End of an Era
 

Kemble today at approx 12:15, the last to land PR.9 (XH131) shut down in RAF service. The last three PR.9s from 39 Sqn - XH131, XH134 and XH135 - were flown in to a blustery Kemble and recieved by Falcon Air and Delta Jets.

Later in the sun, the three last Canberras sat lined up on Kemble's lazy with 39 Sqn ground crews removing various bits of kit.

http://www.canberra.plus.com/pics/demobbed.jpg

So, after 55 years in service the Queen of the Skies retires. A relatively simple aircraft, exceedingly fit for purpose in all respects, sadly, we'll not see the like in service again - nor the sort of blokes and characters that worked it and flew it in strange and exotic locations around the world.

39 Sqn's stand down doesn't just mark the end of another squadron and another aircraft type, it marks the end of a era in the history of the RAF that began on a bright morning at RAF Binbrook on 25 May 1951 - 55 years ago.

Sad? Not really. All things come to an end I guess. But damn proud to have been part of it.

:ok:

Mods . . . if you consider this would now be be more apt in the Hist&Nost forum, so be it.
.

Have some pictures of a great and historic day and am working on them now. You are right - it was a happy day and one of celebration rather than mourning. Even the rain just about held off.

Conan

can any real insider tell us:

Which order did they land?
Who were the crews of each?
Who does each now belong to?
How many hours/cycles does each now have?

Why did they withdraw the RADEOS (the sensor that gave the Canberra its most useful capability) three years before the aircraft? Just so that a Canberra replacement would be 'easier'?

Jacko
Which order did they land?
XH134, XH135, XH131

Who were the crews of each?
XH134 - "Ernie" and "Kim"
XH131 - Dave Piper and Wg Cmdr Clive Mitchel (the 'Boss')
XH135 - unknown.

Who does each now belong to?
Check with Falcon Air. Rumours still abound.

How many hours/cycles does each now have?
Again, check with Falcon Air (or a 39 Sqn bloke). But not a lot I think.

Why did they withdraw the RADEOS (the sensor that gave the Canberra its most useful capability) three years before the aircraft? Just so that a Canberra replacement would be 'easier'?


Probably. Makes a good conspiracy theory anyway.

:rolleyes:

"But not a lot I think."

Not a lot left, you mean? Years ago all of the PR9s were close to their pressurisation cycle limit, and most were fast approaching 10,000 FH.

Thanks for the details.....

Didn't Terry Cairns fly one of them?

A few pics.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...der/ParkLo.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...er/CrewsLo.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...ider/HugLo.jpg

RD :ok:

Jacko
Not a lot left, you mean? Years ago all of the PR9s were close to their pressurisation cycle limit, and most were fast approaching 10,000 FH.
Purely my own thoughts but based on conversations with the groundcrew and others over the past couple or three years. Make of it what you will. There obviously must be some slack in the FI's and cycles otherewise astute business men wouldn't have purchased the airframes. Don't know about the Avons though.
Didn't Terry Cairns fly one of them?
No, Terry wasn't there. I see a pic of the 39 crews has now been posted.
.

Gents, aircraft crews were:

XH134 - Flt Lt Ronnie Fairbrother + Sqn Ldr Garry Winwright.

XH135 - Flt Lt Ernie Taylor + Sqn Ldr Kim Smith.

XH131 - Sqn Ldr Dave Piper + Wg Cdr Clive Mitchell.


RADEOS was withdrawn early 05. The cost saving was used to help fund the extension of the Sqn from 31 Mar 06 to 31 Jul 06.

:)

Sorry, had Ernie and Kim in wrong aircraft.

:\

A Great First Tour!
 

I was lucky enough to fly the PR9 when it was first used on 13 Squadron in Cyprus. It was a challenging and hugely enjoyable first tour for a very young Pilot Officer! We spent a lot of time in Bahrain covering the now largely forgotten 'First' Gulf war, when Iraq threatened to annex Kuwait in 1961. The response involved Hunters, Beverleys, and Argosies later on and loads of ground troops, obviously.
13 Squadron's other tasks included the completion of the East Africa survey, flying over Yemen operating out of Aden, daily border recce in Kuwait and routine survey tasks around the Med. Before I joined the squadron there had been some operations in the Eastern Med which, I believe, involved a PR7 being shot down. Nothing much has ever been said about this and probably for good reason!

Cyprus 1963, NEAF, and as a (then) service brat the Canberras sometimes kept us awake at night across the bay from Aki in Paramali.

I asked my Dad what the noise was and heard 'Cameras'.

Thinking I'd misheard, I asked what they were used for. 'To take photographs', he replied. So I hadn't misheard, or so I thought.

It took me several years to work out the aerodynamics of these cameras...

:)

VIP Photos at Episkopi
 

Proman
you have reminded me of another bit of nonsense which may have annoyed the locals. When there was a VIP visit at HQ NEAF they would get the visitors out onto a viewing point near the cliff edge, a PR9 would come low level across the bay and pull up, the while taking photos of the group. The a/c rushed back to Akrotiri, the film was processed and prints taken back by courier to be given to the guests after their lunch! We thought that was really sharp! Nowadays it would be done in under a minute by data link I suppose. Were you kept awake when we dropped Lepus flares in the bay at night? Not noisy but bl**dy bright!

OC 39 'JC'
 

Looking for JC's email address

I was in East Sale yesterday and some of them remembered you, lost your email, anyone who knows him got it?

Thengo

Now with Myt :)

Not as happy as I would like with the quality of the pictures, but it ain't going to happen again.
Conan
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...s/_JGN6020.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...s/_JGN6048.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...s/_JGN6067.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...s/_JGN6078.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19.../JGN6078NX.jpg

Jacko & Beeayeate
 

Falcon Air on 01392 314054

...ah, 'Ronnie Redsheets' himself! :E Long time no hear....

Hmmm

A week or so ago, I could have sworn a Canberra flew overhead - one of these didn't by any chance head down to Duxford did it?

Nige

DESTINATIONS
 

I have heard, but cannot confirm, that x2 PR9 will head down to South Africa to join the outfit that flies the Lightning and other things military and that 1 x PR9 will head for Switzerland.

'We knew how to whinge but we kept it in the NAAFI bar.'

All 3 Canberras did a round robin trip to all former bases and places that have been linked to its history. One of them probably flew over, but none of them went to Duxford as a final home.