Global Aviation Magazine : 60 Years of the Hercules
Re #3669
TBT,
Spot-on with the date; amongst the many Dets, I was down there Sep 93 - Dec 93. A certain D**g B*****y was the Detco and, I believe, the skipper of the poor Albert in question. He said that he had one of the little beasties in each echelon, and they roared off dead ahead, accelerating to supersonic. Albert did not have the dexterity to get out of the ensuing carnage
Spot-on with the date; amongst the many Dets, I was down there Sep 93 - Dec 93. A certain D**g B*****y was the Detco and, I believe, the skipper of the poor Albert in question. He said that he had one of the little beasties in each echelon, and they roared off dead ahead, accelerating to supersonic. Albert did not have the dexterity to get out of the ensuing carnage
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Vasco
Mmmmm Not sure it was DB in the LH seat when it occurred, I only say that as I was his Eng and I don't recall the event 1st hand but recounted by another crew on landing so could have been the Electric Sporran, G***f C****e, P** D***y or even Scroggs. But then again after a quiz night in the Sgts' Mess they could've launched an AIM9L up our chuff and I wouldn't have noticed
Ex Ascoteer
Beleive that was the view of many at LYN until they met his 'Twin Brother' then your outlook suddenly changes, remember the Nav and I throwing him into the pool fully clothed in Mombassa and him trying to get the Kenyan guards to arrest us. This was just after the Capt was seen paddling across same pool to the tune of Hawaii-5-0 ...... in my Samsonite suitcase
Mmmmm Not sure it was DB in the LH seat when it occurred, I only say that as I was his Eng and I don't recall the event 1st hand but recounted by another crew on landing so could have been the Electric Sporran, G***f C****e, P** D***y or even Scroggs. But then again after a quiz night in the Sgts' Mess they could've launched an AIM9L up our chuff and I wouldn't have noticed
Ex Ascoteer
Beleive that was the view of many at LYN until they met his 'Twin Brother' then your outlook suddenly changes, remember the Nav and I throwing him into the pool fully clothed in Mombassa and him trying to get the Kenyan guards to arrest us. This was just after the Capt was seen paddling across same pool to the tune of Hawaii-5-0 ...... in my Samsonite suitcase
Aha, "down south" again, and why not. I offer a minor tale of a man I hold dear as one of the finest occupants of Alberts left hand seat that I experienced. I refer to one H****y J*****n, who I believe I have referenced in previous posts. At the time of my encounters with him, a member of 30 Squadron I believe. His descent to Grantley Adams, followed by an order to "report to the tower, and by God you better be a black man" certainly quieted that particular event! I remember standing behind him at the bottom end of a trip from ASI to MPA. Long tedious and once we tanked up, boring. Our approach elicited a crosswind on the main runway, that was outside of the limitations of the aircraft. Should we hang around and await a weather change or take the diversion? Not bloody likely, having done a det in the recent past our Captain, knew that there was a short, but into a high wind, runway available as an option to the crosswind. Now, I've flown gliders and even stood behind the Captain on approaches to Sarajevo, the scrap of tarmac that this bloke aimed us at was ridiculous, but we landed and stopped comfortably. I'm sure many are familiar with the man I speak of, certainly a man who represents the high quality of airmanship our fleet was endowed with. And I don't mind including young Doug the Nav in that list. Now, I know of a few more H J stories from way back, but they are all second hand. Anyone have anything that might contribute to the mans input "down route" ?
Smudge
Smudge
Ah yes S** V**** twin brother, excellent! I agree. The best Flt Commander I ever knew.
It wasn't D*** B****** but not sure, I was down there just after with the same Det Co
Does anybody remember the story of P*** O**** and K*** O****** and the MPA dining in night?
It wasn't D*** B****** but not sure, I was down there just after with the same Det Co
Does anybody remember the story of P*** O**** and K*** O****** and the MPA dining in night?
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Lyneham Update
Just drifting off thread to relate from another source that the much vaunted "purple" School of Tech Training will now only be pongos at Lyneham.
The fish heads are staying at HMS Sultan and the R.A.F. will stay at Cosford so all we have in the old "Home of the Hercules" is the REME and half a million solar panels. Cosmic!
The fish heads are staying at HMS Sultan and the R.A.F. will stay at Cosford so all we have in the old "Home of the Hercules" is the REME and half a million solar panels. Cosmic!
Looks like the runways are still useable Doug, should push come to shove. Though, I'm damn sure that as the RAF left Lyneham, they did so with heads held high, the place certainly did an enormous amount of good work for many causes. Nice shot by the way!
Smudge
Smudge
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As printed elsewhere, that's another R.A.F. Station squaddified. Of the ones I served at in the U.K. there's only Benson and Brize left. All the rest are now "Pondicherry Barracks" or somesuch.
Going back for a moment to H****y J*****n who was a good pal. When we were headed back across the Atlantic and twilight was upon us the Flt Eng said "How much of the fight time do you want to call day flying?" and H****y said "When you can't see me any more we will call that the start of night flying" Good bloke
Going back for a moment to H****y J*****n who was a good pal. When we were headed back across the Atlantic and twilight was upon us the Flt Eng said "How much of the fight time do you want to call day flying?" and H****y said "When you can't see me any more we will call that the start of night flying" Good bloke
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Remember a route many years ago when Hurricane Gilbert took out Jamaica, HJ was the captain. Our lords and masters did the honourable thing as we were revitined to take support and supplies to the island, and said "stay on the ground as long as necessary to make sure HJ's kinfolk were ok". Telephones were down, but he managed to find out everything was ok not long after landing, we being true gents of course stayed on the deck for the full 3 hours required to make lunch in Kingston. HJ was slightly concerned that we had to reverse out of the parking slot in case we did some damage, until it was pointed out to him there were Cessnas on the GA pan upside down in trees, plus the terminal area we were next to had no roof to windows. A lovely man to fly with.
Doug and Ksimboy,
I too had the good fortune to accompany HJ on at least one route. The one in question was a trip to MPA, I don't think it was a Tanker rotation, just a standard truckie route. After our long flight down from ASI we found that the cross wind on the main runway was well out of limits. HJ opted for the secondary runway, which to be honest, I thought was extremely short (not that what I thought mattered), I'm sure you chaps will know how usable it actually was. But a fine landing was accomplished. As you both say, a truly smashing gentleman to travel with.
Smudge
I too had the good fortune to accompany HJ on at least one route. The one in question was a trip to MPA, I don't think it was a Tanker rotation, just a standard truckie route. After our long flight down from ASI we found that the cross wind on the main runway was well out of limits. HJ opted for the secondary runway, which to be honest, I thought was extremely short (not that what I thought mattered), I'm sure you chaps will know how usable it actually was. But a fine landing was accomplished. As you both say, a truly smashing gentleman to travel with.
Smudge
S-D,
Quite right sir, my senior moments are obviously becoming more regular. Curiously, I wondered where HJ had appeared from. Thanks for informing me.
Smudge
Quite right sir, my senior moments are obviously becoming more regular. Curiously, I wondered where HJ had appeared from. Thanks for informing me.
Smudge
Last edited by smujsmith; 15th Sep 2015 at 20:08.
So,
post senile D, I heard a story of HJ doing the radios into a Caribbean Airport, where he came across some "heavy dude stuff", any of the proffesionals have any input on that, before I shoot myself in the foot again ?
Smudge
post senile D, I heard a story of HJ doing the radios into a Caribbean Airport, where he came across some "heavy dude stuff", any of the proffesionals have any input on that, before I shoot myself in the foot again ?
Smudge
That's the one Doug. Is it true, does anyone know the story with any accuracy ? Maybe it's just a rumour. Just curious. I shall go and have a lie down in a darkened room now.
Smudge
Smudge
Smuj
Re your post 3684 - when I was a baby Herc' nav in '67 that story was being told - I think it related to a Beverley or Hastings, with a Caribbean sounding Signaller, inbound to somewhere in India or Pakistan.
Thanks Brian,
No doubt there are many myths that stayed with the Hercules fleet as a hangover from the days of the Hastings and Bev. Even I manage to repeat them, frequently
Smudge
No doubt there are many myths that stayed with the Hercules fleet as a hangover from the days of the Hastings and Bev. Even I manage to repeat them, frequently
Smudge
I was a baby Herc' nav in '67 that story was being told - I think it related to a Beverley or Hastings, with a Caribbean sounding Signaller,
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Sounds Like
Language Difficulties.
On my first Det in Ethiopia it was decided to entertain the Polish "White Eagles" squadron who were equipped with Mil-8 Hip helicopters and carried our DZ safety teams up country. These venerable aircraft would clatter away every morning, provide open sandwiches and vodka for the DZ party's lunch then chug back to Bole field before dark. Nobody admitted to speaking English but they understood O.K.
At the appointed hour the Poles arrived and launched straight away into our duty free whisky, leaving their own pot still vodka on the table. After a spell the Detco asked if anybody spoke Polish and B***n T****r said "Well I speak Russian which is pretty close" "Go for it" said the Detco.
Standing up B***n said "Pozdravieniya tovarishchi" and bedlam ensued. All the Poles leapt through windows and doors and stayed outside in the dark. "Good one" we said and so I tried plan B. Stepping out into the dark I ventured "Spricht hier jeder Deutsch?"
A gruff voice answered "Ja" "What's wrong" I said in kraut. "Your friend" came the reply "Is he KGB?"
When all was sorted the Poles had a chat and slowly filed back out of the woods. The one who answered me then said in German "Your friend can speak to us in Russian but don't you speak German again. Some of these guys have long memories"
Several bottles of rot gut later nobody was talking sense anyway.
Twoje zdrowie
On my first Det in Ethiopia it was decided to entertain the Polish "White Eagles" squadron who were equipped with Mil-8 Hip helicopters and carried our DZ safety teams up country. These venerable aircraft would clatter away every morning, provide open sandwiches and vodka for the DZ party's lunch then chug back to Bole field before dark. Nobody admitted to speaking English but they understood O.K.
At the appointed hour the Poles arrived and launched straight away into our duty free whisky, leaving their own pot still vodka on the table. After a spell the Detco asked if anybody spoke Polish and B***n T****r said "Well I speak Russian which is pretty close" "Go for it" said the Detco.
Standing up B***n said "Pozdravieniya tovarishchi" and bedlam ensued. All the Poles leapt through windows and doors and stayed outside in the dark. "Good one" we said and so I tried plan B. Stepping out into the dark I ventured "Spricht hier jeder Deutsch?"
A gruff voice answered "Ja" "What's wrong" I said in kraut. "Your friend" came the reply "Is he KGB?"
When all was sorted the Poles had a chat and slowly filed back out of the woods. The one who answered me then said in German "Your friend can speak to us in Russian but don't you speak German again. Some of these guys have long memories"
Several bottles of rot gut later nobody was talking sense anyway.
Twoje zdrowie
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We also inadvertently upset the Poles. We used to fly over the fantastic landscape with music blaring out over the PA, usually Ride of the Valkyries on the run in. It was some Polish anniversary so it was decided to drop a harness pack with whisky and goodies for the DZ party. The Eng had a tape of national anthems (bizarre I know)so it was decided that we would blast out the Polish on the run in, over the comms as well this time.
Unfortunately the Eng played the Russian national anthem by mistake!
QUOTE=Dougie M;9119794]Language Difficulties.
On my first Det in Ethiopia it was decided to entertain the Polish "White Eagles" squadron who were equipped with Mil-8 Hip helicopters and carried our DZ safety teams up country. These venerable aircraft would clatter away every morning, provide open sandwiches and vodka for the DZ party's lunch then chug back to Bole field before dark. Nobody admitted to speaking English but they understood O.K.
At the appointed hour the Poles arrived and launched straight away into our duty free whisky, leaving their own pot still vodka on the table. After a spell the Detco asked if anybody spoke Polish and B***n T****r said "Well I speak Russian which is pretty close" "Go for it" said the Detco.
Standing up B***n said "Pozdravieniya tovarishchi" and bedlam ensued. All the Poles leapt through windows and doors and stayed outside in the dark. "Good one" we said and so I tried plan B. Stepping out into the dark I ventured "Spricht hier jeder Deutsch?"
A gruff voice answered "Ja" "What's wrong" I said in kraut. "Your friend" came the reply "Is he KGB?"
When all was sorted the Poles had a chat and slowly filed back out of the woods. The one who answered me then said in German "Your friend can speak to us in Russian but don't you speak German again. Some of these guys have long memories"
Several bottles of rot gut later nobody was talking sense anyway.
Twoje zdrowie
[/QUOTE]
Unfortunately the Eng played the Russian national anthem by mistake!
QUOTE=Dougie M;9119794]Language Difficulties.
On my first Det in Ethiopia it was decided to entertain the Polish "White Eagles" squadron who were equipped with Mil-8 Hip helicopters and carried our DZ safety teams up country. These venerable aircraft would clatter away every morning, provide open sandwiches and vodka for the DZ party's lunch then chug back to Bole field before dark. Nobody admitted to speaking English but they understood O.K.
At the appointed hour the Poles arrived and launched straight away into our duty free whisky, leaving their own pot still vodka on the table. After a spell the Detco asked if anybody spoke Polish and B***n T****r said "Well I speak Russian which is pretty close" "Go for it" said the Detco.
Standing up B***n said "Pozdravieniya tovarishchi" and bedlam ensued. All the Poles leapt through windows and doors and stayed outside in the dark. "Good one" we said and so I tried plan B. Stepping out into the dark I ventured "Spricht hier jeder Deutsch?"
A gruff voice answered "Ja" "What's wrong" I said in kraut. "Your friend" came the reply "Is he KGB?"
When all was sorted the Poles had a chat and slowly filed back out of the woods. The one who answered me then said in German "Your friend can speak to us in Russian but don't you speak German again. Some of these guys have long memories"
Several bottles of rot gut later nobody was talking sense anyway.
Twoje zdrowie
[/QUOTE]