luck he was to still be alive. I think one landed either side of him in the dark.
I had several more dets to France doing airdrop stuff. Perhaps that's where MJ coined the phrase you are not allowed to smoke 8 hrs prior to flying or drink within 50 yds of the aircraft.
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That picture is just centre spread Role equipment porn. All the side seats correctly stowed, all the rollers no doubt checked for security as well as the side guidance spigots.......... I must go for a lie down.
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BTs,
It was brand spanking new Mk2 B. They kept a set at Boscombe in pristine condition for trials. going by the other pics in the series it was around the same time as PURIBAD was being developed at Boscombe with AML. If I feel brave I will post the others in the series.
After a few weeks in the hands of some and with repeated bashing with the 10K tie downs all the drop nose pins were knackered and the floor pegs bruised. 30 years later the rollers were in better order than the yankee stuff 10 years on.
It was brand spanking new Mk2 B. They kept a set at Boscombe in pristine condition for trials. going by the other pics in the series it was around the same time as PURIBAD was being developed at Boscombe with AML. If I feel brave I will post the others in the series.
After a few weeks in the hands of some and with repeated bashing with the 10K tie downs all the drop nose pins were knackered and the floor pegs bruised. 30 years later the rollers were in better order than the yankee stuff 10 years on.
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Santa Maria Squash
Post 2710 I remember it well. In fact I was in almost as it started. On the 25th Jan '72 (log books out chaps) me , the team and XV 302 went to Waddington and then next day to Lajes, obviously supporting the tin triangle somewhere Stateside. It must have had the making of a good jolly because most of us had our golf clubs with us. However when we got to Lajes we got the message that the Blat a Guat contest had started and we were to position to Santa Maria and get involved with the rest of the slip just about to start. Then it was Bermuda -Nassau - Belize etc. complete with crew fruit juice Rosy Matoose. So we can actually claim that we went to war complete with golf clubs........how civilised.
With reference to multi tasking I believe that the Met Recce Flight at Farnbrough flew the Varsity, Herc, Canberra and possibly the Dakota as part of their job. I recall D... P..t telling me that he did his night cat on three types on the same evening!
With reference to multi tasking I believe that the Met Recce Flight at Farnbrough flew the Varsity, Herc, Canberra and possibly the Dakota as part of their job. I recall D... P..t telling me that he did his night cat on three types on the same evening!
Last edited by aeroid; 28th Mar 2015 at 19:47. Reason: addition