Global Aviation Magazine : 60 Years of the Hercules
Join Date: Sep 2009
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Herc load dropping
Just a thought, during heavy (and other) load dropping out of the back of Hercs, Argosy's, Beverly's etc was there ever an occasion when an unauthorised passenger, person, body etc ever get dragged out with the load & go to earth,hang on & survive ?, I spent much time down the back of the Argosy (well secured) during drops & always thought would be so easy to get tangled up in the wires/loads etc that it must have happened during the many millions of loads that were despatched ?.
Zetec2,
I've a very good ex GE mate! who I'm hoping will sign up as a PPRUNER, who has a very interesting story along those lines. I won't preempt his arrival, but its a good question.
Smudge
I've a very good ex GE mate! who I'm hoping will sign up as a PPRUNER, who has a very interesting story along those lines. I won't preempt his arrival, but its a good question.
Smudge
As cadets at the Towers in the 60s we never got to see the RAF unless we fixed it. I spent a happy fortnight with 114 Sqn at Benson chucking stuff out of the back of their Argossies (that does not look right).
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Smudge, thanks, I guess our paths may have crossed on Hercs, I spent time in the sheds on Green Team (engine fitter or A/Tech/P for the PC amongst you !) them over on B line before escaping to pastures new & retirement at an old folks home/station in Yorkshire, PH.
zetec2,
I spent 30 years doing airdrop on Hercs (and a Hastings tour before that)
and despite some tall tales to the contrary I know of no instance where anyone ever went out inadvertently with the heavy drop. For all those drops your drop position was well forward of the load at FS 245 ready to use the extractor parachute emergency release handle should it be required. Had anyone gone out it is doubtful if they would have survived the impact forces on the DZ. If you have ever seen a heavy drop leave the a/c you would understand I think. Despatching paras could be more hazardous as you could be dragged towards the open para door by the rush of the runaway train. Especially if the red light came on and you attempted to stop the stick.
When at JATE did a trial of paras following an MSP out on the same run, but that story will be along a bit later.
I spent 30 years doing airdrop on Hercs (and a Hastings tour before that)
and despite some tall tales to the contrary I know of no instance where anyone ever went out inadvertently with the heavy drop. For all those drops your drop position was well forward of the load at FS 245 ready to use the extractor parachute emergency release handle should it be required. Had anyone gone out it is doubtful if they would have survived the impact forces on the DZ. If you have ever seen a heavy drop leave the a/c you would understand I think. Despatching paras could be more hazardous as you could be dragged towards the open para door by the rush of the runaway train. Especially if the red light came on and you attempted to stop the stick.
When at JATE did a trial of paras following an MSP out on the same run, but that story will be along a bit later.
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More formation shenanigans ;
One of the more interesting formations I got to lead.....
Nice story about Karma for this next one. It was one of my last flights in the RAF. There were 2 civilians I had befriended over the years who had both gone above and beyond in doing nice/ good things for the RAF and specifically the Herc force. They were both really into aircraft and photography. I managed to get them both down to Lyneham and permission to fly them. I told them to bring their cameras but didn't say why. Apparently their faces when we opened the ramp and they saw this gaggle out the back was a picture itself
One of the Gents referred to above used to take cracking pictures like this and send them to the crews at Lyneham - literally whilst typing this the nightly TALO pair have just snotted the house on their way south - thanks chaps would have made a great picture.
Ref the 'falling out' question - during my time there was an apocryphal tale of one of the 47AD lads flying out on his harness during a 'Red Flag' sortie. Allegedly he had the biggest eyes ever on his subsequent retrieval
One of the more interesting formations I got to lead.....
Nice story about Karma for this next one. It was one of my last flights in the RAF. There were 2 civilians I had befriended over the years who had both gone above and beyond in doing nice/ good things for the RAF and specifically the Herc force. They were both really into aircraft and photography. I managed to get them both down to Lyneham and permission to fly them. I told them to bring their cameras but didn't say why. Apparently their faces when we opened the ramp and they saw this gaggle out the back was a picture itself
One of the Gents referred to above used to take cracking pictures like this and send them to the crews at Lyneham - literally whilst typing this the nightly TALO pair have just snotted the house on their way south - thanks chaps
would have made a great picture.
Ref the 'falling out' question - during my time there was an apocryphal tale of one of the 47AD lads flying out on his harness during a 'Red Flag' sortie. Allegedly he had the biggest eyes ever on his subsequent retrieval
Chickenlover,
more great pics. The 'letterbox' view Coffman refers to was the view from my 'office' on the tanker. Seem to have lost most of those pics especially of the Nimrod. I felt I could just have leaned forward have cleaned his windscreen he looked so close.
Ref the 47 AD chap 'out' on the harness I have no doubt there was more than one close call but not I think under the circumstances in zetec's question.
more great pics. The 'letterbox' view Coffman refers to was the view from my 'office' on the tanker. Seem to have lost most of those pics especially of the Nimrod. I felt I could just have leaned forward have cleaned his windscreen he looked so close.
Ref the 47 AD chap 'out' on the harness I have no doubt there was more than one close call but not I think under the circumstances in zetec's question.
Chickenlover,
more great pics. The 'letterbox' view Coffman refers to was the view from my 'office' on the tanker. Seem to have lost most of those pics especially of the Nimrod. I felt I could just have leaned forward have cleaned his windscreen he looked so close.
Ref the 47 AD chap 'out' on the harness I have no doubt there was more than one close call but not I think under the circumstances in zetec's question.
more great pics. The 'letterbox' view Coffman refers to was the view from my 'office' on the tanker. Seem to have lost most of those pics especially of the Nimrod. I felt I could just have leaned forward have cleaned his windscreen he looked so close.
Ref the 47 AD chap 'out' on the harness I have no doubt there was more than one close call but not I think under the circumstances in zetec's question.
Chickenlover,
more great pics. The 'letterbox' view Coffman refers to was the view from my 'office' on the tanker. Could get really interesting at times especially if the RX chased the basket or spoked it. Seem to have lost most of those pics especially of the Nimrod. I felt I could just have leaned forward have cleaned his windscreen he looked so close.
Ref the 47 AD chap 'out' on the harness I have no doubt there was more than one close call but not I think under the circumstances in zetec's question.
Another pic of our RIAT formation. the agricultural nature of the probe installation can be clearly seen in this pic. Looks like we had a decent day for a change.
more great pics. The 'letterbox' view Coffman refers to was the view from my 'office' on the tanker. Could get really interesting at times especially if the RX chased the basket or spoked it. Seem to have lost most of those pics especially of the Nimrod. I felt I could just have leaned forward have cleaned his windscreen he looked so close.
Ref the 47 AD chap 'out' on the harness I have no doubt there was more than one close call but not I think under the circumstances in zetec's question.
Another pic of our RIAT formation. the agricultural nature of the probe installation can be clearly seen in this pic. Looks like we had a decent day for a change.
Apologies for the doubling up on the words. Windows has just updated itself and caused a bit of chaos.
chickenlover,
yes please put them up ASAP. Never tanked the Nimrod 'down south' But did so several times in the UK. This thread really has 'taken off' !
yes please put them up ASAP. Never tanked the Nimrod 'down south' But did so several times in the UK. This thread really has 'taken off' !
chickenlover,
brilliant as ever. When receiving from the Victor we always seemed a long way underneath it and that tailplane made a great sunshade !
I have been on a lot of photo shoots with various agencies, mostly with the ramp and/or the door open. Including doing an air to air with a Hawk as various low vis colour schemes were tried out. Did not seem to make much difference to me.
Perhaps the oddest such trip was the filming for the movie 'Juggernaut'. The MOD rented us out to do this job. It is about a bomb disposal team who parachute onto an airliner to defuse a bomb. The liner hired was the Maxim Gorky, as it was cheap (still the cold war then)! The filming took place up the north of Scotland and the WX was yuk. Once we got there my main job was to see that the POB on the i/b leg was the same as the o/b. I had to have eyes in the back of my head to keep an eye on the cameramen, producer et al. The actual 'jumps' were studio based. As we did the flyby I had to open and close the port para door as required as well as the cargo door.
The producer kept asking us if we could come past lower and slower. Any lower and the altimeter would have read fathoms !
Of course very little of this appeared in the film.
A few months after the trip a bottle of scotch was sent to all the crew involved. I wonder what MOD were paid ?
There was an interesting sequel to this and if someone reminds me I will recount it next time.
brilliant as ever. When receiving from the Victor we always seemed a long way underneath it and that tailplane made a great sunshade !
I have been on a lot of photo shoots with various agencies, mostly with the ramp and/or the door open. Including doing an air to air with a Hawk as various low vis colour schemes were tried out. Did not seem to make much difference to me.
Perhaps the oddest such trip was the filming for the movie 'Juggernaut'. The MOD rented us out to do this job. It is about a bomb disposal team who parachute onto an airliner to defuse a bomb. The liner hired was the Maxim Gorky, as it was cheap (still the cold war then)! The filming took place up the north of Scotland and the WX was yuk. Once we got there my main job was to see that the POB on the i/b leg was the same as the o/b. I had to have eyes in the back of my head to keep an eye on the cameramen, producer et al. The actual 'jumps' were studio based. As we did the flyby I had to open and close the port para door as required as well as the cargo door.
The producer kept asking us if we could come past lower and slower. Any lower and the altimeter would have read fathoms !
Of course very little of this appeared in the film.
A few months after the trip a bottle of scotch was sent to all the crew involved. I wonder what MOD were paid ?
There was an interesting sequel to this and if someone reminds me I will recount it next time.
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I have of course substituted the word airliner for liner in my stupidity ! It definitely floated, or floundered in the high sea.
I once did an air-to-air sortie with another Herc that was a photo shoot for Volvo trucks (early 90s). I have a recollection of seeing a poster in a dealership once - has anyone else seen it???