HS780 Andover C1/E3
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Nope not quite. This very nice crew transport had 2 pilots, 1 nav and a loadie for normal ops. If dropping paras then extra dispatcher/s were carried also if dropping Seac packs or 4 linked 1 ton containers on a roller track. Initially 6 x 1 tons were cleared for auto drop but following a trial when a rear container jumped the roller guide rails and temporarily caused a jam with the c of g out of limits to the rear this was changed to 2 + 4. As 1 tons were normally released at 400 ft agl at (105 kts? I think) a nose high stalling aircraft made the crew very nervous. I see on 1 picture a John Love. He was always called Brian on the Sqn.
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What a nasty-looking crowd in the newspaper article; would one, for example, buy a used motor car from one in particular? As for a Squadron Commander with a double-barreled name.......? An appropriate post, since it is their time of the year.
No NCO Navigators at Thorney on 46, albeit that one may have moved from Abingdon as an instructor with the Training Squadron. Standard crew one of each, that's four for the innumetate.
No NCO Navigators at Thorney on 46, albeit that one may have moved from Abingdon as an instructor with the Training Squadron. Standard crew one of each, that's four for the innumetate.
They do not look any different from the aircrew I met as a CCF cadet and I met rather more than most as my Dad was a pilot with 1 AEF. Not only did I meet current aircrew including pilots holding doing a stint on the AEF, but I also met senior serving officers who were "keeping there hand in" whilst their day job was flying a desk. I also met a lot of WW2 pilots like my dad, including his personal friends, Mac Hamilton DFC*, Frank Wolfson DFC, Bob Robinson a City of Glasgow Squadron Spitfire Pilot (you can always tell a fighter pilot, but you cannot tell him much!). There were even a couple of Navy pilots on the AEF, one serving (MOD desk job) and one retired who happened to live round the corner from us. And there is my late father in law 618 Squadron and his brother Blenheim air gunner 236 Squadron Battle of Britain.
They all did their duty for King/Queen and country and unlike Garth, lived to tell the tale. I would have bought a used car from any of them.
The post by JENKINS. is one of the most reprehensible posts I have ever had the misfortune to read on PPRuNe
They all did their duty for King/Queen and country and unlike Garth, lived to tell the tale. I would have bought a used car from any of them.
The post by JENKINS. is one of the most reprehensible posts I have ever had the misfortune to read on PPRuNe
Nope not quite. This very nice crew transport had 2 pilots, 1 nav and a loadie for normal ops. If dropping paras then extra dispatcher/s were carried also if dropping Seac packs or 4 linked 1 ton containers on a roller track. Initially 6 x 1 tons were cleared for auto drop but following a trial when a rear container jumped the roller guide rails and temporarily caused a jam with the c of g out of limits to the rear this was changed to 2 + 4. As 1 tons were normally released at 400 ft agl at (105 kts? I think) a nose high stalling aircraft made the crew very nervous. I see on 1 picture a John Love. He was always called Brian on the Sqn.
I remember a very friendly Andover pilot called Hamish - can't remember his surname.
He used to fly the Islander at Netheravon from time to time, then disappeared. I was then posted to RAF Laarbruch, where one day the Andover E3A flight checker was with us... part way through the day the crew popped in for a Met brief and there was Hamish! He was a mature gent then and that was 25 years ago! Anyway on here know him?
He used to fly the Islander at Netheravon from time to time, then disappeared. I was then posted to RAF Laarbruch, where one day the Andover E3A flight checker was with us... part way through the day the crew popped in for a Met brief and there was Hamish! He was a mature gent then and that was 25 years ago! Anyway on here know him?
They do not look any different from the aircrew I met as a CCF cadet and I met rather more than most as my Dad was a pilot with 1 AEF. Not only did I meet current aircrew including pilots holding doing a stint on the AEF, but I also met senior serving officers who were "keeping there hand in" whilst their day job was flying a desk. I also met a lot of WW2 pilots like my dad, including his personal friends, Mac Hamilton DFC*, Frank Wolfson DFC, Bob Robinson a City of Glasgow Squadron Spitfire Pilot (you can always tell a fighter pilot, but you cannot tell him much!). There were even a couple of Navy pilots on the AEF, one serving (MOD desk job) and one retired who happened to live round the corner from us. And there is my late father in law 618 Squadron and his brother Blenheim air gunner 236 Squadron Battle of Britain.
They all did their duty for King/Queen and country and unlike Garth, lived to tell the tale. I would have bought a used car from any of them.
The post by JENKINS. is one of the most reprehensible posts I have ever had the misfortune to read on PPRuNe
They all did their duty for King/Queen and country and unlike Garth, lived to tell the tale. I would have bought a used car from any of them.
The post by JENKINS. is one of the most reprehensible posts I have ever had the misfortune to read on PPRuNe
Er, as someone who was aircrew, I have to say that, whilst there WERE a lot of great guys (and they all were guys in my day) there were also some thoroughly rotten bad eggs who I most certainly would NOT have bought a second hand car from! Folk come in all shapes and sizes and types. Good, bad and indifferent. Aircrew are no different.
Apart from a quick flight in a Bulldog for air experience at Cosford in 1980, the flight that inspired me to want to be aircrew was when I was invited to the flight deck of an Andover to observe the approach into TTTE Cottesmore in 1982. We had been on det to Machrihanish and we flew there and back in an Andover.
On the approach, long and short finals, there was a frequent loud whirr which I believe now to be the stall warner. I asked if that should be sounding and the crew laughed and said 'It always does!".
Decent chaps who were the catalyst to change a young man's life path to go from a techie to aircrew. Always appreciated.
On the approach, long and short finals, there was a frequent loud whirr which I believe now to be the stall warner. I asked if that should be sounding and the crew laughed and said 'It always does!".
Decent chaps who were the catalyst to change a young man's life path to go from a techie to aircrew. Always appreciated.
Nick B,
I had hoped an ex-Andover man would come up with the name you are looking for - But I have a vague memory of a 'Hamish' on 52 at Changi when I was there on 48 ( Hercules ) and the surname I think was Raynham.
I possibly remember him because his 'Jizz' suggested he was an Army man rather than RAF.
JW411
Good to see you are still 'On the perch'!. I had a long chat with 'Lou Scannon' on Friday, who said he had lunch with you recently.
Brian Wildey.
I had hoped an ex-Andover man would come up with the name you are looking for - But I have a vague memory of a 'Hamish' on 52 at Changi when I was there on 48 ( Hercules ) and the surname I think was Raynham.
I possibly remember him because his 'Jizz' suggested he was an Army man rather than RAF.
JW411
Good to see you are still 'On the perch'!. I had a long chat with 'Lou Scannon' on Friday, who said he had lunch with you recently.
Brian Wildey.
Join Date: Apr 2007
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Nick B,
I had hoped an ex-Andover man would come up with the name you are looking for - But I have a vague memory of a 'Hamish' on 52 at Changi when I was there on 48 ( Hercules ) and the surname I think was Raynham.
I possibly remember him because his 'Jizz' suggested he was an Army man rather than RAF.
JW411
Good to see you are still 'On the perch'!. I had a long chat with 'Lou Scannon' on Friday, who said he had lunch with you recent
Brian Wildey.
I had hoped an ex-Andover man would come up with the name you are looking for - But I have a vague memory of a 'Hamish' on 52 at Changi when I was there on 48 ( Hercules ) and the surname I think was Raynham.
I possibly remember him because his 'Jizz' suggested he was an Army man rather than RAF.
JW411
Good to see you are still 'On the perch'!. I had a long chat with 'Lou Scannon' on Friday, who said he had lunch with you recent
Brian Wildey.
It isn't true now, and it wasn't true then. People are people, as one introduction to a fascinating account of RN carrier aviation in WW2 said, "this isn't some white washed nicely cleansed account. The people involved were human, some lied, some cheated, some slept with others men's wives..."
I knew Hamish in Oman, where he was flying on the SOAF BAC 1-11s. He once trained as a ballet dancer, and could still pull some classical moves after a few drinks.
He also spent some time in Antarctica c. 1975-76
He often looked this serious!
He also spent some time in Antarctica c. 1975-76
He often looked this serious!
Join Date: Mar 2009
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SCFCU Departure
Just thought this might be of interest. I was the ops room assistant (Cpl.) alongside Flt Lt Arthur Small, the Ops controller at SCFCU from 1984 -1986. It was presented to me on my departure for my penultimate tour (EDUR) in the RAF. I am thankful to Arthur for the many things he taught me in relation to the wider job. One of the perks when I called eleventy five ops, to inform them that a particular task was cancelled, was to grab the spare chicken curry in-flight meal. Wherever you are in the Universe Arthur, remember - Effetuens Irrumator Es.
He sounds like an interesting colleague
I used to fly a bit with 52 squadron Andovers when I was fire officer at Seletar in 1967. Definitely one navigator on any trip I went on. As for the kneeling facility, this was used quite frequently , especially when taking kit "up country" and using strips with few facilities other than manpower. Best trip I went on was a weekend in Manila (staging through Labuan), A few people I remember were Andy Coverdale and John Austin (pilots) and Johnny Griffin (nav). I used to stand at the nav table and watch Johnny plotting and think it was a mystery how he knew where we were - four years later I was a nav myself and I still used to think it was it was a mystery!
That's the chap - I've not seen him since about 1997 & I'm certain he'd have no recollection of me!!
There was another Islander pilot at Netheravon - Dick Clode IIRC... ex-C130 pilot?
Thanks to you & Brian.
Cheers
Nick
Hamish! Top man. He carried on with the Andovers (flight checking) when they went to Hunting Aviation at East Midlands. I think (*standing by to be corrected) he retired when Hunting lost the Flight Checking contract in 1996; the airframes were then sold off. I think* they ended up in Africa.