XL 573
 

8 sorties during May/June/July 1980 during the major Buccaneer grounding following the wing failure at Nellis. I was one of the very fortunate first tourists checked out on the Hunter during this time - we used the 2-seaters to keep the navs in practice and just had fun in the F6s. One particular sortie sticks in mind in 573 - just checked the logbook - 11 June 1980, Lo nav/GH, Flt Lt (name redacted to avoid libel proceedings, very experienced). Plan was to takeoff from Honington, lo nav round E Anglia/Lincs, pull up for some aeros, back home. Vis was surprisingly poor (but must have been at least 5 km, mustn't it?). Unlike on other 2-seat types, navs did the navigating on the Bucc, so I didn't have a map - but with an experienced directional consultant what could go wrong? Things stated to get a bit uncertain in the RHS as we headed southeast towards Ely from the Norfolk coast - never actually saw the cathedral, but vis was pretty poor, so turned on time to head towards Peterborough. By now great cloud of uncertainty almost blanking out right side of cockpit, so I was more tense than usual. Unexpectedly, we fly over some lakes, then what appears to be a large scrapyard, might be a car park, couldn't see much - then came the very large piece of concrete, about 9000 ft wide and 300 ft long, which was definitely not supposed to be anywhere near our track. Pulled 6 G, levelled at 6000 ft, explained to directional consultant my theory that his headings were all f****d up and we had just flown over Alconbury. DC offers stout rebuttals, but did give me Alconbury TACAN channel - needle whizzing round, distance indicates 1 nm - pretty good clue. I got the tower frequency out of him with a little elbow work, called up and apologised for the unplanned overflight , saying we'd had a nav equipment failure!

I learned about checking understanding of mag/true headings from that! Rest of the sortie was uneventful but quiet!

Now here's a turn up for the logbook!

It seems that XL573 did operate out of Laarbruch as she appears in my logbook on 18 May 1982 when D2 and I flew her as 'bounce' against a 4-ship of Buccs in the Ardennes - I was Wpns Ldr on 16 at the time! I recall that the LLK Hunters belonged to Station Flight and were available to both XV & 16 as and when programmed.

Working backwards, I also flew another Bounce sortie in her on 11 Feb 82 with N*** B******* polling it, and another on 23 Jul 81 with D** F****** at the helm!

Strangely, didn't fly her at all during our Bucc downtime in 1980 when I was OCU staff.

So, it seems 573 was at LLK throughout 1981/82

See! We navigators have our uses!

Thankfully, 573 was not the one we managed to overstress (that was XF995) whilst I was following the OCU's US Exchange pilot's demands that I show him my aeros! Well, he told me to just pull back on the stick!

Now with some 40 hours Hunter under my belt (all RH Seat) during 4 Bucc Tours!

Arrabest and good luck with the article

Foldie:E

Hunter T7 XL573
 

I was OC 237 OCU, 1984 -87, when 573 was one of our Hunter T7s on strength. We used the T7 to familiarise graduates from TWU (who had no Hunter experience) with the Hunter before they moved on to the IFIS equipped T7As and 8Bs for their pre Buccaneer flying. The T7s were also great bounce aircraft and squadron transports. I did a solo aeros season in 1986 in 573, displaying at Lossie, Leuchars, StMawgan, St Athan, Abingdon and one or two other locations I dont recall. Corgi have produced a very good model of 573 in 237 OCU colours.
Happy 50th birthday !

Whirlywind - Shouldn't that be CI 237 OCU?

Tsk Tsk!

Foldie :ok:
(Gorilla Club Rules!)

Have found 10 entries for 573, at Laarbruch from 11 Feb 81 to 3 Mar 82 - mostly with Navs - Ian A, Terry C, Norman B, Dick A, and Dave H. Also with PCN & JJW

NB :8

Pontius P, I guess that that was with me on 11 Feb 82 then?

Foldie:ok:

What a coincidence - flew it with Athers on 11 Feb 81, and DH on 11 Feb 82!!
NB

As one of the volunteers for Kemble this year I hope to see her safely arrive and park :ok:

Here she is on static display at Mildenhall in 1986

http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/r...mildenhall.jpg

Foldie "Whirlywind - Shouldn't that be CI 237 OCU? Tsk Tsk!"

Foldie, you really are a pedant. By the time we moved up to Lossie we were more operational than your time on the unit. We had a war role, so "OC" was far more appropriate than "CI". But we did keep the "SNI" job title - that did seem appropriate in a lot of cases!!

Oops thread drift - back to XL573. I did not fly her at XV Laarbruch over 81-83, and if Foldie and cuddly old PP did, I would suggest she was kept on your side of the airfield? While I do remember going to Sation Flight on some occasions, I am sure we flew most Hunter sorties from the squadron. Therefore I suggest that over 81 to 83, 573 was on 16.

Re OCU use from WHIRLWIND f.1 (from a chap with a passion for flying I think you have adopted your Dad's callsign?) - I have it logged at Lossie only over 85-86. Perhaps after Laarbruch it went to servicing and storage to be reissued to Lossie in 1985? I note we did have it at Leeuwarden for the Sqn Exchange in Oct 85. No mention after 1986.

Now to Rhino's fine picture in 1986 of 573 with the OCU code "WC". Most uncomplimentary!! Here is a bit of Bucc historical trivia that not even Foldie and PP know.

When the wing formed at Lossie, the units (12, 208 and 237) adopted the then standard RAF squadron two-letter codes. Ie, lead squadron had AA, AB, AC, next sqn had BA, BB, BC. Get it? (You can see it say with the Jags, F-4s and electric jets, each adopting series starting AA, BA, etc).

Now the Buccs (and Hunters) went one better, just to confuse the Russians of course (gee, I hope this isn't secret). The first letter of the squadron badge was adopted as the 2nd letter, with the individual aircraft lettered as A, B, C as the 1st letter. 12 Sqn had the Fox, so its aircraft were AF, BF, CF, etc. 208 had the Sphinx and a/c AS, BS, CS. 237 had the Cutlasses, so Buccs were AC, BC, CC, etc, and I think Hunters counted backwards to be ZC, YC, XC and hence 573 as WC.

For you Foldie ;)

573 - Small but significant progress
 

Xl 573 went into the hangar yesterday for a major service. All panels to be removed, and fin, tailplane and ailerons taken off for corrosion checks and lubrication etc. Low hours engine will be re-fitted and ejector seats serviced. All functionals such as flaps, speedbrake and undercarrige to be testedand adjusted.

I am keen to keep her in authentic colours but would like something different to her current wrap aroung grey/green which is now faded and drab.

The 4FTS colours look bright, but what did she look like when allocated to the DFLS at West Raynham or with 229 OCU at Chivenor? Does anyone remember?

I shall not be painting her in drinks company colours unless I am desperate for the sponsorship!

BBadanov, You are such a darling but so far away from me too!

I was, as you state, unaware of the lettering protocol at Lossie as I only ever got mindlessly drunk on detachments there - never served north of the border despite my heritage!

Good to know that 573 is still trucking! Can anybody (BBadanov) tell me when it was repainted from Raspberry Ripple into the more operational camouflaged version.

Foldie:ok:

The only thing I can offer is that all the Chivenor T-birds when I was there in 1966 were silver and dayglo orange. Yuck! The camo schemes look much better - I hope you will go for that option.

Foldie: Can anybody (BBadanov) tell me when it was repainted from Raspberry Ripple into the more operational camouflaged version.


Hmmm. Now if it was Laarbruch (I suggest 16) over 1981-83, it would have been cam.
With grounding of the Bucc over 79/80, the Bucc units received rasberry ripples from the training units. If there is no record of it at Laarbruch prior to 1981, and I don't have it at OCU Honington over 1980, then perhaps it was one of the surge Hunters in 1980 and may have been painted about that time??

Logbook Trawl
 

I have been following the thread while on holiday & since returning & checking my logbook I have found the following info re 573.

First flew it on 16 Sqn at Laarbruch on 4 Feb 81 with Dickie A & subsequently for a further 22 sorties, during 81, 82 (last flt 31 Mar 82).

My next encounter with WC was on 12 Sqn at Lossie on 11 Feb 85 (with USAF exchange nav) but suspect it may have been "borrowed" from 237 as it was the only time I flew 573 during my 3 years there.

Then flew her regularly on 237 between 19 Aug 85 & 2 Jun 86 (22 sorties) before a long gap (major servicing at Abingdon??/St Athan?? + assigned to another Lossie Sqn??) to 11 & 12 Oct 88 when I flew her 5 times in 2 days. That was to be my final airborne encounter with WC!

Hope this info may be of use to you.

So 'e', 'South of God's county' would be 'South of Jordy' ??

Oh-aye man :8

BBadanov,

You got him in one! :ok:

Foldie

Yep Foldie, I bet he is still piXXXd off about wilf getting his gong!! :ok:

I think while at 229 OCU at Chiv. she was painted Light Aircraft Grey with Day-glo stripes on nose , tail & wing tips rather than Silver/Dayglo prior to Grey/Green/Lt. a/c grey camo . Good Luck !!:ok::ok:

229 OCU scheme at Chivenor at the time would have looked like this Corgi model.

http://www.corgi.co.uk/_images/asset.../AA32712-1.jpg

Just looking thru my log book ,did a total of 42hrs on 573 while on 12 mid to late 80's and had the pleasure of taking it to such exotic spots as Aalborg, Vandel,Furstenfeldbruck,Kliene-brogel and many, not quite so exotic, spots in the UK

Gents

Just to let you all know, I did produce a small booklet all about XL573, which contained a number of "interesting" stories from guys who had flown or maintained her. This booklet was presented to the then owner, George Begg, and Hawker's test pilot, Duncan Simpson. Duncan flew XL573 on its maiden flight on April 17th 1958 and attended the special 50th anniversary event I had arranged.

Thanks to everyone who has answered my request and I'm sure there's more to come.

Cheers

Hunty :ok:

During the summer of 1985 I was a staff cadet with the 12 AEF detachment at Kinloss. The job involved strapping cadets into parachutes and Chipmunks, un-strapping them, removing full sick bags and making coffee for the pilots etc. All great fun but as an aside, we were all trying to get as much gash flying as possible. Normally this was just Nimrod and Shackleton.

I had arranged such a trip in a Shackleton with 8 Squadron but on arrival for said trip I was told it was delayed 4hrs as both main wheels needed changing. So, nothing trivial then. One of the 8 Squadron guys suggested I pop over to the Buccaneer OCU for a visit while I waited. So phone calls made, I nipped over to say hello. To my surprise, as I walked into 237’s ops room I was told by a very apologetic chap that “really sorry but we can’t fly you today; we just don’t have any free aircraft”.

I thought I was just going to have a look about and a coffee but things were looking up. “How about next week” he asked. “Are you free next Wednesday” I responded in the affirmative and made an arrangement to be there 0800hrs sharp. I thought after that I had imagined it. Had I just strolled into a Hunter trip with no effort?

So on 21st August 1985 at 0800, I turned up, got kitted out and spent all day drinking coffee. There was one problem, then a meeting of staff, then an un-serviceability and I was beginning to think I had dipped out of my trip. Then at about 1500hrs a chap walked in and said “come on then before they change their minds” and off we set to the flight line where XL573 was sat.

I recall seeing a very efficient pair of white gloved hands flashing round the cockpit flicking switches, pressing buttons and pulling knobs as I got the plethora of straps attached to me by some very helpful individual. In no time, we were off and heading south low level..

We flew down the A9 and beat up a train near Blair Atholl. Then it was west along Lochs Tummel and Rannoch. Then it was north up Loch Ericht. The pilot said he liked flying along it as he was called Eric so it made it his loch. We were pretty low most of the time but the pilot indicated the point where a Hawk of the Red Arrows had taken the top of its tail off on a power line and the engineer had ejected a couple of years earlier and it seemed right down in the trees and we were not much above 300ft at that point.

Then it was up to I think 8000ft for some aerobatics south of Kinloss. Lots of “g” and graying out (for me anyway) once or twice. I was somewhat disconcerted when my legs began to inflate vigorously. I had been wearing anti-g trousers since 0830 but I had forgotten about them by this late stage in the day so it took me by surprise but it was a novel experience.

The trip was rounded off by PFL into Kinloss followed by an all too soon arrival back at Lossiemouth.

Since then I have flown over 9,000 hrs in helicopters and fixed wing but I would say that the 45 minutes in XL573 was one of the most memorable flying day of my life. I recall it as if it was yesterday and only wish I could do it again.

XA290
 

Glad you enjoyed the trip, I am sure that I did :) (along with all the other Hunter flying I was lucky enough to do - 600hrs+)!

FYI it was my first flight in XL573 after joining the staff of 237 OCU earlier in the month (ex 12 Sqn).

8 flights in XL573 1973/74
 

Between 19/11/73 and 26/4/74, I flew in 573 at Valley including my first supersonic trip.

Have just found this site, so will wander around with interest.

Good thread, how is 573 doing?

Does the Lebanese Air Force still fly the Hunter; could they ever be bought back to fly in the UK once more?

Update
 

Xl573 is just completing her (very thorough) annual and has had an electric start fitted. She is about to be repainted in her existing colours but in gloss. The matt colours are too difficult to keep presentable as they pick up persistant oil marks from hands and boots too easily. At 60+ she needs quite a bit of servicing.

She should be back in the air very soon.

I flew around 60 sorties in 573 as captain.

This from my logbook:

6Jun75 - Self/Hobbs - St Athan to Valley - Engine Seized - Forced Landing VY

Pete Hobbs was our SENGO, and I was giving him a lift back to Valley from some meeting or other. Unfortunately, XL 573's donk quit at 2000ft about 5 miles from the airfield, but fortunately fairly well placed for low key.

So, as her continued existence is in large part due to me (!), can I claim an early trip in 573? At a price of course :ok:

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/n...ps56e6a5bd.jpg

Just came across this thread - and having looked at one of the Hunter pictures in my album it is XL573. It has CFI marked on the back, and the album it is in makes me think it was when my step-dad was CFI of 237 - 85-88, so the picture will date around then.

Possible thread drift - but here are three together-taken I believe towards the end of his stint as OC 237 before it was closed. Not sure of one is XL573 as all the markings are too small. But it's a nice picture. :O

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/n...ps3f9dc602.jpg

Just came across this thread - and having looked at one of the Hunter pictures in my album it is XL573. It has CFI marked on the back, and the album it is in makes me think it was when my step-dad was CFI of 237 - 85-88, so the picture will date around then.

I took that solo pic, on 1 April 1986, flying with eaw in T.8 WV322.
I have a better pic from the same sortie of 573, but do you think I can work out how to insert an image. (FAQ not helpful.)

You are right, BSC was CFI. The man with "a passion for Flying" was OC 237.

I think the 3-ship "Black Arrows" scheme was at the end of the OCU, before being absorbed into 208. 16 also' briefly' had a Bucc in that black scheme for the wind up in Laarbruch in 1984.

BBad

Mark

Will you be keeping the 12 Squadron badge on your jet?

I hope not! All the Hunters were on the Honington inventory - not as squadron aircraft. Trust me! Crests were simply cosmetic.

That's still one delicious looking aeroplane in my book :ok:

Of course - in any garb!

I'm simply recommending accuracy.