RAF Tristars Deploy To Manchester -Why ?
 

Just wondered if any aircrew based at Brize knew why we had two RAF Tristars up here the other day on air refuelling duties?

They were taking Tonkas out to Bangor but just wondered why they operated out of Manchester rather than Brize.

Rumours up here suggested that the runway length was actually longer at Manchester than Brize allowing aheavier payload, but I have heard conflicting stories on this.

...any ideas ?

Oh and please come again we are starved of military at Manchester.

Couple of Tanker 10s would be just superb !

Probably the hotel accomodations were better than the Mess at Brize.

My sleeping bag and tent are better than the mess at Brize

Well at least they named it accurately

At 3050m Brize is 2m longer than Manchester.

:zzz: :zzz: :zzz: :zzz: :zzz:

Better night stop than Prestwick . . .. . . . ?

Ahhhh nights in Bradbury Hall (sp?)........ :yuk:

This is a fairly easy one to answer.

Brize ATC can't clear any aircraft to do anything if a trishaw is in the UK FIR and may need their attention. With TWO bistars needing to depart at a similar time ATC would have been unable to clear either to do any action in case the other requested attention. Departing from an alternative airfield was the only option.

Hope this clears things up.

(Sent as I wait at the holding point for 26, again, for an aircraft not quite visible over London.)

Come to Lyneham like the C17's do for their training.

...As do the dreadful noise-pollutant museum pieces, the WC10.

Lionel of the mane, now there's a memory jogger. Tunnels and dark places and all above ground but above board I doubt. Rgds.

Wappy Tupper,

Jealousy will get you no where!

'cos when they grow up they want to be proper pilots. :D

Ah yes, the Route Hotel at RAF Nause Brighton.

Is it true they stopped calkling it the Brize Norton Air Traffic Services Unit when they realised it wasn't providing a service?

Come meet the nice new SATCO and the equally charming DSATCO and make that statement to them.....if you dare!

Oxford Radar, Cotswold Radar, BNATSU and now Brize Radar. Do a pretty good job really, in my view. But attempting to provide IFR sep standards to traffic in blue, blue VMC Class D airspace is a real bind!

Regarding the 'joining straight in' VFR Hercs back from meat-bombing, well, chaps it's you who have to fit in with existing circuit traffic and if you don't like it, fly an instrument approach or join via initials!

Had the joy of enforcing that on a 146 at Benson when I was in the tower one day watching Bloggs v tarmac in my UAS days. 4 Bulldogs merrily pottering around the circuit when TQF belled up and announced that they were joining visually straight in from Princes Risborough. We'd had enough of them messing us about before, so I told the visual controller to clear the 146 to join via initials. There was a brief '"Say again?" "Roger, Kitty, join via initials with 4 in" she told him. The 146 then appeared and broke into the circuit, fitting in quite happily with the other traffic.

Later he had a mild whinge with the CFI. Mistake. Big mistake! "Suggest you read the FOB and revise visual circuit procedures" quoth he!