Did you ever have a "moment" when flying
Years ago I organised a cocktail party in the US to thank our hosts for their continuing hospitality and support. I can't remember on which day the event was held but the only joint UK-US operation which occurred on that day was a ground attack mission on or around Arakan. I wonder if Danny was involved?
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Pontius Navigator (#79),
Rest of story told on "Pilot's Brevet", Pqge 135, #2692 et seq. Enjoy !
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MPN11 (#80),
Well, I suppose the night I woke thinking I'd a tiger under my 'charpoy' (arching his back to scratch iit against the rough coconut fibre string) would qualify - (then came to fully to realise it was only an earthquake).
Story same page, #2684.
Cheers, both, Danny.
PS: Not flying, though ! (sorry, chaps - the flying is often the safe part !)
D.
Rest of story told on "Pilot's Brevet", Pqge 135, #2692 et seq. Enjoy !
''''''''''''''''''''''''
MPN11 (#80),
Well, I suppose the night I woke thinking I'd a tiger under my 'charpoy' (arching his back to scratch iit against the rough coconut fibre string) would qualify - (then came to fully to realise it was only an earthquake).
Story same page, #2684.
Cheers, both, Danny.
PS: Not flying, though ! (sorry, chaps - the flying is often the safe part !)
D.
Vortex Ring was involved IIRC
Edited to add.
I eventually went to Wastelands at Weston Super Mare to pick up XW 216, complete with a brand new lower airframe assembly, and flew it back to Odiham. The F700 hadn't been completed since it acceptance in Aldergrove so I wrote in the post flight section.
'Severe vibration on landing but it cleared on the next flight.'
Last edited by Fareastdriver; 9th Mar 2017 at 16:00.
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Fog of War.
Megaton (#81),
Was never involved with any air operation with the US, but "Search this Thread has turned up:
(Extract from "Pilot's Brevet" Thread Page 161, my #3204):
I sighed on reading this: a "box" of VVs would have removed the butts in toto and everything in them "in one fell swoop". Sadly, they'd been pensioned off by then. EDIT : * Provided it was late enough in the year for dive bombing - Wiki says Imphal/Kohima finished end of June '44. (Percy is not good on dates).
This is the only thing I could find which is vaguely relevant. And it implies that the incident took place in Manipur, well North of the Arakan. In any case I was hors de combat from 24th February, 1944, when my last 'op' came to a sticky end. When I came back from hospital, it was all over with the Vengeance - all the squadrons had been pulled off and would never return (with VVs, that is).
Sorry, Megaton, but can't help.
Danny.
....Years ago I organised a cocktail party in the US to thank our hosts for their continuing hospitality and support. I can't remember on which day the event was held but the only joint UK-US operation which occurred on that day was a ground attack mission on or around Arakan. I wonder if Danny was involved? ...
(Extract from "Pilot's Brevet" Thread Page 161, my #3204):
"BBC - WW2 People's War - Army Days" (which I have mentioned a few Posts ago, lost, and which Union Jack has kindly found again for me) contains a gripping account by an infantryman (Percy Bowpitt) of his time in India and Burma.
...In our southward push after the break-out from Imphal - Kohima, the Jap reverted to the dig-in-and-hold tactic he always used in retreat. On one occasion, Percy recounts how his unit was held up in an advance over an old rifle range. The Jap was well dug-in in the butts at the far end, a frontal attack over the open range would have been very expensive.
They called in an air strike. First, a pair of US Lockheed "Lightnings" turned up, assessed the situation, chose the wrong end and (in all good faith) shot-up Percy and his pals. (Why weren't they marking the target with a mortar smoke bomb, surely the Army would have them ?) Fortunately, the Lightnings' aim was so poor that they only killed a couple of mules.
Hurricane IICs did better next time, at least they attacked the right way, but their bombs would be far less accurate than ours, they'd only carry two apiece, and, entering at a much shallower angle than ours, much of the blast would be harmlessly up into the air. Dug-in, Johnnie Jap kept his head down and laughed at the cannon....
...In our southward push after the break-out from Imphal - Kohima, the Jap reverted to the dig-in-and-hold tactic he always used in retreat. On one occasion, Percy recounts how his unit was held up in an advance over an old rifle range. The Jap was well dug-in in the butts at the far end, a frontal attack over the open range would have been very expensive.
They called in an air strike. First, a pair of US Lockheed "Lightnings" turned up, assessed the situation, chose the wrong end and (in all good faith) shot-up Percy and his pals. (Why weren't they marking the target with a mortar smoke bomb, surely the Army would have them ?) Fortunately, the Lightnings' aim was so poor that they only killed a couple of mules.
Hurricane IICs did better next time, at least they attacked the right way, but their bombs would be far less accurate than ours, they'd only carry two apiece, and, entering at a much shallower angle than ours, much of the blast would be harmlessly up into the air. Dug-in, Johnnie Jap kept his head down and laughed at the cannon....
This is the only thing I could find which is vaguely relevant. And it implies that the incident took place in Manipur, well North of the Arakan. In any case I was hors de combat from 24th February, 1944, when my last 'op' came to a sticky end. When I came back from hospital, it was all over with the Vengeance - all the squadrons had been pulled off and would never return (with VVs, that is).
Sorry, Megaton, but can't help.
Danny.
Last edited by Danny42C; 9th Mar 2017 at 20:31. Reason: Typos
OK. My worst moment in 50 years of flying! In a Canberra low level over the sea in transit from one photo run to a new target. Viz going down, below 8/8 cover at 1000ft and below controlled airspace. So kept down to maintain surface contact. Asked nav about obstructions. 'Only land in about 50 miles' he says. Shortly to be followed by a lighthouse passing close to the port wingtip! I can still see it.
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The scaredest I've been (is that a word?) was a Case 3 night approach onto a heaving deck in an A-4 with low fuel and no bingo field. First pass was a bolter, as was the 2nd. Then trying to tank in the dark in turbulence. It took several attempts to finally hit the basket. By the end of the refueling I was a basket case, completely unnerved and certain I'd never get aboard. That was definitely the worst moment in my life.
Danny42C wrote:
Around about then as a small child I well remember that pile of silver painted aluminium at Weston Zoyland, which was the 'crash compound' - full of bits of pranged aircraft.
Didn't put me off wanting to become a pilot though!
...when I was on refresher training at Weston Zoyland in '54, a chap came out of low scud and bounced a Meteor off the Quantocks
Didn't put me off wanting to become a pilot though!
KenV, Having flown off Ships in a helicopter....I can appreciate your account!
That is why you guys had Gold Wings!
It is one thing to cross the deck edge at Five Knots as compared to how fast you were traveling. On the other hand....shrinking that deck to just slightly bigger than the aircraft and greatly exaggerating the movement of said Deck also provided some sportiness to it as well.
It does get dark out there....and as the options decrease towards....none....the stress level does increase slightly.
While sat on the Landing Pad of a Crane Ship wallowing its way through the North Sea one ugly night....with the Landing Gear Oleo's bottoming out as the ship rolled and heaved....and the aircraft sliding about across the rope netting....had I been able to shut down and quit the job....I would have. The thought of picking up off that deck into the dark...while over a hundred miles from shore....was daunting.
What amazed me was as soon as we did....and were back into our element....it almost seemed like it was a boring trip back ashore....never mind the ice, snow, and high seas.
A Flying Career without some "Moments" must be very dull.....and those "moments" make for some good yarns....Afterwards!
That is why you guys had Gold Wings!
It is one thing to cross the deck edge at Five Knots as compared to how fast you were traveling. On the other hand....shrinking that deck to just slightly bigger than the aircraft and greatly exaggerating the movement of said Deck also provided some sportiness to it as well.
It does get dark out there....and as the options decrease towards....none....the stress level does increase slightly.
While sat on the Landing Pad of a Crane Ship wallowing its way through the North Sea one ugly night....with the Landing Gear Oleo's bottoming out as the ship rolled and heaved....and the aircraft sliding about across the rope netting....had I been able to shut down and quit the job....I would have. The thought of picking up off that deck into the dark...while over a hundred miles from shore....was daunting.
What amazed me was as soon as we did....and were back into our element....it almost seemed like it was a boring trip back ashore....never mind the ice, snow, and high seas.
A Flying Career without some "Moments" must be very dull.....and those "moments" make for some good yarns....Afterwards!
SASless: Years ago you posted a picture of, I believe, your CH47 which had been redecorated around your nether regions with an RPG7 and the paintwork was also slightly off colour.
Could you post it again or am I mistaken and it wasn't yours.
Could you post it again or am I mistaken and it wasn't yours.
Yes Old Fella....I did post a photo of a Chinook that took a bit of remodeling caused by a .51 Caliber MG hit in the cockpit that generated a bit of excitement for a while. It provided me a pretty good tale about how Emergency Checklists are not able to address all situations and completely ignoring the thing can be excused when you present your defense to those critical of your actions ...and a real appreciation of the value of Nomex Clothing .
Let's see if I can dig them up.
Let's see if I can dig them up.
Last edited by SASless; 10th Mar 2017 at 23:41.
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FFS PN, it's a did you have moment thread, not bore us to death with your old effing war stories thread. We've already read them countless times on othe threads fella.
S-D
S-D
Scroll button inoperative?
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
How about the time Geoff Hoon (the buffoon and Sec Def) asked why there were chains on the cockpit floor in the Herc, or some such. I hear he went white when they told him.
SD, glad your feeing better.
SD, glad your feeing better.
PN,
the chains used to be coiled up on the seat cushions in the hope that they would provided some protection from small arms fire and shrapnel to the crown jewels and other tender parts.
the chains used to be coiled up on the seat cushions in the hope that they would provided some protection from small arms fire and shrapnel to the crown jewels and other tender parts.
Some Vietnam helicopter pilots wore the hand guns swung around to between their legs in the thought that would offer some protection. Some placed the old style soft Flak Jackets in the chin bubble thinking the same.
On our Chinooks we added half inch Steel plate to the Jettisonable doors on each side of the cockpit. We salvaged armored pilot seats for our gunners use and added a steel plate at the rear of the cargo hatch for our Flight Engineer to lay on while monitoring the under-slung load.
On our Chinooks we added half inch Steel plate to the Jettisonable doors on each side of the cockpit. We salvaged armored pilot seats for our gunners use and added a steel plate at the rear of the cargo hatch for our Flight Engineer to lay on while monitoring the under-slung load.
Certainly, escorting a stretcher case from Shaibah to Arifjan for a CT scan in 2004 in a Puma, we put spare body armour under he stretcher. On the way back, I did wonder if I should be sitting on mine rather than wearing it.