RAF v RN - Falklands
The following 3 users liked this post by Mogwi:
41 years ago today saw the first aerial action in the Falklands with attacks by 800NAS on Stanley and Goose Green airfields at (very!) low level and the first four A2A kills. Just to show the balance, these were a Canberra and Dagger to the RN pilots and 2xDaggers to the RAF exchange pilots.
Interestingly, three of the four pilots concerned were instructors from the training squadron (899NAS) who, like me had been co-opted to join the front-line outfits at 24hrs notice.
Mog
Interestingly, three of the four pilots concerned were instructors from the training squadron (899NAS) who, like me had been co-opted to join the front-line outfits at 24hrs notice.
Mog
The following 9 users liked this post by minigundiplomat:
The following users liked this post:
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: In the State of Denial
Posts: 1,078
Likes: 0
Received 146 Likes
on
28 Posts
retd
retd is a written abbreviation for retired. It is used after someone's name to indicate that they have retired from the army, navy, or air force. ... Commander J. R. Simpson, RN (retd).
retd is a written abbreviation for retired. It is used after someone's name to indicate that they have retired from the army, navy, or air force. ... Commander J. R. Simpson, RN (retd).
abbreviation on the basis that they have simply moved from the Active List to the Retired List, and liable for recall up to a certain age. The principal exception of course would be for clarity such as when writing to newspapers for example.Jack
A colleague at RAF Nicosia was so incensed by a fellow weatherman signing forecasts as Lt Cdr A B C Cxxxxx RN Retd that he decided to use his own retired rank as a post-nominal ....... JT RAF [National Service] B Sc.
S Met O was sufficiently amused that he let the joke run.
S Met O was sufficiently amused that he let the joke run.
I did try to put Lt Cdr rtd in my post nominals on the RAF list when asked while going through RAFC, but the powers were not in favour.
A nice quotation from Collins in the full post, although curiously enough it is not usually considered necessary for former naval officers to add *any* abbreviation on the basis that they have simply moved from the Active List to the Retired List, and liable for recall up to a certain age. The principal exception of course would be for clarity such as when writing to newspapers for example.
Jack
abbreviation on the basis that they have simply moved from the Active List to the Retired List, and liable for recall up to a certain age. The principal exception of course would be for clarity such as when writing to newspapers for example.Jack
Mog
I believe that this originated in the Elizabethan (?) era, when Naval Officers were gentlemen who returned to their estates when no longer required for duty - but retained their commissions and were subject to recall should the Bally Foreign Johnnies get uppity again. Or even foreign cousins 🙂.
Mog
Mog
[As for Commandrs RN being entitled to scrambled egg on the cap, I think that has the same root]. Hardly aviation but Wing Commanders have bare peaks.
When I arrived at Stanley in February 1983 it was to discover that the Army ran the the ferry to the dormitory ship in Stanley harbour, the Navy's choppers were available to those who needed (or wanted) to go to other parts of the islands and the RAF ran the catering. The slogan was "Sail Army, Fly Navy, Eat Crab"
The following users liked this post:
LB,
Lieutenant Commander is an import from the rebel colonies' navy. They were Senior Lieutenants before 1914.
Officers holding the rank of (Master and) Commander were listed as such in the Navy List from the early 1700s with the date of appointment to the rank. The rating of the ship indicated the necessary rank of its captain but a commander was still a commander if he held no appointment in command of a ship.
I presume a wing commander's hat/cap design dates from the brief period they were lieutenant colonels. Either that or it was pinched to give air commodores an extra one.
Anyway back to aviation ...
Lieutenant Commander is an import from the rebel colonies' navy. They were Senior Lieutenants before 1914.
Officers holding the rank of (Master and) Commander were listed as such in the Navy List from the early 1700s with the date of appointment to the rank. The rating of the ship indicated the necessary rank of its captain but a commander was still a commander if he held no appointment in command of a ship.
I presume a wing commander's hat/cap design dates from the brief period they were lieutenant colonels. Either that or it was pinched to give air commodores an extra one.
Anyway back to aviation ...
The following 3 users liked this post by SLXOwft:
The following 2 users liked this post by Widger:
The sortie was meant to be a “training” trip to complete my night deck qual and was supposed to be my first inky-poo landing. We were scrambled to cover the Tristram and Galahad after the first attack and witnessed the carnage from the overhead.
I was just approaching Bingo fuel when a further attack developed and the two of us got stuck into 4 Skyhawks at extremely (below 50’) low level. I splashed 2 with AIM9, one at V close range and one who evaded, then emptied my 30mm at a third without a gunsight (but managed 1 hit on the port flap) before pulling off. My #2 splashed him with a L and we both headed home without enough gas to get there.
luckily the ship headed towards us at max speed which allowed us to just make it back for a straight-in, glide approach from 90 miles, only touching the throttle for the first time at about 500’ as we cleared the cloud. Loads of braking stop, power and flare, followed by “expeditious” VL with the fuel low level lights flashing madly.
300 lbs remained on shut-down (200lbs/min in the hover) and pilots notes suggest up to 300 can be unuseable depending upon attitude (aircraft not pilot!).
Luckily they kept the bar open for us.
Mog
PS I am now very close friends with the fourth guy, who got back to Argentina being towed by a Herc, as fuel peed out the back of his Skyhawk as fast as it went in the front.
I was just approaching Bingo fuel when a further attack developed and the two of us got stuck into 4 Skyhawks at extremely (below 50’) low level. I splashed 2 with AIM9, one at V close range and one who evaded, then emptied my 30mm at a third without a gunsight (but managed 1 hit on the port flap) before pulling off. My #2 splashed him with a L and we both headed home without enough gas to get there.
luckily the ship headed towards us at max speed which allowed us to just make it back for a straight-in, glide approach from 90 miles, only touching the throttle for the first time at about 500’ as we cleared the cloud. Loads of braking stop, power and flare, followed by “expeditious” VL with the fuel low level lights flashing madly.
300 lbs remained on shut-down (200lbs/min in the hover) and pilots notes suggest up to 300 can be unuseable depending upon attitude (aircraft not pilot!).
Luckily they kept the bar open for us.
Mog
PS I am now very close friends with the fourth guy, who got back to Argentina being towed by a Herc, as fuel peed out the back of his Skyhawk as fast as it went in the front.
Oral history recording, reel 18.
Curiously enough, Widger's interesting suggestion does not completely hold water (SWIDT) because French Navy officers other than what the Royal Navy calls Warfare Officers have an entirely different range of rank titles, and finally, whilst we may have a few vessels, we ain't go no corvettes any more!
Jack