Global Aviation Magazine : 60 Years of the Hercules
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: M4 Corridor
Posts: 561
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
MSP
The Canadians had a nightmare with their heavy drop. It despatched itself miles from the DZ. They reckoned that the sudden easing of tension let them enjoy the Rodeo more.
Dougie,
as I recall the Canadians claimed that their load landed on the DZ despite being miles from the Impact Point. Given the size of the DZs out there they may well have been right !
as I recall the Canadians claimed that their load landed on the DZ despite being miles from the Impact Point. Given the size of the DZs out there they may well have been right !
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: wiltshire
Age: 65
Posts: 230
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Never did Rodeo, but managed Red Flag in 98 with LXX . Most fun day,apart from walking into the Red Air briefing room with our route and saying "come and have a go if you think you're hard enough! (They shot the crap out of us but what a day!). 2 Alberts (having promised the armourers we'd be returning with no flares or chaff on board) gapping in to the ranges, when Earwax came on freq saying "knock it off F15 diverted to dreamland" . The sight of the Nevada desert burning as flares and chaff bounced off the desert floor as we raced to beat the small pointy things back to Nellis was something to behold!
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 92
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
On Volant Rodeo '81 the Italians were the winners and we came second (which means nothing in the States - you either win, or you're a loser).
The silence, when the Italians went up to collect the prize, was a bit embarrassing - even though the Brit contingent made as much noise as possible.
The silence, when the Italians went up to collect the prize, was a bit embarrassing - even though the Brit contingent made as much noise as possible.
I was an umpire in 1985 and as I have previously described was doing flight deck duties. On one of the trips with the Italians the captain touched short of the strip and on the next trip we did not touch at all ! Needless to say they did not win that year. Volant/Airlift Rodeo were very enjoyable two weeks.
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 92
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We were staying in the same hotel as the Italians.
Arriving back from the airfield one day, we noticed them hanging white towels on their balconies. This prompted one of our Loadies to shout: "We accept, lay down your weapons and we'll get them later".
Arriving back from the airfield one day, we noticed them hanging white towels on their balconies. This prompted one of our Loadies to shout: "We accept, lay down your weapons and we'll get them later".
[/Banter]
Question for Brian48Nav. Looking through my log book I note that on June 19 1970 in XV 306 we dropped a stick of eight one ton auto onto 'Motley DZ'. This was when I was on 48 at Changi.
Where was this DZ ?
Where was this DZ ?
Last edited by ancientaviator62; 8th Apr 2015 at 14:45. Reason: corrction
Motley DZ
Blimey - doesn't sound like an Asian name! We're living above the garage now while the house is being built, I'll have a look in my map chest tomorrow there may be some old Malaysian maps there.
At risk of sounding a smart ass! ''Motley'', usually followed by a number signifying which team, is the traditional and long standing callsign of the Mobile Air Ops Teams that mark out, set up and control Heli Landing Sites in the field. Is it possible that your DZ was set up by one of these teams and the callsign was as a temporary name for a one off DZ?
Brian48Nav,
thanks for offering to look it up. Brian W. I always regarded a successful 1 ton auto drop as an act of God, but it really did shower down !
Huge72 many thanks you may have cracked it. It was during the big exercise
'Bersatu Padu' so a one off DZ somewhere up country could have well been set up for this exercise. It may have been on or near the strip at Penerak itself.
thanks for offering to look it up. Brian W. I always regarded a successful 1 ton auto drop as an act of God, but it really did shower down !
Huge72 many thanks you may have cracked it. It was during the big exercise
'Bersatu Padu' so a one off DZ somewhere up country could have well been set up for this exercise. It may have been on or near the strip at Penerak itself.
Just in case the loyal reader thinks that all we did on the 'K' was fly to exotic places here is a page from my log book when I was an airdrop instructor on TSF.
Keevil and Hullavington were not normally regarded as exotic !
The short flight times recorded belie the work and time expended before we even got airborne. Happy days.
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Erewhon
Posts: 474
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
. . . err . . . didn't realise ALMs needed to keep a logbook - besides I thought UKMAMS had them sewn up (along with all the flying kit).
Retiring to a safe distance and taking cover from 'incoming' . . .
Retiring to a safe distance and taking cover from 'incoming' . . .
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Spain
Posts: 28
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The biggest frustration as a Loady when filling in the log book was that we had probably flown twice as many hours as logged.
If we were flying with another loadmaster and did not have the appropriate number of pax on board you were not deemed to be operating!
That was appropriate for any of the front end crew, but it was the norm for both ALMs to work in tandem.
If we were flying with another loadmaster and did not have the appropriate number of pax on board you were not deemed to be operating!
That was appropriate for any of the front end crew, but it was the norm for both ALMs to work in tandem.