Skies above Britain
Beefix:
They were certainly known as Rushton winches on the TT18 Canberras of 7 Sqn at St Mawgan.. They didn't always deploy a Rushton target, sometimes a sleeved target for daytime gunnery practice was used.
Photo taken by me in 1972
They were certainly known as Rushton winches on the TT18 Canberras of 7 Sqn at St Mawgan.. They didn't always deploy a Rushton target, sometimes a sleeved target for daytime gunnery practice was used.
Photo taken by me in 1972
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Scampton Director was operated from the Wadington Approach Room in the 80s
Then, just to make a mix of types and speeds a little more interesting we had a UAS summer camp with solo studes fluttering around and getting in the way.
Originally Posted by airpolice
A nationwide network certainly paints a grander picture than the current system that I am familiar with. There was a time..... Border, Northern, Eastern, Southern, Western and Highland radar.
I'm sure I'm missing somebody ... that's only 11, and I'm sure there were 12 when I was managing MATO ASIs and Unit SOPs.
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Brize?
Was Brize a Centre back in those days MPN11?
1ACC would have been No 1 Air Control Centre (deployable CRC in simple terms). Still in existence and deployed on Ops, though not in the UK. They do have a UK capability though and presumably did back then?
Interesting programme, but as far as the QRA(I) segment was concerned, there was a much better stab at it made by Sky TV last year - still around on You Tube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hijzP1zzLI
Having just had a quick re-visit to the Sky video, I am not sure that there weren't some bits borrowed from it for this programme.
1ACC would have been No 1 Air Control Centre (deployable CRC in simple terms). Still in existence and deployed on Ops, though not in the UK. They do have a UK capability though and presumably did back then?
Interesting programme, but as far as the QRA(I) segment was concerned, there was a much better stab at it made by Sky TV last year - still around on You Tube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hijzP1zzLI
Having just had a quick re-visit to the Sky video, I am not sure that there weren't some bits borrowed from it for this programme.
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Originally Posted by BEagle
Yet there are still some GA pilots who think that an infringement doesn't really matter if it didn't actually affect anyone else at the time....
I don't think the patterns were cleared until well after the evening peak died off. He would have cost the industry millions that day
I never spoke to Ulster, tried to hand over a southbound Vulcan at FL410 to Midland one day... that didn't go away quietly. At least it made a change from them refusing because it was either in their overhead or at the edge of cover, two areas which seemed to almost overlap.
LAZI was the enemy, resented because they got all the gucci kit.
The only other unit I remember talking to regularly was Dutch Mil.
The scopies had their own world of Buchan, Boulmer, Staxton Wold & Neatishead. At Northern we had a tie line to 1ACC but I can't remember who that was for.
Cotswold was really just Brize approach ... Was Brize a Centre back in those days MPN11?
BTW ... have you ATC chaps found This Website yet?
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Flying Phantoms out of RAF Lakenheath in the 72-75 time frame I found the British ATC chaps to very proficient and professional. I especially remember returning from deployments at Aviano Italy and feeling like I was in good (better?) hands after the transfer from the French ATC to London Mil. 
Thank you, Bevo ... that could have been me at either London or Eastern
"Cleared to the Lakenheath fix, decent and report level FL180, expect penetration on arrival, base weather <blah blah blah>"
PS: I was the Staff Officer who persuaded USAF and others to use the Colour Code for weather, saving a lot of RT time
PPS: I used to visit LK [and UH, and BW/WB] regularly to lecture at the Instrument School Indoctrination for new USAF pilots in the UK. Indeed, I still have copies of the presentation slides!
PPPS: I have a former USN pilot buddy in VA, who regularly flew from Rota to ML around that time. We reckon we spoke often before we met in a neighbourhood bar a few decades later ... and I will be seeing him there again in a couple of weeks
"Cleared to the Lakenheath fix, decent and report level FL180, expect penetration on arrival, base weather <blah blah blah>"
PS: I was the Staff Officer who persuaded USAF and others to use the Colour Code for weather, saving a lot of RT time
PPS: I used to visit LK [and UH, and BW/WB] regularly to lecture at the Instrument School Indoctrination for new USAF pilots in the UK. Indeed, I still have copies of the presentation slides!
PPPS: I have a former USN pilot buddy in VA, who regularly flew from Rota to ML around that time. We reckon we spoke often before we met in a neighbourhood bar a few decades later ... and I will be seeing him there again in a couple of weeks
Last edited by MPN11; 21st Aug 2016 at 17:50.
Caught up with this last night; quite impressed, though the one bit that rankled (apart from the flight-lootenant voiceover) was the typical spotter and his mum.
Kudos to the SAR crew. With all the comments I have heard about civilian crews not being as committed as the RAF/RN teams, I shall be happy to mention this programme to the next plonker who speaks that in my presence.
Kudos to the SAR crew. With all the comments I have heard about civilian crews not being as committed as the RAF/RN teams, I shall be happy to mention this programme to the next plonker who speaks that in my presence.
Apart from my [corporate/RAF] trips to Farnborough, I only know the [free] Jersey Air Display, where we did pay a substantial sum one year to dine and view in the VIP enclave.
I recall to my horror being rather under the affluence of inkahol, and being rather 'inappropriate' to AM Dusty Miller
Proceeds to RAFA
I recall to my horror being rather under the affluence of inkahol, and being rather 'inappropriate' to AM Dusty Miller
Proceeds to RAFA
Airpolice, my point was simply that Martin expressed irritation at 'spotters' being included in the programme. Spotters are citizens of the country that the RAF exists to defend. I write as someone who served inthe RAF and who enjoys photographing aircraft.
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Martin - I think you'll find that the Captain, winch operator and winch wench are all ex-RAF, don't know about the co-jo as he/she wasn't shown.
The level of professionalism is the reason so many from RAF/RN were taken on by Bristow.
The level of professionalism is the reason so many from RAF/RN were taken on by Bristow.
Not at all, Wub. Having spent many an hour outside fences myself I often class myself as a spotter. What rankled was the way that they were portrayed: look, the saddo with his mum.
What price the anonymous individuals who spend hours a a day using Internet forums and chat rooms? How can you get a sun tan doing that?
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To me it was more the way they portrayed the spotter, it was all "lives with his mum and can't get a girlfriend" kind of thing, bit unfair to say the least.
SAR bit was proper scary though, bit like the RNLI series the other week, makes you appreciate even more what they do.
SAR bit was proper scary though, bit like the RNLI series the other week, makes you appreciate even more what they do.
