10 Bear Badge
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10 Bear Badge
According to the Stn Cdr at RAF Lossiemouth the last time a "10 Bear Badge" was awarded was over 25 years ago.
The time lapse doesn't surprise me but I would have expected 10 to be a reasonably low number for crews on QRA throughout the Cold War.
Or is this just another PR thing to keep the work of the RAF in the eye during SDSR season? (Cynic mode not used)
The time lapse doesn't surprise me but I would have expected 10 to be a reasonably low number for crews on QRA throughout the Cold War.
Or is this just another PR thing to keep the work of the RAF in the eye during SDSR season? (Cynic mode not used)
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10 Bear Badge
The Lossiemouth stash has a short memory. In 2007 when the Ruskies started their shananigans in earnest, several Leeming Wg F3 mates earned 10 bear badges in the space of a few weeks. There was also a famous pic of the first typhoon intercept of a Bear, taken from the 6th F3 to Shadow that day, before they eventually managed to get a Typhoon airborne. 
On the FunBus, we didn't bother with mere '10' Bear ties / badges and were negotiating for '25' Bear ties / badges when Saxa gave up after the Wall came down......
Rules were 'No photo, no claim' - and that meant a photo from close echelon!
Rules were 'No photo, no claim' - and that meant a photo from close echelon!
Blimey, first time I've even heard of these. Don't think they existed when Victor K1s were taking F4s up North of Shetland on Bear hunts.
On the basis that they've only recently authorised the Berlin Airlift clasp for the GSM, what do you think my chances are for a retrospective claim for one of these?
On the basis that they've only recently authorised the Berlin Airlift clasp for the GSM, what do you think my chances are for a retrospective claim for one of these?
One of these, TTN. Sure you've never seen one?
I like the Typhoon guys' version of it - nicely added to the aircraft patch - but a shame in a way to discard the original and very long standing Ten Bear Club.
Yes, I too recall some awards since 1990.
I like the Typhoon guys' version of it - nicely added to the aircraft patch - but a shame in a way to discard the original and very long standing Ten Bear Club.
Yes, I too recall some awards since 1990.
Those Typhoon pilots are standing awfully close together; are we sure they're not Jag mates?
All together, now...
If I was a Jag mate, da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da
All day long I'd stick it up my....
...if I was a Jaguar man
All together, now...
If I was a Jag mate, da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da
All day long I'd stick it up my....
...if I was a Jaguar man
One of these, TTN. Sure you've never seen one?
(Saw a couple of Badgers once, P-N, but as they flashed past us on a reciprocal heading I dont suppose that counts!)
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TTN, ah, but rare.
Mach, yes.
Mind you, in about 86-87 the Bear were grounded and they sent May down.
One of our crews took photos as he passed. The montage on my not cell wall was 5 feet long.
Mach, yes.
Mind you, in about 86-87 the Bear were grounded and they sent May down.
One of our crews took photos as he passed. The montage on my not cell wall was 5 feet long.
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According to the book
Northern "Q": The History of the Royal Air Force Leuchars by Ian Smith Watson. [aka Finningley Lad]
The original 10 Bear badge was designed by one of 43 [F] Sqn F-4 Navs wives [Budgie Burgess]. Along with a 10 bear certificate.
Northern "Q": The History of the Royal Air Force Leuchars by Ian Smith Watson. [aka Finningley Lad]
The original 10 Bear badge was designed by one of 43 [F] Sqn F-4 Navs wives [Budgie Burgess]. Along with a 10 bear certificate.
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'Q'ing up
Being a Southern Q type I didn't make 10. But had a varied bag of sorts. 2 x BADGERS whilst in Cyprus (H and a K). 1 x BEAR D and 2 x MAY on one sortie north of the wall. Also I count 1 x BEAR that I escorted into Fairford for the air show.
How many of you steely eyed killers got a May?
But not off 'Q'.... Air to Air off Akrotiri suddenly became a quick dash round the west of Cyprus to pick up our "friend", presumably en-route from Libya to Syria...
BTW Ivan/Sergi/Yuri..or whoever, if you're reading this, I'm still waiting for those copies of the pictures you took
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How many of you steely eyed killers got a May?
As was often the case round those parts, the viz wasn't great and I did some serious BS-ing to convince the Olympus controller that we had a working radar despite the fact I couldn't see the target at 5NM! When we did draw alongside, the bugger tried the slow down, descend and turn gently towards trick to try and put us into the oggin.
So all-in-all, a 'somewhat busy trip' and the worst of it all was that after we'd landed, the ungrateful little sod of a UAS cadet made it pretty clear that he was completely underwhelmed by the whole episode!
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Ali Q, in our case it was low level well north of Saxa and we spotted this 3-ship and closed for pics. One of the three going to opposite direction to the other two tried to out run the mighty Hunter accelerating to 300 kts.
The frightening thing, he didn't check and rolled into us at 400 feet. He was as surprised as we were. Fortunately he pushed and we pulled.
The frightening thing, he didn't check and rolled into us at 400 feet. He was as surprised as we were. Fortunately he pushed and we pulled.
>In 2007 when the Ruskies started their shananigans in earnest, several Leeming Wg F3 mates earned 10 bear badges in the space of a few weeks.
Some of us folks in Teesside experienced "the sound of freedom" at 0300...
The fact that the QRA lads were obviously in a hurry, I thought Something Very Serious was happening.
Some of us folks in Teesside experienced "the sound of freedom" at 0300...
The fact that the QRA lads were obviously in a hurry, I thought Something Very Serious was happening.
I got a few intercepts on one in a helicopter ... I kid you not. (No, we were not able to join up, obviously).
He was coming in for a low pass, and our ship's radar controller started vectoring us for intercepts. We blazed along at all of the 135 knots we could get the machine to offer, were thankfully only in forward quarter engagements. The May turned away three times, though maybe not because of us. On the fourth intercept, the TAO (LCDR who was running CIC) got wind of what the controller was doing and called "knock it off." (Somewhere in the Med, 1984.) The two of us, upon RTB, got a talking to by our OIC for having too much fun. (He thought it was hilarious, but since the captain had been somewhat annoyed at the game we were playing, he told our OIC to give us a talking to. He did. He was amused so we got both coffee and doughnuts during that conversation).
He was coming in for a low pass, and our ship's radar controller started vectoring us for intercepts. We blazed along at all of the 135 knots we could get the machine to offer, were thankfully only in forward quarter engagements. The May turned away three times, though maybe not because of us. On the fourth intercept, the TAO (LCDR who was running CIC) got wind of what the controller was doing and called "knock it off." (Somewhere in the Med, 1984.) The two of us, upon RTB, got a talking to by our OIC for having too much fun. (He thought it was hilarious, but since the captain had been somewhat annoyed at the game we were playing, he told our OIC to give us a talking to. He did. He was amused so we got both coffee and doughnuts during that conversation).