RAF Hercules Tankers
Herc tanker airbridge ops pre-dated the arrival of tankers at Stanley by some months (a year?)
Last edited by Four Turbo; 22nd Dec 2016 at 16:06. Reason: Repetition
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Downwind, Victors were there into 1985. Once MPA was opened the trooping switched to T* and then BA Charter. The Air Bridge Herc sorties dropped to I believe one per week. The effect was I was disestablished and grabbed the next 10 home 
Southbound, the airbridge had to have diversion fuel for the friendly bits of South America - hence the need to refuel.
Northbound, Ascension Island was an authorised Island Holding destination because the weather was never bad there, was it?!?!
Northbound, Ascension Island was an authorised Island Holding destination because the weather was never bad there, was it?!?!
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Widn, I was there whgen it rained. This was before the huge channel dug passed Travellers. The water cascaded through the narrow trench dug by PSA in the camp which then washed away the ground around some huts. The road to the airhead split length ways, the bridge on the road too Cricket Valley was underwater. The sports pitch in Georgetown was also riven with channels. Over 4 inches of rain in one hour on Georgetown.
I guess the airfield would have been black for a couple of hours.
I guess the airfield would have been black for a couple of hours.
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On the northbound leg of the airbridge there were numerous ways of approaching to ASI due to the lack of ATC control in the South Atlantic. Some crews kept the wind on the tail (zero drift) as far north as possible putting them closer to South Africa than South America. Others cruise climbed gently as weight and temperature allowed. I always kept a Last Point of Diversion (LPD) to Recife in my back pocket when ASI weather was iffy. The famous story of the return to ASI by one eyed B*** A****** when the weather clamped is recorded in another thread but after using up all his "Island Holding" fuel he briefed "In the event of a go round on this approach I intend to crash in the sea along the line of the beach while the engines are still turning" they saw the approach lights. It wasn't always beer and skittles on the return half.
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DM, given the lack of ASR one might have hoped the offshore supply ships had a RIB.
PS, we had no crash or ditching plan that I was aware of. On the runway the crash trucks at sea . . .or on land, iffy
PS, we had no crash or ditching plan that I was aware of. On the runway the crash trucks at sea . . .or on land, iffy
DM, I'm out for a Xmas beer with the Flt Eng on that infamous trip this evening. He's always quite philosophical about the incident and it was great to see that crews reunion at his leaving do at the now defunct secret Wiltshire airbase.
Once MPA was opened the trooping switched to T* and then BA Charter.
LFH
..........
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LFH, not quite. I was on the jump seat for the first flight in to MPA. The second flight with the VIPs to officially open the airfield was also a T*. Only after that did BA get the contract.
Interestingly FIADGE had not realised that they would not have UHF Comms with the BA aircraft and they had to cobble a plan together at the last moment. I can't remember but is it possible the T* didn't have UHF either at that time.
We were clearer to brief the BA crews on the SHORAD procedures. I said this was unnecessary. All we had to do was give them a comms out procedure with a defined entry corridor and clear of the BDZ. This was accepted.
When the first BA crew came in to ASI Ops there were about 30 of them - I think they brought every man and his dog (no women) in and most filed straight out again. I recall their chief navigation officer there was Peter Royce.
Interestingly FIADGE had not realised that they would not have UHF Comms with the BA aircraft and they had to cobble a plan together at the last moment. I can't remember but is it possible the T* didn't have UHF either at that time.
We were clearer to brief the BA crews on the SHORAD procedures. I said this was unnecessary. All we had to do was give them a comms out procedure with a defined entry corridor and clear of the BDZ. This was accepted.
When the first BA crew came in to ASI Ops there were about 30 of them - I think they brought every man and his dog (no women) in and most filed straight out again. I recall their chief navigation officer there was Peter Royce.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
I was Ops1 at Stanley in 1985 when MPA opened. What I do remember is the departure of the first BA 747.
The crew had been persuaded to do a fly past at Stanley to allow those on board to say goodbye. So after take off they transited to Stanley at low level and did a low pass down the runway with a slow wing waggle so everyone at the windows could wave gleefully at those left behind.
IIRC when BA found out about it they went ballistic and took disciplinary action against the crew; all subsequent departures following the standard departure route.
The crew had been persuaded to do a fly past at Stanley to allow those on board to say goodbye. So after take off they transited to Stanley at low level and did a low pass down the runway with a slow wing waggle so everyone at the windows could wave gleefully at those left behind.
IIRC when BA found out about it they went ballistic and took disciplinary action against the crew; all subsequent departures following the standard departure route.
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Digressing but BA allowed the only 3 pax on a flight Gib-UK earlier this month to go on the flight deck.
After the pictures appeared in the Daily Wail yesterday I bet that was another b*ll*cking
After the pictures appeared in the Daily Wail yesterday I bet that was another b*ll*cking
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I was Ops1 at Stanley in 1985 when MPA opened. What I do remember is the departure of the first BA 747.
The crew had been persuaded to do a fly past at Stanley to allow those on board to say goodbye. So after take off they transited to Stanley at low level and did a low pass down the runway with a slow wing waggle so everyone at the windows could wave gleefully at those left behind.
IIRC when BA found out about it they went ballistic and took disciplinary action against the crew; all subsequent departures following the standard departure route.
The crew had been persuaded to do a fly past at Stanley to allow those on board to say goodbye. So after take off they transited to Stanley at low level and did a low pass down the runway with a slow wing waggle so everyone at the windows could wave gleefully at those left behind.
IIRC when BA found out about it they went ballistic and took disciplinary action against the crew; all subsequent departures following the standard departure route.
How sad.
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I think you will find that the flight deck visit only occurred once on the ground back in UK.
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When the flight landed, Laura and Sarah, who is from Gibraltar, and Laurie-Lin, from Glasgow, took selfies in the cockpit and say ground staff 'couldn't believe' there were just three passengers aboard.
(Towards the end of the article, although the photo caption tries to give a different impression - who'd have thunk that of the Daily Fail??)
(Towards the end of the article, although the photo caption tries to give a different impression - who'd have thunk that of the Daily Fail??)
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Digin, I thought the Herc air bridge replaced Uganda. Uganda was retired on 25 Apr 1985. MPA opened 12 May.
Our end of the command-chain were convinced we'd be sailing the U-boat to the breakers yard, while the grown-ups would take the Herc, as per our journey South. As it transpired we returned to the UK as a complete Squadron.
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