RAF Hercules Tankers
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I seem to recall that after pushing the tanker to the end of the bracket still plugged in we were burning his fuel because we were full but the weather was bad in FI. A terse request to poke off was received because they had barely enough fuel to trudge back to ASI. Both aircraft pulled abeam and the navs traded positions before "boomerang airways" headed back. At this point they played a motown tune on the radio...."Do know.. where you're going to...."
Only another 6 hours to go!
Only another 6 hours to go!
Yes, above details are about right. ASI -ASI was usually over 12 hours. I will find my logbook if anyone needs exact details. 'Poor Sods' - oh, I don't know. Lots of peace and quiet (no ATC to talk to), exciting toboggan behind a Victor, fill up the airbridge, then 6+ hours of peace and quiet (and not arriving at Stanley). Plenty of time for reading and eating. Then 24+ hours off, with the Americans in the early days and then later around English Cove or the ASI pool. The Dakar pool was better though!
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English Bay or Comfortless Cove.
In addition to the codes we provided cross words and the BBC World Service programme schedules.
In addition to the codes we provided cross words and the BBC World Service programme schedules.
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That is correct. Later Sir Arthur Marshall.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
I recall one concert party left ASI on the airbridge and got to the decision point and, because of the FI forecast, it turned back to ASI - where they and their kit were offloaded on the pan and loaded on another C-130 and sent off south again - stumbling off the aircraft after about 28 hours on the back of one then the other; then were loaded straight on a Wokka to make their first show at Mount Byron.
The show must go on.........
The show must go on.........
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Stanley Stn Cdr, one Gp Capt Graydon [later ACM Sir Michael] doing his first prod on the KC-130 in 1983. Straight in, just like that! I was later pleased to be asked for a copy of that photo for him!
Tricky keeping your arm and camera out of the way as the hose reeled in and out, though!
I have a similar Harrier one as well, if anyone is interested. {ah, found the photo}
Tricky keeping your arm and camera out of the way as the hose reeled in and out, though!
I have a similar Harrier one as well, if anyone is interested. {ah, found the photo}
Last edited by MPN11; 20th Dec 2016 at 19:01.
A quick look in an old log book shows a lot of option 8 sorties of 2.45 duration . I seem to remember that we were usually in the outside bar at ASI OM as the Herc long slot got back.
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MPM11, those type of shots were done to death by everyone who got up in a Herc down South. They were forever featured in Air Clues. I finally got a go in 1983,but the loadie was either new to the job or refuelling and wouldn't let any of us pax anywhere near the hose where it exited the airframe. Still a nice jolly though, and got some slides somewhere.
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Terry,
Not seen a chap named AA62 on here for a while. (Mind you I don't check in that regularly).
He should be able to help you out.
There is a bit in Richard Tanners book if you have access to it.
See you at SAM in February.
Not seen a chap named AA62 on here for a while. (Mind you I don't check in that regularly).
He should be able to help you out.
There is a bit in Richard Tanners book if you have access to it.
See you at SAM in February.
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What's his real name please? Perhaps by pm!
A lot easier to take a photo of a Harrier than a Phantom from that position, MPM11. The phantom shot has a lot of hose in it if taken from the starboard side. Indeed it is a lot of fun trying to position the camera without aid of a viewfinder with both arms (plus head in close proximity) wrapped around a moving hose. my flight was in XV201 if memory serves in Jan 1989.
Terry, many years later I was back in the RAF but as a scribbly. BoB Memorial Service and I was "doing" the AFB seating area. Down the aisle comes Sir Arthur - I stopped a colleague about to go and usher him wit "I'll take this one". Walked up and "Good morning, Sir Arthur". He was a second or two taking in the sqn ldr uniform and colour sash, then grinned and replied "Didn't you used to work for me?" We had a few minutes conversation as I showed him to his seat. Later when I was at Wyton I saw his son, Michael, a few times, usually when the ATC were having their Wing Parade.
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Mil,
...err, because, if you read the thread starter's original question, he wants to know if any live operations were carried out with a Hercules tanker. I am able to answer his question in the affirmative but not give specific details. Thus helping a fellow Ppruner without compromising the official secrets act.
Reading through this thread has jogged my memory though: I have conducted AAR operations from a Hercules tanker in a Nimrod en-route to and from the Falkland Islands.
...err, because, if you read the thread starter's original question, he wants to know if any live operations were carried out with a Hercules tanker. I am able to answer his question in the affirmative but not give specific details. Thus helping a fellow Ppruner without compromising the official secrets act.
Reading through this thread has jogged my memory though: I have conducted AAR operations from a Hercules tanker in a Nimrod en-route to and from the Falkland Islands.
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ORAC/PN
Had a similar experience myself in transit as one of the first REMFs deployed to relieve the original TAC-ATC guys. Following arrival at ASI, courtesy Vickers Funbus, we happy band of miscellaneous brothers were packed into the transport Herc after it had been bulked-out with freight with the exhortation “find a place and lie in it – don’t recommend the ramp it gets f f f flaming cold there…” And so, off we sauntered. This where my memory is at odds with Pontius as I clearly recall the first 2 refuelling brackets were C130 to C130 and the long slot was a Victor.
Bracket 1 with a C-130 went fine as did Bracket 2 with another C-130. However, I managed to get onto the flight deck for Bracket 3 that was with the Victor at which point it was explained that one of the prop controls wasn’t doing its thing properly and the necessary control finesse probably wasn't available to toboggan with the Victor. I vividly recall viewing the dimples in the rivets at the back-end of the Victor and thinking "I prefer 3 or 5NMs/1000ft to this coat-of-paint separation standard!".
After 2 or 3 prodding tries, including one with the basket nearly bouncing on the cabin roof, it was “this one, or we’re back to ASI”…. Missed. About Turn – re-trog back to ASI. Land. “Right you lot – we’re doing a frame change; grab some kip in a tent somewhere – we’ll be off again in about 4 hrs”. So it was, scran, camp bed, no sleep, rise and shine and ‘seconds away, round 2’. Made it the second time, but by the time we got to Port Stanley’s 4,100ft – yet to be extended - runway our eyes were rotating like the Herc’s props. Still, “get some kip, you’ve got your PAR check-out and Local Knowledge examination tomorrow” re-orientated one’s priorities.
Later, once the runway had been extended to 6,100ft and the F4’s arrived, the based ac complement comprised 6(?) F4s, 8 GR3 Harriers, 2 Tanker/MPA Hercs, 2 SAR Kings, 4(?) Chinooks and usually 1 Herc Freighter rotating through on a turnaround. Routine Ops comprised PIs and ‘Presence’ sorties: 2 F4’s, 4 Harriers as MFF/close support trng, 1 C130 Tanker support. Recovered in the order: land Harriers between cables, taxi onto apron to hold while landing 1 x F4 into cable, taxi Harriers for pushback into HARDET while cable is being rewound, land second F4 into cable; instead of re-winding, de-rig cable so Herc Tanker can land, re-rig/rewind cable, when the Herc’s clear. The process was based on American carrier ‘Case’ recoveries; it worked very well especially when the Fire Crews got into their stride on the cable re-winds. The Harriers were always an incentive for the Fire Crews to get a ‘wiggle on’ as they waited (impatiently!) for the first F4 to be got out of the cable. It all slowed down unfortunately when the BAK-13s were ‘withdrawn from use’ as they could take something like 10 arrests an hour and re-wound semi-automatically, like a carriers’ wire. The RHAG was a much gentler arrest but was restricted to 4 arrests an hour and was a faff to re-wind.
Had a similar experience myself in transit as one of the first REMFs deployed to relieve the original TAC-ATC guys. Following arrival at ASI, courtesy Vickers Funbus, we happy band of miscellaneous brothers were packed into the transport Herc after it had been bulked-out with freight with the exhortation “find a place and lie in it – don’t recommend the ramp it gets f f f flaming cold there…” And so, off we sauntered. This where my memory is at odds with Pontius as I clearly recall the first 2 refuelling brackets were C130 to C130 and the long slot was a Victor.
Bracket 1 with a C-130 went fine as did Bracket 2 with another C-130. However, I managed to get onto the flight deck for Bracket 3 that was with the Victor at which point it was explained that one of the prop controls wasn’t doing its thing properly and the necessary control finesse probably wasn't available to toboggan with the Victor. I vividly recall viewing the dimples in the rivets at the back-end of the Victor and thinking "I prefer 3 or 5NMs/1000ft to this coat-of-paint separation standard!".
After 2 or 3 prodding tries, including one with the basket nearly bouncing on the cabin roof, it was “this one, or we’re back to ASI”…. Missed. About Turn – re-trog back to ASI. Land. “Right you lot – we’re doing a frame change; grab some kip in a tent somewhere – we’ll be off again in about 4 hrs”. So it was, scran, camp bed, no sleep, rise and shine and ‘seconds away, round 2’. Made it the second time, but by the time we got to Port Stanley’s 4,100ft – yet to be extended - runway our eyes were rotating like the Herc’s props. Still, “get some kip, you’ve got your PAR check-out and Local Knowledge examination tomorrow” re-orientated one’s priorities.
Later, once the runway had been extended to 6,100ft and the F4’s arrived, the based ac complement comprised 6(?) F4s, 8 GR3 Harriers, 2 Tanker/MPA Hercs, 2 SAR Kings, 4(?) Chinooks and usually 1 Herc Freighter rotating through on a turnaround. Routine Ops comprised PIs and ‘Presence’ sorties: 2 F4’s, 4 Harriers as MFF/close support trng, 1 C130 Tanker support. Recovered in the order: land Harriers between cables, taxi onto apron to hold while landing 1 x F4 into cable, taxi Harriers for pushback into HARDET while cable is being rewound, land second F4 into cable; instead of re-winding, de-rig cable so Herc Tanker can land, re-rig/rewind cable, when the Herc’s clear. The process was based on American carrier ‘Case’ recoveries; it worked very well especially when the Fire Crews got into their stride on the cable re-winds. The Harriers were always an incentive for the Fire Crews to get a ‘wiggle on’ as they waited (impatiently!) for the first F4 to be got out of the cable. It all slowed down unfortunately when the BAK-13s were ‘withdrawn from use’ as they could take something like 10 arrests an hour and re-wound semi-automatically, like a carriers’ wire. The RHAG was a much gentler arrest but was restricted to 4 arrests an hour and was a faff to re-wind.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
DM, what I described was only one option and was the most used. You will note Vasco confirmed the flight time for the short Victor. Four Turbo confirmed to brackets for the long Herc. There was an option for two Victors which would push the long Victor flight time to 7 hrs 30 or so.
Fuel wise the Victor/Herc option was more economical than the Victor/Victor and more comfortable for the freighter.
Incidentally the freighter was not refuelled north bound.
Fuel wise the Victor/Herc option was more economical than the Victor/Victor and more comfortable for the freighter.
Incidentally the freighter was not refuelled north bound.
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Thanks PN - I thought a visit to the GP might be in order ref the onset of incipient Alzheimer's! Definitely didn't AAR on the the return leg, but it was sooooo loooong!
Without knowing the delivery dates of the Herc Tankers, could it be that, with 2 tankers at Port Stanley, there weren't enough Herc Tanker assets available at ASI in the early days of the Airbridge operation, leading to the heavier Victor utilisation? ASI still seemed to be covered with Victors in Sep 82.
Without knowing the delivery dates of the Herc Tankers, could it be that, with 2 tankers at Port Stanley, there weren't enough Herc Tanker assets available at ASI in the early days of the Airbridge operation, leading to the heavier Victor utilisation? ASI still seemed to be covered with Victors in Sep 82.