Global Aviation Magazine : 60 Years of the Hercules
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Ground Fire
With reference to the Sarajevo "sniper" most of the bursts of ground fire weren't at all well aimed. In an accompanying pic from Rhobabwie which features in earlier pages we picked up a 7.62 AK 47 round just between the A/C Number and the White Cross . Notwithstanding the devastating and tragic events in Iraq much later which shade all previous incidents, it was quite uncommon for Albert to get perforated. Ops in Zim were carried out at about 100ft above the trees and at 240kts giving brief pockets of exposure to the terr..freedom fighters. Cresting a ridge on the way to Chipinda Pools there was a thud which was assumed to be a bird strike. A common occurrence since H**** B******* had taken out a whole flock just previously. On landing the hole was discovered which penetrated the radome conditioning system and took out the spike thermostat. We had only dumped the LOX that morning. The despatcher said that he saw at least 10 tracer come up at us below and above the aircraft. The Zanu PF were in the habit of loading one tracer in every three in the mag of the best marksman and everybody else fired where he aimed. So we copped one out of thirty. Very lucky.
In reply to previous posts. Smudj: If I did one comp change on the Herc for another duff one which hadn't been replaced I must have done at least a dozen. and WIDN The Upland Goose was never 5*.
Cheers
Dougie
In reply to previous posts. Smudj: If I did one comp change on the Herc for another duff one which hadn't been replaced I must have done at least a dozen. and WIDN The Upland Goose was never 5*.
Cheers
Dougie
The guy on the right ( as you look at the photo' ) was a loadie on 48 at Changi '67-'69, then I think went to 24.
Paul D?????? -I can't remember his surname - top man as I recall.
I thought he left the mob and became a civilian flying instructor and a vague recollection of being told he went back in as a loadie.
Paul D?????? -I can't remember his surname - top man as I recall.
I thought he left the mob and became a civilian flying instructor and a vague recollection of being told he went back in as a loadie.
Brian 48 Nav,
The bloke on the left, next to young Dougie M, is the GE. I know that because he has an extremely large lump in the top left pocket, that will be his wallet, and secondly, he was my boss when I was a GE. Curiously, it has taken until the appearance of this photograph, and this thread to realise that he actually once did the job himself. Respect.
Smudge
The bloke on the left, next to young Dougie M, is the GE. I know that because he has an extremely large lump in the top left pocket, that will be his wallet, and secondly, he was my boss when I was a GE. Curiously, it has taken until the appearance of this photograph, and this thread to realise that he actually once did the job himself. Respect.
Smudge
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I've been in the boozer this evening, so won't break my rule of 'drinking and forum posting' I'll post some more pics from that trip tomorrow. The picture was indeed taken on my camera but we are not sure if the Nav or I took it. It's better than my average pic so it probably was the Nav. I tried to print from the neg recently for the Captain of the subject A/C as he had lost his original - sadly despite spending a fortune on an archival neg storage folder, the neg was very scratched and marked. In the meantime heres one of my digital copies - can't tell from my screen if its better than the one already posted.
Last edited by chickenlover; 19th Oct 2014 at 22:16.
Chickenlover,
Cracking shots of Terry, pre pink Camo job. How nice to credit the Nav with the capture, whoever took it, it's a cracking photograph, and has reminiscences for a lot of old blokes like me.
Smudge
Cracking shots of Terry, pre pink Camo job. How nice to credit the Nav with the capture, whoever took it, it's a cracking photograph, and has reminiscences for a lot of old blokes like me.
Smudge
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Hi Brian's x2, ie Brian W May & Brian 48 Nav
Tis I, the man on the right of the crew photo above and you are correct in your assumption that it is Paul Dowell
I am humbled by your thoughtful assessments and thank you both for your published views.
I did indeed leave the RAF in 1980 to follow my dream of becoming a commercial pilot and went to live in the USA for three years where I flew for a small company supplying the oil industry in central USA and as you rightly say I also spent my time instructing American, Afican and Middle East students in the joys of instrument flight.
As a result of the 1983 oil crisis returned to the UK, married and then did a spell on the outside before returning to the RAF and spent around 11 wonderful years on SAR.
Sad really, a life story wrapped up in three paragraphs but a life with absolutely no regrets.
Tis I, the man on the right of the crew photo above and you are correct in your assumption that it is Paul Dowell
I am humbled by your thoughtful assessments and thank you both for your published views.
I did indeed leave the RAF in 1980 to follow my dream of becoming a commercial pilot and went to live in the USA for three years where I flew for a small company supplying the oil industry in central USA and as you rightly say I also spent my time instructing American, Afican and Middle East students in the joys of instrument flight.
As a result of the 1983 oil crisis returned to the UK, married and then did a spell on the outside before returning to the RAF and spent around 11 wonderful years on SAR.
Sad really, a life story wrapped up in three paragraphs but a life with absolutely no regrets.
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A few more pics from the same set;
What it looked like from inside
More to come later-Just off for a coffee with one of the other contributors here so will compare notes. Coff - If I recall, the height of the fin was 35 feet so I would say a bit lower. We had done some work up training against a Roland site that had tracked us down to depressingly low altitude - the theory was the missile would fuse off the ground if we were low enough i.e. below 30 feet. Everyone had an individual comfort level how low they would / could fly. Personally any lower than 70 feet sapped my and the crews capacity quickly - the focus was too close off the nose - the next sand dune was always a fast approaching threat. I felt lower than that and nobody was looking out for bad guys. Not to mention that an evasive turn at that low level would drag a wingtip through the dirt and lead to a cartwheeling fiesta of sound and light
What it looked like from inside
More to come later-Just off for a coffee with one of the other contributors here so will compare notes. Coff - If I recall, the height of the fin was 35 feet so I would say a bit lower. We had done some work up training against a Roland site that had tracked us down to depressingly low altitude - the theory was the missile would fuse off the ground if we were low enough i.e. below 30 feet. Everyone had an individual comfort level how low they would / could fly. Personally any lower than 70 feet sapped my and the crews capacity quickly - the focus was too close off the nose - the next sand dune was always a fast approaching threat. I felt lower than that and nobody was looking out for bad guys. Not to mention that an evasive turn at that low level would drag a wingtip through the dirt and lead to a cartwheeling fiesta of sound and light
What makes me laugh, seeing these and other photos, is that when I went through training, if you wanted to fly other than fighters you were well below the salt. Flying large aircraft at low level is every bit as demanding as fighter flying - and the bigger guys cannot hit back, other than by flying sharper than the other guy. Big respect.
upgently
Hi Paul, Great to see that you responded to our posts. I wonder if you are interested in reunions? If so, the 48 association has got going again and is planning a bash to celebrate the centenary of the squadron's formation, sometime in April 2016.
PM me with your email address and I'll send on the secretary's details. There are a few loadies from your time as members. Talking of SAR, when I was at Stornoway ( 80-82 ) a SAR Sea King lobbed in for some reason and although the crewman was well covered with headset etc I recognised his voice - George Muir who had been on 30 with me in the early 70s.
Regards Brian Wildey ( the young good-looking nav' 45 years ago!!! )
PM me with your email address and I'll send on the secretary's details. There are a few loadies from your time as members. Talking of SAR, when I was at Stornoway ( 80-82 ) a SAR Sea King lobbed in for some reason and although the crewman was well covered with headset etc I recognised his voice - George Muir who had been on 30 with me in the early 70s.
Regards Brian Wildey ( the young good-looking nav' 45 years ago!!! )
