The Last "Man's Aeroplane"?
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Fernhurst West Sussex
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The last Man's aeroplane
Let's face it, when the handling pilot called "slow cut" to the flight engineer it was a not an order but a request. If you had p****d him off during the trip there was no way that you were going to land the beast properly. If he thought you deserved it he would glance out of his window and put you down like a cat peeing on velvet.
To sort the men out from the boys Jack Huntingdon would bounce the Hastings back up to 30 or 40 feet and then give control to the poor unfortunate in the other seat telling the flight engineer to give him no help whatsoever.
Those were the days............
Give me the DC10 anyday.
To sort the men out from the boys Jack Huntingdon would bounce the Hastings back up to 30 or 40 feet and then give control to the poor unfortunate in the other seat telling the flight engineer to give him no help whatsoever.
Those were the days............
Give me the DC10 anyday.
Join Date: Aug 1998
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Laker Liker
I may have you rumbled and claim the £5 reward! Am I correct in recalling an article in Airclues a million years ago regarding flight into the Provost Marshall's prohibited area over Bath? It was the ref to JH. Two co-pilots and a couple of pork pies and I'll fly through lunch!
I may have you rumbled and claim the £5 reward! Am I correct in recalling an article in Airclues a million years ago regarding flight into the Provost Marshall's prohibited area over Bath? It was the ref to JH. Two co-pilots and a couple of pork pies and I'll fly through lunch!
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Join Date: Nov 2000
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I think, on the form so far, the venerable Hastings wins it for sheer brutality (although I am not sure whether it outlasted the Meatbox in service).
Two of us were on our way out to 208 in the Canal Zone in '54 and met up at Cliff Pipard, which was the passenger transit facility for Lyneham in those days, on the eve of our departure. In view of the reputation of our destination as the Anus of the Empire, we really "hung one on" (the bar stayed open all night on a self-help basis!) sure in the knowledge that we would be suitably anaesthetised for the Hastings ride to Luqa the next day.
No sooner were we airborne than the auto pilot went kaput and the Captain trawled the passengers for substitutes. I drew short straw and found myself wrestling the beast across the Massif. An excellent way of sweating off a hangover! We had two days at Luqa waiting for spares and the crew took us in tow and showed us the shadier side of life on Malta. We seemed to live on some awful local "red" mixed with CocaCola. The Hastings crews included some real characters and spawned some legendary pranks, including the one about the co-pilot emerging from the flight deck and walking down the aisle backwards paying out pieces of string which he thrust into the hands of a Wing Commander matron in the nursing service , telling her which string to pull if a wing dropped, while he ducked into the loo.
Two of us were on our way out to 208 in the Canal Zone in '54 and met up at Cliff Pipard, which was the passenger transit facility for Lyneham in those days, on the eve of our departure. In view of the reputation of our destination as the Anus of the Empire, we really "hung one on" (the bar stayed open all night on a self-help basis!) sure in the knowledge that we would be suitably anaesthetised for the Hastings ride to Luqa the next day.
No sooner were we airborne than the auto pilot went kaput and the Captain trawled the passengers for substitutes. I drew short straw and found myself wrestling the beast across the Massif. An excellent way of sweating off a hangover! We had two days at Luqa waiting for spares and the crew took us in tow and showed us the shadier side of life on Malta. We seemed to live on some awful local "red" mixed with CocaCola. The Hastings crews included some real characters and spawned some legendary pranks, including the one about the co-pilot emerging from the flight deck and walking down the aisle backwards paying out pieces of string which he thrust into the hands of a Wing Commander matron in the nursing service , telling her which string to pull if a wing dropped, while he ducked into the loo.
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Antonov AN-2 . Had the honour in Poland, an aircraft for heroes. I'm sure there are songs written about it.
"It was ear-lee one morning in our great heroic nation.....
...Sasha beat his chest and said, Now I commit aviation......"
Read them and weep capitalist running dogs.
....Be hairy of chest......
"It was ear-lee one morning in our great heroic nation.....
...Sasha beat his chest and said, Now I commit aviation......"
Read them and weep capitalist running dogs.
....Be hairy of chest......
Join Date: Nov 2001
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Last Man's Aeroplane
Sorry Bof,
Not me I'm afraid. I flew with Jack on 48 Squadron as flight engineer 1963 - 1966. The last time I saw the old reprobate was on the early days of the C130 when we didn't know our a**e from our elbow.
Now if you are asking about the Severn bridge that is a different matter....................
Laker Liker (RBKL)
Not me I'm afraid. I flew with Jack on 48 Squadron as flight engineer 1963 - 1966. The last time I saw the old reprobate was on the early days of the C130 when we didn't know our a**e from our elbow.
Now if you are asking about the Severn bridge that is a different matter....................
Laker Liker (RBKL)
