Global Aviation Magazine : 60 Years of the Hercules
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Makes sense. Not that far off, really 
Here's a pic I took when I went along for a day's ride on a RNoAf Herky back in 2004 or thereabouts. Great fun for a then-19-year-old.
Here's a pic I took when I went along for a day's ride on a RNoAf Herky back in 2004 or thereabouts. Great fun for a then-19-year-old.
Last edited by semmern; 25th Jul 2014 at 16:58.
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Not your fault that the iPad doesn't acknowledge the existence of northern Norway 
semmern,
Glad you are enjoying the thread. I enjoyed a wonderful month long deployment to Norway in February 1994, as part of Exercise Winter Deployment. We stayed in a very pleasant hotel in Oslo, and enjoyed some great nights out at the Winston Churchill (is it still going?). As the Winter Olympics were on, the seven of us (5 real crew and two imposter GEs) adopted a sporting theme in our evening activities, a "sporting theme". We decided to try the suggestion that we were a team of 7 man Bobsleigh specialists, and that it was being trialled at those games. Amazing how many people took the bait, and wanted to know when we were running etc. Being of a flight from one of the tactical squadrons, further bull was provided that we were only allowed to run the Bob course at nighttime, and used NVG equipment. Of course, the front end were "expert" in this subject, quickly attracting a following, so to speak! The other main memory of Norway was the scenery, and goodness me, nothing compares in winter. I was a very lucky bloke, and have many happy memories of a great country.
Smudge
Glad you are enjoying the thread. I enjoyed a wonderful month long deployment to Norway in February 1994, as part of Exercise Winter Deployment. We stayed in a very pleasant hotel in Oslo, and enjoyed some great nights out at the Winston Churchill (is it still going?). As the Winter Olympics were on, the seven of us (5 real crew and two imposter GEs) adopted a sporting theme in our evening activities, a "sporting theme". We decided to try the suggestion that we were a team of 7 man Bobsleigh specialists, and that it was being trialled at those games. Amazing how many people took the bait, and wanted to know when we were running etc. Being of a flight from one of the tactical squadrons, further bull was provided that we were only allowed to run the Bob course at nighttime, and used NVG equipment. Of course, the front end were "expert" in this subject, quickly attracting a following, so to speak! The other main memory of Norway was the scenery, and goodness me, nothing compares in winter. I was a very lucky bloke, and have many happy memories of a great country.
Smudge
Loadmaster's view from the port para door of the flarepath laid as described by Mal Drop. It consisted of smoke floats and a marine marker. The next action would be the drop of the ASRA itself.
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XV208 Snoopy
I was on night shift on A line c shift and if memory serves me well 3 of us were told by Flight Sgt Weaver to go and strip the interior out of XV208 as it was flying to unknown destination the following morning, i think it was about 6 months later a picture appeared in a flight magazine of XV208 as Snoopy. Also went on her several times when it came back to Lyneham.
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Good story, Smudge Yep, the Sir Winston is still going strong here in Oslo. That was a good time to be here, the 94 olympics were great!
Oh yes, we are quite spoilt for scenery up here. If you can bear a slight digression from the Albert, here are some pics from 2012, when we were making our way slowly up the coast in Tiger Moths, a Cornell, a Bird Dog and a Cub, all ex-RNoAF at some point, on our way to Bodø Air Show.
Yep, the Sir Winston is still going strong here in Oslo. That was a good time to be here, the 94 olympics were great!Oh yes, we are quite spoilt for scenery up here. If you can bear a slight digression from the Albert, here are some pics from 2012, when we were making our way slowly up the coast in Tiger Moths, a Cornell, a Bird Dog and a Cub, all ex-RNoAF at some point, on our way to Bodø Air Show.
semmern,
Some very nice photographs there mate, but it can't be Norway, where is the snow ? I can honestly say that in my time on the RAF C130 fleet, I never experienced Norway without snow. A night stop Trondheim comes to mind where the temperature barely rose to a measurable quantity, but we bravely visited some local bars, as our nostrils froze between them. But I definitely never had a bad night stop either. Your photographs are a revelation to an old bloke like me.
This is more like Norway to me. Apologies for my ignorance.
Smudge
Some very nice photographs there mate, but it can't be Norway, where is the snow ? I can honestly say that in my time on the RAF C130 fleet, I never experienced Norway without snow. A night stop Trondheim comes to mind where the temperature barely rose to a measurable quantity, but we bravely visited some local bars, as our nostrils froze between them. But I definitely never had a bad night stop either. Your photographs are a revelation to an old bloke like me.
This is more like Norway to me. Apologies for my ignorance.
Smudge
Last edited by smujsmith; 25th Jul 2014 at 23:18.
They are ESM pods - the UK Hercules ones were called made by racal and called Orange Blossom.
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Dengue Dude,
the Lord Trophy was indeed originally a TS airdrop trophy. We used to go to EL Adem for the competition during my time on Hastings and the 'K'.
The black and white pics I posted earlier of a 1 ton M/E drop may have been on one of those occasions.
the Lord Trophy was indeed originally a TS airdrop trophy. We used to go to EL Adem for the competition during my time on Hastings and the 'K'.
The black and white pics I posted earlier of a 1 ton M/E drop may have been on one of those occasions.
No the ALM is not praying. He has just despatched either a smoke float or the marine marker on a 48 Sqn ASRA practice drop.
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Originally Posted by Mal Drop
ASRA brings back happy memories of fun in the Sim completing Creeping-line Ahead and Clover-leaf searches followed by the ASRA drop pattern. The highlight was the sim instructor gleefully handing the crew the computer-generated plot which in my case generally resembled a spider drawn by a three-year old with attention deficit disorder and non-trivial Class A drug issues.
semmern,
with pics like that we can be diverted any time. As I mentioned in a previous post I have just had the pleasure of a week cruising the fjords, and looking up for a change. Like smudge my only recollection of Norway is of the winter. But there were still patches of snow on the tops even in summer.
I recollect sending some info on our ex mil Cub to a chap in Norway. Wonder if that was you !
with pics like that we can be diverted any time. As I mentioned in a previous post I have just had the pleasure of a week cruising the fjords, and looking up for a change. Like smudge my only recollection of Norway is of the winter. But there were still patches of snow on the tops even in summer.
I recollect sending some info on our ex mil Cub to a chap in Norway. Wonder if that was you !
Coff,
when Cosford received their Herc I had a megga clearout and sent them all manner of publications. One of these included the ASRA flarepath layout. So if no one else has one they have.
when Cosford received their Herc I had a megga clearout and sent them all manner of publications. One of these included the ASRA flarepath layout. So if no one else has one they have.
Just dug through the remnants of my old 'blue brain' where I thought I may have had an ASRA pattern stored, but it looks like it went into the 'great skip of forgetting' when I left.
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The ASRA pattern was a direct copy of that used by the Nimrod up until the late '80s. I think I still have my 'plastic brain' in the roofspace somewhere. When I get chance I'll see if I can dig it out.
In reality I doubt that Albert would have been any real use at SAR except in good weather conditions (as in AA62's 'photo above). In reality SAR generally occurs in Harry ****ers weather - if you find the dinghy/survivor the chance are that the first time you see it/him/her will be the only time you see it/him/her. So all that fannying around with that flarepaths and procedural turns malarky (and whether you drop upwind or downwind of the datum, completely ignoring any issues of swell/tide
) would be a complete waste of time.
Indeed the Nimrod force binned the whole idea around about 1990 and went to a system of:'mark the datum, return directly to the 'on top' and drop the ASRA gear' as being far more likely to succeed in the real case.
However, flying pretty patterns in the Sim was always good for a bit of acedemic work for the Nav.
In reality I doubt that Albert would have been any real use at SAR except in good weather conditions (as in AA62's 'photo above). In reality SAR generally occurs in Harry ****ers weather - if you find the dinghy/survivor the chance are that the first time you see it/him/her will be the only time you see it/him/her. So all that fannying around with that flarepaths and procedural turns malarky (and whether you drop upwind or downwind of the datum, completely ignoring any issues of swell/tide
) would be a complete waste of time.Indeed the Nimrod force binned the whole idea around about 1990 and went to a system of:'mark the datum, return directly to the 'on top' and drop the ASRA gear' as being far more likely to succeed in the real case.
However, flying pretty patterns in the Sim was always good for a bit of acedemic work for the Nav.
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At which point JK was heard to scream 'What the f*** was that Co?'
Followed by JM's quiet comment 'That'll be a Thompson Turn then. Did them all the time on the Nimrod.'
Happy days...
Note: A Thompson Turn is the fastest way of getting back to a datum but on reciprocal heading, the AoB controlling the speed of the turn. You can think of it as a very tight 'Procedural Turn' but without all the faffing.
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Smudge and ancientaviator,
I hear quite a lot of Ascots on frequencies around the country in winter. Your Marines also like to come here to freeze their bollocks off in wintertime as well Norway is a nice place to develop those winter warfare skills and tactics.
There are always some patches of snow to be found once you reach 3000ft or so of elevation, even in summer.
Don't think twas me you sent that info to, though we are one of the clubs that took over the ex-Norwegian Army Cubs after they were demobbed, so it might very well have been one of my fellow club members.
Here are some more pics from the same trip. The Lofoten islands are just about my favourite places in Norway. Quite the contrast between the same place in wintertime!
I hear quite a lot of Ascots on frequencies around the country in winter. Your Marines also like to come here to freeze their bollocks off in wintertime as well
Norway is a nice place to develop those winter warfare skills and tactics.There are always some patches of snow to be found once you reach 3000ft or so of elevation, even in summer.
Don't think twas me you sent that info to, though we are one of the clubs that took over the ex-Norwegian Army Cubs after they were demobbed, so it might very well have been one of my fellow club members.
Here are some more pics from the same trip. The Lofoten islands are just about my favourite places in Norway. Quite the contrast between the same place in wintertime!