Hey, Wholi' - you actually duelled with 3" twirlers back then....:eek:

Respect!

I quite liked the SNEB. As it wasn't long after my degree course when I did my first TWU course in 1976, I could still remember some calculus. So I worked out the error in horizontal range with respect to pitch error (dx/dθ) and found that it was inversely proportional to the square of the dive angle. Hence if you waited a tadge after the ideal pitch in and came down steeper, you would get much better scores...

Armed with this, I poked off to Pembrey and came back with a couple of DHs :ok:. Mentioned my theory to the PAI in the cine room afterwards ('Clack clack clack, clunk...."Ride up, early pickle"...scrabble with plotting jobber...OK, just about allowable...wot didya get? Clack, clack' - remember that?) and was told "Hmm, that's why we used to scrub anything over 20 degrees on 79 Sqn - the old buggers knew how to cheat!".

Weaponeering really was the sport of kings back then - but wasn't quite as much fun on the Hawk without a decent sighting system. God knows how, but I managed to win the Viking Trophy on my post-Vulcan pre-F4 TWU. "Did you do much live weaponry on the Tin Triangle", someone once asked. "No, there would have been too many complaints", I responded. "Why?", he persisted. "Because a 950lb HEMC bucket of sun makes quite a bang, I understand" was my riposte!

Just to fill in some background on the photo at Waddington, the three Buccaneers squadrons from Lossie (208, 12, and 237 OCU) had boltholed to Waddington while the runway was being dub up. I was on 208 groundcrew at the time, and we ran a joint line with 12 sqn while 237 were across the other side of the airffield.

It was normal for 12 and 208 to have a couple of two seat hunters on the books each, which were fitted out with the same nav kit as the Buccaneers. Aircrew check flights were flown in the Hunters with one of the QFI's, with the occasional jolly for anyone interested.

Ogre

Whilst at Waddington, one of 12(B) Sqn Hunters had an intercom problem.....

..The bottom of cockpit (between the seats) was a bit wet, the water was 12" deep, it had rained for the first 17 days of the bolthole.

Ogre, did you take part in the groundcrew food fight in D/E dispersal, when JEngO 208 nearly crapped himself, but SEngO 12 just said "I think I will have an Inspection soon"....

Also, the Pilots used to take the aircraft home on a Friday, with the pretext of 'using the Sim first thing Monday, and at the end of the Bolthole were surprised that nothing had been laid on to get any of the boys home during the bolthole.

Happy Days.:)

ZH875

Sorry, it must have been "the other shift" that had the food fight. I remember the rain though, and complaints in the local papers about "the Scottish Air Force". Waddington had been on care and maintenance for a while and bolthole was not long after the guv'ment of the day had cancelled AEW Nimrod, I seem to remember 10 or so completed AEW jets parked on the airfield waiting for someone to decide what to do with them (but that's another story...).

The Hunters were regularly used as aircrew taxis on weekends, and we got quite adept at packing sets of golf clubs into the avionics bay "just in case they had time for a few holes after the briefing/sim sortie/<official reason for flight>". Also I remember one jet arriving back on the Monday morning, and after it had been chocked and locked opening the avionics bay to find a couple of plastic bags full of jock pies. Seems some of the senior engineers could not do without the little esentials and had organised a pie night at the SNCOs mess

Ah Memories
 

I got about 30 hrs in this great Lady on No 12(B) in the late 80s and every one of them was a pleasure. I still have vivid memories of meeting a Nav School JP as I coasted out at Spey Bay - cheeky s*d decided to turn in!

Better late than never
 

I would like to have a higher def image of XL573 please

Hunty

XL 573: though I was on the same DFGA course as Wholigan, I did not fly 573 then. However....... in Jan 67 I did the Hunter IRE course, a whole bag of fun - flying from the right seat but using the left instrument panel. I still have that crick in my neck. Seven of the 17 trips were in XL 573, three of them mutual with Horace Farquhar-Smith (the other half of 135 IRE Course), the other 4 with Pete Maillard, the QFI/CIRE who ran the course alone.

My logbook confirms that the Chivenor fleet number was 97.

Kenparry
Good to see you are still alive and kicking !
Like you, I haven't got XL573 in my log book during my DFGA course (106).
After a tour on 54, and during my tour on 4, I returned to Chivenor on 163 PAI course, and I seem to have flown it a few times, with such worthies as Sam Toyne and Tony McKeon.
No pics of XL573 I am afraid Hunty
X767

If a mere Navigator can join in this DFGA stuff, XL573 spent some time at Honnington serving on the Lead In Training Flight of 237 OCU. This was a short lived experiment to replace the then TWU course with a dedicated pre Buccaneer course for pilots and navs using two seat Hunters (nothing at all like a flying club). I have it in my log book in spring 1983.

My first ever Hunter flight was Jan 83 in XL573 with S/L J** R***** (sim boss and gent) - trip one on the Lead In Flight for the Bucc OCU. My first ever weaponry sortie was in the same ac on the same course. A few other trips during the course (couple of bounces in there). Suspect that I flew with Timelord both on the LIT and subsequently on the OCU and Sqn (for which he has my commiserations as I almost certainly slowed his progress!).

DH

DH

I suspect you are correct - Please PM me, I would be delighted to catch up.

TL

Just a bit of info from a PPRuNe newbie about Hunters at Honington.

My first (and only) posting as an Airframe Technician was 237 OCU. The ex-4FTS 'frames (including 573) arrived in 1979 as a result of the Buccaneers being grounded following the Nellis crash. They were brought in to keep the pilots current.

I applied for aircrew duties whilst at Honigton, and my farewell gift from the OCU was an hour long trip in sister ship XL609, with the American exchange pilot, Capt Ken Alley. Brilliant!

Klubman sorry but your timescale is wrong the Nellis crash occured in January (or early Feb) of 1980 it was of course an XV aircraft with the loss of the two crew of Ken Tait and Rusty Rustom you are maybe mistaken the Nellis crash with a 16 sqn loss the year before, sadly also with the loss of the crew.

XL573 stories
 

Keep the stories coming guys

Hunty

Diecast model of 573
 

Corgi have released a diecast model of XL573 (AA32714) in 237 OCU markings. Its a limited edition (1,200) and cost around £34.
Very handy if you have a birthday coming up. :ok:

Hunty

XL573
 

I bought XL573 today. Although she has not flown for 4 years I am confident that Hunter Flying will have her ready for the 60th anniversary display at Kemble this year! Fingers crossed!!!!
I will keep you all posted.
Mark Stott (a very average PPL)

May 02 1977
 

Did my famil trip at 4FTS with Mike Sa*****s in 573.

Then with Bob W***man doing GH on the 19th and 24th.

Did my Prog Check with Pat K****ll on Jun 24th and then more with W**ers on the 27th.

Last trip was a LL nav with Dan "Go to war with a w@nker" W on 14 Jul 77.

3 trips in XL573
 

Nothing spectacular: Identified 3 sorties in XL573. 1969 March 14 flew passenger McConnel to Wyton and back. 1973 January 8, flew Buck Buckinghams IRT. Grand chap with the smoking habit!

8th Jan 1969 XL573

FAC famil flight with Lt Mills (pongo) in right seat. After usual bumble with simulated a/g and r/p let down to 100ft ish and 540 kts over N Devon (this is what DFGA guys do) when in the corner of my eye a bird appeared. Bang !! Canopy shattered, cockpit filled with cloud, instinctively pulled up and realised that Mills who fortunately had his visor down was covered in blood and bits of seagull but unhurt. But more to the point his pigtail was disconnected and his ejection seat handle was flapping loose. Careful slow rtb. He didn't know how close he'd come to an early departure from the aircraft.

Congratulations on your purchase, Mark! Great to know that this wonderful old lady will soon be back in the air again.

Maybe some photos as the restoration progresses? I do hope you'll use a representative military colour scheme and not some flying drinks can abortion.

I'm sure that you'll enjoy flying her as much as everyone else who's flown her before you will have done over the years.

Three years
 

Mark

Its only three years since 573 flew. April 17th 2008 when George Begg and Brian Grant flew her on the 50th anniversary of its first flight. Hawker's test pilot Duncan Simpson was also there that day.

We will all have a beer when she gets airborne again.

Hunty :ok: