Dear Mach 2

Please could I have my shirt back!

As one of the Acklington students it seemed we spent most of those 5 days out on the runway with shovels, brooms and pickaxes (and copious amounts of rum) until it was finally declared usable by SATCO. Cue two Cranwell JPs in, 4 out, a touch and go by one of the first C130's in RAF colours - followed by another blizzard and yet another 6 days clearing snow.

Shawbury,late 60's early 70's; 3 vamp engines ? abreast, towed along did the trick, but the noise was terrible.

Did my own b£oody snow clearance today - digging out the western drive to BEagle Towers. Not used to manual labour (so working-class), but the old combat-highs were a godsend. Then wandered along to the main road to check the surfaces hereabouts, only to have to help push a local taxi driver (who had no idea about how to drive on snow / ice) up a small slope.....

Has anyone been tempted to try the old Plod-baiting trick? Where you build a snowman, dress it up to look like an RAF copper, then watch as they knock it down with a Land Rover? Then build another, this time around a concrete bollard. Then watch whilst the Plods wrap their Land Rover around the bollard on their next attempt...:E

Uncle Ginsters, that is an appalling reflection on today's RAF. When the contract Malvinas Airbridge cannot get in or out due to MoD being too broke to maintain its operational aerodromes, I hope that the bill the contractor send to the MoD will be HUGE!

Stuck abroad.....
 

Can anybody say why I'm now stuck in that fun sandy place because the Tri star can't take off for the 3rd day in a row from that super secret base in West Oxfordshire?

I don't understand how virtually every civvie airfield is open but are main AT base isn't.

Anybody know what the problem is?

The people can't get to work?

Once upon a time we were expected to live on base.
Now people don't, and can't get to work when needed?
Just a thought that the OH and I were discussing earlier today.

Many years ago at Cottesmore, I got my BCU rover stuck in the snow, ATC rover then got stuck trying to get me out, blacktop rvr got stuck as did blacktop 4 tonner !!
Eventually Crash wagon got us all out.
I was awarded :mad:rick of the week award, funny old thing !!!

So who's open and who still has a white Blacktop?

Sammy

Type EG into the box on ADDS and click METARS and TAFS; should give you all the places that are open (and doing manned observations, not AUTO's) and therefore able to declare BLACK or whatever.

Online ACM

One is at Sunny Snowy East Midlands today, diverted in I believe, I should imagine getting everyone and everything that needs to be in one place is the prob with that one.. UK PLC is closed at the moment, East Mids was a sunny day today, but that is no use if everything you need is elsewhere........ Give em a chance, if they are anything like when I was at Brize, the will try to move mountains to get folks home.

But you don't really want to hear that....... Hope you get home soon, dress warm. you're gonna need it!

Last time I heard this story was at Chiv many moons ago, slight variation being it was built outside the WRAF block ( remember those?) and given a suitable appendage (so RAF copper may be entirely applicable:)). Same result though!

Online ACM,

Sorry to hear about your predicament. I guess that when it comes to snow and ice clearance, you get what you pay for!! Latest SNOWTAM for BZZ says that only one side of the RWY is clear of snow but is covered in ice ridges, and taxiways are not available. 30m is too narrow for a Trimotor, and it has no clearances to operate on contaminated surfaces. Taxiways are nice to have as well.
No sign of a thaw and more snow this weekend, all a bit of a c*ck up really.:rolleyes:

Cheers Arty & Nutloose,

Thanks for the Info, nobody here seems to know anything but they say I might get home soon! :cool:

Anyway, I just heard from the other half and she tells me the boilers packed up and they are all huddled around the electric heater in the lounge!

You all know who's fault that will be.....maybe I should just stay here after all. At least it's warmer!

There are two Tristars now here at East Mids, don't help but I thought I would let you know,

Online ACM you probably will not need heating for the first day back ;)

Who.......me? The very thought.:p

I hear that priority pax have been taking civ flights to Dohar as they can't fly BZN to the Deid at present - all that money we could have spent on snow clearing eqpt instead of air fares...:ugh:

That oxford base didnt have a snow problem according to management tues day evening!!! Clearing taxi ways and ac pans wasnt a priority and snow clearing teams stood down!:)

Farsical........

You could not make it up. The mighty RAF defeated by some snow, and accountants who decided they would trim the fat, trimmed too far I tell ee boy.

Nice to know you are all ensuring the humour switch is on.

Just walk some scruffy sootie J/T's onto the runway with hands in pockets and beret's at a jaunty angle. fetch Joe and use his apoplectic rage to de-ice the whole base.

Its unbelievable just how poor our Air Force has become. As I write this, I can hear American Jets flying overhead - they must be looking down on us and laughing!

The first jet to get airborne from BZZ in 3 days just did so. Apparently the runway is fit C17 ops only due to the cleared width.
http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._2491261_n.jpg

Arty

"30m is too narrow for a Trimotor, and it has no clearances to operate on contaminated surfaces."

I agree with the first part but unfortunately you're incorrect on the second. There is nothing stopping a TriStar crew getting airborne on a contaminated R/W as long as you make the correct contaminated ops corrections. Whether it's prudent to do so is a different matter.

Regards

ACS