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Piano Ceremony

Old 10th Dec 2019, 11:26
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I seem to recall that the Royal Navy dropped a piano from a great height above RAF Cosford in 1978...

,,,but it didn't catch fire! (apart from the smoke grenade inside it!)
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Old 10th Dec 2019, 12:14
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There were also those British re-enactors who built a Trebuchet siege engine and used to fire old upright pianos (and Minis - sans engine) across the English landscape

I remember Scientific American put a picture on the front cover along with a detailed article on the science of the design
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Old 10th Dec 2019, 15:48
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Didn't a certain northern station used to have a piano-based competition on Tain Range in the 80s? ISTR that the target was attacked by the station's squadrons - Jags, Buccaneers, Hunters, Shackleton etc with various weaponry, but the winner was the Sea King crew that lowered their winchman equipped with axe to finish off the "target".
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Old 11th Dec 2019, 10:27
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A couple of catering sized tins of beans hidden deep inside the piano pre-burning always added some Oooompf and a little nervous tension to the ceremony.
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Old 11th Dec 2019, 11:07
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Originally Posted by Private jet
Eh? Burning pianos? Whatever next, books??
Behaviour like that will only confirm in normal peoples minds that the military are indeed a bunch of strange, moronic, self-entitled savages, that can only function in an artificial world of their own making.
Bless. 12345
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Old 11th Dec 2019, 11:08
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Two memorable piano incidents were:

The RAF Coningsby piano burning behind the Officers Mess when a certain C4 drove a car onto the burning piano. Someone rang 999 instead of 222 and 5 local fire brigades were called out.
Made national press at the time.
Complete lack of involvement claimed by culprit who went on to become a 4*!!

The other was a Wildenrath v Bruggen challenge for Bruggen to destroy a piano in 30 minutes with practice bombs. The final 4 ship was armed with HE rounds to ensure a kill.
They achieved the task and Wildenrath hosted a memorable "Tactics Discussion" that the Bruggen Wing travelled to by train. The was a great picture of the padre covered in ash and soot playing the piano with a bomb through the middle.

Any pictures of either incident?
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Old 11th Dec 2019, 13:52
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Old 11th Dec 2019, 14:10
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Originally Posted by Dominator2

The other was a Wildenrath v Bruggen challenge for Bruggen to destroy a piano in 30 minutes with practice bombs. The final 4 ship was armed with HE rounds to ensure a kill.
They achieved the task and Wildenrath hosted a memorable "Tactics Discussion" that the Bruggen Wing travelled to by train. The was a great picture of the padre covered in ash and soot playing the piano with a bomb through the middle.

Any pictures of either incident?
i thought it was a more interesting challenge to destroy a Jaguar with an air to air missile let go from an F-4...Oops....
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Old 11th Dec 2019, 15:54
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Originally Posted by ShyTorque


i thought it was a more interesting challenge to destroy a Jaguar with an air to air missile let go from an F-4...Oops....
Went there, saw that!

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Old 11th Dec 2019, 16:01
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ShyTorque

i thought it was a more interesting challenge to destroy a Jaguar with an air to air missile let go from an F-4...Oops....
Not really a challenge. 1 mile 6 o'clock . Even a Mud Mover could have achieved a kill from that position.

Hats Off to the Jag Mates. A practice bomb through a piano is no mean feat. Personally I would have preferred to use SNEB rockets!
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Old 11th Dec 2019, 16:26
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But too much of a challenge to put the arm switch to safe....
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Old 12th Dec 2019, 07:26
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Originally Posted by ShyTorque
But too much of a challenge to put the arm switch to safe....
As we well know there was a bit more to it than that.
One of the many amusing anecdotes around at the time , which I'm sure you know, was that there were ( allegedly) two GAF F 104s observing the encounter.

" Mein Gott!. and this is what these guys do on EXERCISES!!"
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Old 12th Dec 2019, 12:23
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I heard that at the Inquiry the German F104 pilot said that his thought after seeing the missile leave the rails, hit the Jaguar and then see the pilot eject was "Fritz, today the British are playing for real. I think I will go home"! The person who regaled this tale to me was the F4 Nav!
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Old 14th Dec 2019, 02:18
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They achieved the task and Wildenrath hosted a memorable "Tactics Discussion" that the Bruggen Wing travelled to by train.
Probably quicker than flying over in a Jag.
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Old 14th Dec 2019, 11:46
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Originally Posted by NutLoose
Probably quicker than flying over in a Jag.
....and safer !

lsh
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Old 14th Dec 2019, 16:23
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Back to the piano

Originally Posted by BlackIsle
Bill Macgillivray - not sure when the RN might have launched the first piano but there was an occurrence in the late 70's when 892 Squadron returned to Ark Royal with the Leuchars Officers Mess piano which was indeed launched!
Not quite. 809 were the piano flingers, not 892. As SG's video shows.
I believe it was a blindfolded Tiger T*m, on promo to Sqn Ldr, who dismantled the Chivenor piano with his empty barrel on the eve of airday. The mess potted plants were used to create a new, temporary flower bed to hide the burned lawn.
At Linton in 1970 we were banned from burning the mess piano at DiNs. Does anybody remember what was burned as an alternative and who was the benefactor?
Off to find a pic of the sooty padre....

Just had a pm. It was a car, possibly a Ford Prefect, donated by a Jordanian student.

I do remember that the patch of melted tarmac was quite extensive.

Last edited by Minnie Burner; 14th Dec 2019 at 21:57.
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Old 30th Dec 2019, 11:44
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Zulu mag

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Old 30th Dec 2019, 16:59
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Minnie Burner,

Well done for finding above article concerning the Wildenrath/Bruggen Piano Bombing Comp.

Don't suppose such enjoyment allowed today. Not quite the same doing "No Drop Bomb Scoring" against each other?

Don't suppose the Salmon Trophy would exist today either?
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Old 1st Jan 2020, 10:01
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I have passed on the above article to Brian (Danny) Lavender, who was very amused & has passed it on to a few more pals.

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