Global Aviation Magazine : 60 Years of the Hercules
No prizes for guessing where this was taken. During GW1. But what are we doing here ? Well we are picking up boxes of KD made in Morocco ! Most of the UK stocks of KD and the like had been sold off during the trashing of the MUs etc during one of the never ending defence reviews(how many times can you use the 'peace dividend' ?) It had been sold to IRAQ ! Naturally the UK clothing industry had gone off KD production so Morocco was the easiest place to get it.
It was brought across the straits, checked for 'nasties' and flown out to the Middle East. I am still waiting for my lightweight flying overall.
As we deployed with gro-bags and DPM configured for the envisaged war on the German plains, the standing joke for early parts of GW1 was:
What do you call a group of British troops in the desert?
An Oasis.
When desert combat clothing finally started being issued, several crews decided they would wear it. My skipper said no for the massively valid reason that if we had an incident requiring ground evacuation, he wanted the passengers to know who to follow. Questions about flame-retardant properties were rather moot at that stage as after a few months in theatre and being washed daily using local dhobi dust (with added sand), I could read a newspaper through my coverall.
AA62 - Didn't know about the early moving map fit - this has been a great thread for filling in my Herc knowledge with some very experienced operators posting excellent information!
What do you call a group of British troops in the desert?
An Oasis.
When desert combat clothing finally started being issued, several crews decided they would wear it. My skipper said no for the massively valid reason that if we had an incident requiring ground evacuation, he wanted the passengers to know who to follow. Questions about flame-retardant properties were rather moot at that stage as after a few months in theatre and being washed daily using local dhobi dust (with added sand), I could read a newspaper through my coverall.
AA62 - Didn't know about the early moving map fit - this has been a great thread for filling in my Herc knowledge with some very experienced operators posting excellent information!
Mal Drop,
the moving map display can be seen in my pic on post 37.
As you say this is a great thread and we all are learning about the 'K'.
the moving map display can be seen in my pic on post 37.
As you say this is a great thread and we all are learning about the 'K'.
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Good morning Gents ... sorry for being late on parade, but Mrs Coff has had me packing for our hols next week 
Great fun last night with the Nav kit Mal Drop
We've had pics of the Herc Flight Deck, Hold and Exterior ... so I thought it was about time we had a look at the Nav's Station ... in the hope that will prompt further stories and reminicisances
I had a quick search and found this pic of XV208 "Snoopy" Nav's Station to get us started ... which, as we all know, is a converted C-130 K. I guess the Nav pictured will be known on here ... if not a PPRuNe Member ... so I won't publicise his name (I hope he doesn't mind). Surprise surprise it looks like the DECCA Doppler 62 is being used !
Hopefully someone would like to give us a "walk-a-round" the Desk
I'm assuming that Snoopy's Nav Station was close to the standard K config ?
MORE Nav Station pics if we can please ...
PS. This pic (originally posted 2008) is part of a fascinating InterWeb piece on Air Navigation by the chap in the pic above
Best ...
Coff.
Great fun last night with the Nav kit Mal Drop
We've had pics of the Herc Flight Deck, Hold and Exterior ... so I thought it was about time we had a look at the Nav's Station ... in the hope that will prompt further stories and reminicisances
I had a quick search and found this pic of XV208 "Snoopy" Nav's Station to get us started ... which, as we all know, is a converted C-130 K. I guess the Nav pictured will be known on here ... if not a PPRuNe Member ... so I won't publicise his name (I hope he doesn't mind). Surprise surprise it looks like the DECCA Doppler 62 is being used !
Hopefully someone would like to give us a "walk-a-round" the Desk
I'm assuming that Snoopy's Nav Station was close to the standard K config ?
MORE Nav Station pics if we can please ...
PS. This pic (originally posted 2008) is part of a fascinating InterWeb piece on Air Navigation by the chap in the pic above
Best ...
Coff.
Coff,
did get the desert boots via Bata ! They have only just been retired from their secondary duty-gardening.
did get the desert boots via Bata ! They have only just been retired from their secondary duty-gardening.
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Mal Drop,
the moving map display can be seen in my pic on post 37.
As you say this is a great thread and we all are learning about the 'K'.
the moving map display can be seen in my pic on post 37.
As you say this is a great thread and we all are learning about the 'K'.
It seems an improvement over the Puma one where you had to cut up charts and then insert them into the frame.
Al Jubail as very much a work in progress. The tracked 'dozer you can see is where we hid when a Scud alert was called. That was on 18 Jan 1991.
First trip in support of Op Granby was Aug 12 1990. It was 'kin hot in Thumrait and Riyadh ! On Oct 30 1990 in XV 304 we were the first RAF a/c of the main detachment at Riyadh. When we landed the Saudis claimed to know nothing about us coming. We actually had to contact the Embassy on HF for them to sort it out !
I still have my detachment warning notice.
You could well be correct, I was notoriously bad at the wiggly amps side of ground cats but could use the kit if guided to the aircraft and shown where to sit.
ExAscoteer,
yes ECHO (E.K.COLE) 290 on the Herc whose serviceability in later years left a lot to be desired.
yes ECHO (E.K.COLE) 290 on the Herc whose serviceability in later years left a lot to be desired.
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Been abscent for a week.(Coff signed my leave chit) Interesting to see how things have developed on the thread.
TT is spot on with the 250ft over the lake without a viable reserve.
AA62 - interesting to hear of the Troops following with the TROC and the HSP/MSP explanation- spot on. The HSP rig in the pic was the Diesel version of the CVRT which would have been known as the Scorpion (I think they were built by ALVIS in Coventry (Not too sure of that). Up armour and the heavier engine put them out of MSP scope. The thust was to have a common fuel on the battlefield. (and at sea) - we were playing with Diesel engine RIBs at the same time - Save that for another time.
Good old EDM or Dufelite. When I get my own laptop back from the menders I will upload a pic of the HV stuff we did with 26ft Ringslots onto Everliegh. With the high rate of decent several layers were used giving a high CoG.
The US use pre made up honeycomb in a factory set up to provide work for veterans (Lighthouse) along the lines of Remploy. UK buy it in logs which the AD guys pull and glue top and bottom sheets. Not very consisent and very labour intensive. They asked for some US stuff. It cost more to get it to theatre than the stuff cost to buy. The AD guys were quite resorsfull and "borrowed" stuff from the US team (it was stiffer than ours)
AA62 used the term A22 - that descibed the US 48 x48 container (basically a 1" plywood board and a webbing net). The UK nets are knotless Polyester.
We did have some 70" high ones that apear to be the ones being used on the J for the water supplies in Iraq at the moment. I do wander what chutes they are using. As AA62 previously remarked about clothing being made from the pink and blue 28ft utilities. I think the SC15 stuff may be a bit rough but not as rough as the US Low Cost ones they are using at the moment for almost everything.
Great to see the Js doing a grand job. The RAF appear to get the plaudits but it is joint effort with the Army lads. I recognise some of them in the pics.
TT is spot on with the 250ft over the lake without a viable reserve.
AA62 - interesting to hear of the Troops following with the TROC and the HSP/MSP explanation- spot on. The HSP rig in the pic was the Diesel version of the CVRT which would have been known as the Scorpion (I think they were built by ALVIS in Coventry (Not too sure of that). Up armour and the heavier engine put them out of MSP scope. The thust was to have a common fuel on the battlefield. (and at sea) - we were playing with Diesel engine RIBs at the same time - Save that for another time.
Good old EDM or Dufelite. When I get my own laptop back from the menders I will upload a pic of the HV stuff we did with 26ft Ringslots onto Everliegh. With the high rate of decent several layers were used giving a high CoG.
The US use pre made up honeycomb in a factory set up to provide work for veterans (Lighthouse) along the lines of Remploy. UK buy it in logs which the AD guys pull and glue top and bottom sheets. Not very consisent and very labour intensive. They asked for some US stuff. It cost more to get it to theatre than the stuff cost to buy. The AD guys were quite resorsfull and "borrowed" stuff from the US team (it was stiffer than ours)
AA62 used the term A22 - that descibed the US 48 x48 container (basically a 1" plywood board and a webbing net). The UK nets are knotless Polyester.
We did have some 70" high ones that apear to be the ones being used on the J for the water supplies in Iraq at the moment. I do wander what chutes they are using. As AA62 previously remarked about clothing being made from the pink and blue 28ft utilities. I think the SC15 stuff may be a bit rough but not as rough as the US Low Cost ones they are using at the moment for almost everything.
Great to see the Js doing a grand job. The RAF appear to get the plaudits but it is joint effort with the Army lads. I recognise some of them in the pics.
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Many thanks Mal Drop ... All clear without the aid of 20/20 vision ... which went many years ago 
I'm not that familiar with LORAN ... so guess what's on tonights homework agenda
Welcome back Drag ... Hope you had a good break old chap
I'm not that familiar with LORAN ... so guess what's on tonights homework agenda
Welcome back Drag ... Hope you had a good break old chap
Our crew (the Eng took the pic) 'somewhere in the middle east' during our Granby detachment. The hawk eyed amongst you will note my blatant product placement of my Bata bondu boots. Now where did I put that Bata contract ?
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AA62 ...
Having seen other pics of you on this thread ... forget product placement ... that red towelling flying scarf of yours could tell a few tales I'll bet
Having seen other pics of you on this thread ... forget product placement ... that red towelling flying scarf of yours could tell a few tales I'll bet
Coff,
my lawyer will be in touch ! Yes that scarf keeps appearing in my pics. I confess that until I started posting these pics I had not noticed ! I think I got my money's worth from a cheap Amah's Market towel.
my lawyer will be in touch ! Yes that scarf keeps appearing in my pics. I confess that until I started posting these pics I had not noticed ! I think I got my money's worth from a cheap Amah's Market towel.
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Come on Smudge ... Mrs Smudge must have found that Gunsight pic by now 
We've also got the promise of the "bike-pump chaff dispenser" story too
We've also got the promise of the "bike-pump chaff dispenser" story too
Coffman,
and where is Brian ?
and where is Brian ?