2 UNRELATED GAZELLE Q'S
 

Ok been thinking back to my days involved with the senior service and a couple of queries pop up.

During time at many places to gain an insight into various roles. I was at Fleetlands around the time of Granby and while observing the role of a t/p had many a wonderful hands on flights in the gazelle 'hack'.
I was told several different stories as to why fleetlands had a perfectly servicable airframe to use as a hack, even with a logo painted on the tail.
can anyone else confirm why ?

Seperate question. At some other point during this time I was at Sultan when some royal bloke paid a visit (think it was the one that married ginger haired easy lay) Said prince arrived on the parade ground in a white gazelle with blue flash line (with tan leather seats ?). Q was this a RAF vip machine, if so what happened to them / it. I never did see one again.

Sorry this is such a minor Q. Will delete if someone answers.:)

p.s at this time I sat my board and had a Lt Woods on it. any stories about someone thawing her would be most welcome. It's always the serious ones you want to break

Can't answer your Fleetlands Hack question MVF, but 32 Squadron had a bunch of Gazelle HCC Mk.4s before the Twin Squirrels came along (HCC = either "Helicopter Comfy Cushions" if white, or "Helicopter Corgi Compatible" if red).
Here's one now at Hendon:
http://p.airliners.net/photos/middle/0/7/7/1026770.jpg

Having served at Fleetlands when we still had the hack, it was a hangover from the fact that it used to be the Royal Naval Aircraft Yard in the days before DARA. The aircraft, an HT2, belonged to the Navy and was the same as the ones used down at Culdrose on 705 NAS and was effectively a spare airframe. FONA had one up at Yeovilton as well. Once the Navy got rid of their Gazelles, we lost our too, great shame.

Thanks for the reply oggin.

I thought I was always being wound up with tales of 'it's somehow missing from the fleet invantory' or 'we keep snagging it so it will never return to service'

Thankfully my ears are now bone dry behind.

Nice pic BossE. If they a few, wonder why I never saw one again.