Phantom Friday
followed by a move to RAF Mount Pleasant in April 1984 and a reduction to 4 jets
The 'PhanDet' formed at Port Stanley with 9 jets in October 1982, soon to be replaced by 29 Sqn, 23 Sqn then replaced 29 Sqn in April 1983,,
As I recall it 29 Sqn effectively founded "Phandet" (having migrated in part from ASI) and ran it/manned it until the end of '82.
23 Sqn personnel started to replace them in Dec 82
and by Mid Jan 83 I'm pretty sure "Phandet" (for despite the change in personnel it was still known as such) was almost 100% 23 Sqn personnel, with a "rump" left back at Wattisham to keep the flag flying......a month or two later the axe fell at the UK end...The 23 Squadron colour did indeed follow the troops down to the Falklands in Spring '83 and only then was the label "Phandet" dropped.
FWIW At pretty much the same time as the squadron colour went south some of us on 23 were heading back north to the UK....
Last edited by wiggy; 30th Aug 2015 at 17:14.
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I remember OC92 leading us on a night 4-ship Victor AAR in the 80s; 'twas a v dark night and he had trouble getting visual with the tanker as we rolled in behind in trail at about a mile. He asked the tanker to check his lights were on full brightness. The tanker obliged by firing a white Verey......cue much swearing as all 8 of us lost our night vision for about 10 min......
Wiggy, you are right. We (29) were the original Phandet, the boss (Fadge) being the first there and we had come mainly from ASI. 23 took over then it became 1435.
Thanks CM
Having checked my logbook it looks like there was obviously a 29(F) presence amongst the wheels down south later than I thought. I left Stanley in mid March 83, and my hours summary for the period ("Unit: Phandet") was signed by Roy (?) Trotter and 'Fadge.
FWIW my next summary very shortly thereafter was my last for 23 Sqn (only two trips, one of which was the Squadron's disbandment Diamond 9 on 30th March)
...and the next summary was my first monthly on 29(F).....
Rgds
Wiggy
Having checked my logbook it looks like there was obviously a 29(F) presence amongst the wheels down south later than I thought. I left Stanley in mid March 83, and my hours summary for the period ("Unit: Phandet") was signed by Roy (?) Trotter and 'Fadge.
FWIW my next summary very shortly thereafter was my last for 23 Sqn (only two trips, one of which was the Squadron's disbandment Diamond 9 on 30th March)
...and the next summary was my first monthly on 29(F).....
Rgds
Wiggy
Last edited by wiggy; 31st Aug 2015 at 09:14.
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I left Stanley in early May 83, and as far as I can remember it was 23 Sqn by then. I must get the slides out and scan them for this thread.
The things we did for Phandet!
Don't remember why or when we were lifting it, it was just run of the mill tasking so didn't even get a mention in the log book. However, it has 29 Sqn markings, serial No is XV4-8.
Don't remember why or when we were lifting it, it was just run of the mill tasking so didn't even get a mention in the log book. However, it has 29 Sqn markings, serial No is XV4-8.
Sqn photo Jun 84 - 31 years on, seems less sometimes.
Second row centre looks suspiciously like M*** D****d well known Sengo of No 8 Sqn and possessor of an elderly, female, asian relative.
Phandet? As I recall it was locally known as WIMPDET . GEF control board for equipment allocation had all the sqns identified by Det. i.e Hercdet or Hardet but for 23 sqn it was Wimpdet.
Hercdet used to run a sweepie to see how long the tanker would have to wait, engines running, before the QRA got airborne.
Hat,coat.
Second row centre looks suspiciously like M*** D****d well known Sengo of No 8 Sqn and possessor of an elderly, female, asian relative.
Phandet? As I recall it was locally known as WIMPDET . GEF control board for equipment allocation had all the sqns identified by Det. i.e Hercdet or Hardet but for 23 sqn it was Wimpdet.
Hercdet used to run a sweepie to see how long the tanker would have to wait, engines running, before the QRA got airborne.
Hat,coat.
Shackman
I may well be wrong (old age, etc) but one possibility is that the picture is from very late 82 or v early 83 and the underslung F4 was one that had been very very badly damaged in an interesting cable engagement in the early days of Phandet. As I heard it the cable whipped upwards on hook engagement and into the leading edge of the horizontal ('ish) stab, - I think CM was there at the time and will no doubt have the full story. As a result of that unforeseen nasty incident/near accident we inherited a policy of "hook down, stay down" from the original Phandet crews (rather than performing a "bolter") if we thought we'd missed the approach end cable(s).
I seem to recall a Chinook being used to lift the airframe from the airfield and carrying it out to a ship to be repatriated.
"Oldageand....." Err, Well in our defence at least we had the good grace not to block the runway at midpoint by collapsing a nose wheel.....oh how the guys who were already airborne without tanker support laughed .....
still, it all worked out ok in the end....
Don't remember why or when we were lifting it
I seem to recall a Chinook being used to lift the airframe from the airfield and carrying it out to a ship to be repatriated.
Hercdet used to run a sweepie to see how long the tanker would have to wait, engines running, before the QRA got airborne.
Hat,coat.
Hat,coat.
still, it all worked out ok in the end....
Last edited by wiggy; 1st Sep 2015 at 11:55.
Mid 1983 when all the dets were numbered (1312, 1453 etc) and we inherited the 23 Sqn badge, there was an edict issued from STC that PHANDET, HERCDET, CHINDET, HARDET and so on were no longer to be used on signals or other correspondence.
Distribution from the commcen? Yep: PHANDET, HERCDET, HARDET...
Distribution from the commcen? Yep: PHANDET, HERCDET, HARDET...
27mm wrote:
And the slug-balancer in chief on the front row is GB, OC 56.
(When did 'Marvin the paranoid android' become 'Grumpy Bob'?)
Gizz - the RAF's only commissioned football hooligan!
Let's see now (not in order):
Grumpy Bob, CT, Hartles, KC, Spud, Jonesy, MaxBurner, Gizzard, Evan, TOMMY, Woodsy....
Grumpy Bob, CT, Hartles, KC, Spud, Jonesy, MaxBurner, Gizzard, Evan, TOMMY, Woodsy....
(When did 'Marvin the paranoid android' become 'Grumpy Bob'?)
Gizz - the RAF's only commissioned football hooligan!
23Sqn with 4 aircraft were at MPA in Jan 86 when I arrived. Don't know how long they had been there but the centre part of the runway had been taken over from the contractors the previous year. I signed for the rest shortly after I arrived
27mm
Ok I am familiar with all of the noms de plume above except 'Max Burner' which surprises me somewhat as I was there too. Perhaps you could clarify without giving name in clear e.g 2nd from right 2nd row.
Let's see now (not in order):
Grumpy Bob, CT, Hartles, KC, Spud, Jonesy, MaxBurner, Gizzard, Evan, TOMMY, Woodsy....
Grumpy Bob, CT, Hartles, KC, Spud, Jonesy, MaxBurner, Gizzard, Evan, TOMMY, Woodsy....