Harrier gone - Dominie next?
 

As we mourn the Harrier, has demise of the Dominie been overlooked? Heard a rumour that today may be its last.

I heard that rumour also. However the 'need' or rather lack of it cannot be denied in this case, nevertheless the Dominie airframe has had laudable service and should be celebrated not mourned.

It goes at the end of Jan. We still operate 709 which was the first one delivered in '64 so it would be nice if that was the last one flying also.

CS

We still have Dominies?? I thought they went out in the 80s.

Forgive me being a bit melancholy, but the imminent demise of Dominie (and what aircraft looks smarter than a Dominie in the black and white scheme) means that in my modest RAF career, we have lost:

Wessex
Gazelle
Nimrod
Harrier
Jaguar
Bulldog
Dominie
Canberra
Tornado F3 (very soon)
Jetstream
Chipmunk

In the same period, we have gained:

Merlin
Sentinel
Typhoon
Tutor
King Air

Not a happy picture, is it?:{

They're getting a bit long in the tooth now. :E
http://static.desktopnexus.com/thumb...gthumbnail.jpg

When the Dom goes, what will the RAF do with its remaining supply of 2 stroke?

:E

I think they should paint the oldest one silver with yellow 'Training bands' before retirement, which puts into perspective just how long it has been in service. There is no other aircraft in the inventory qualified to return to that livery.

IAnd you are about to lose Merlin and Sentinel.

But we have got the C-17 as well!

....and the C130J (was really a new fleet, maybe it should be on both the "gains" and "losses" list?) and Reaper, with the A400M and A330 to come (at some point!).

But, point taken, the losses far outweigh the gains :{

(with the above additions, the Timmy and Vickers Funbus will also go, of course)

Oh Torque, get some time in ;) Adding to your list (bearing in mind I joined in the mid 80s):

Lightning
Andover
Devon
Hunter
Buccaneer
F4
Harrier GR3/T4
F2
Jet Provost 3/4/5
Gazelle
:):):)

Dominie gone
Nimrod gone

:sad: one RAF career consigned to history in the blink of an eye. Still, as CDS says, change is good and we must look to the future .........

Why can I only hear tumbleweed blowing in the wind?

Spider I trust you're planning a 16 ship fly past of Dominie related airfields? Is P for Pig still around? Many happy sorties in her, not least my 'Oceanic HF' trip terminating in a weekend at Gatow - what Reykjavik ACC and our Soviet listener friends made of it I'll never know :E However, Big Jimmy and I had a great time doing the sights of 80's Berlin inc 'Charlie', the Wall, Gate and other places not listed under Lonely Planet.

I enjoyed it so much I had to refly! Yay!

Fair point! Is Whirlwind perhaps missing from your list?

Oops, my mistake...

And where might I ask is the Gnat still being flown by the RAF?


Did anyone else notice the Varsity is missing?

Both were in service when I joined in 73.

In which case the Pembroke should make an appearance, along with its Alvis Leonides radial donks.

And Hastings come to that. TG507 still being on the books in ´74 I´m pretty sure, but I guess for not much longer after that.

And may I respectfully add Shackleton to your list TotD?

Avro Shackleton went in '91.

I Just about saw that one go.

EDIT: OOoo, beaten to it by a gnat's chuff.

Smiter
 

Change is inevitable, unless you're dealing with a vending machine.....:eek:

But we still have Spitfire, Hurricane, Lancaster, Chipmunk & DC-3 :\

Bob,

nobody likes change, except wet babies.

Disposal Services Authority


Don't hang about do they :uhoh:

that's not a dominie:)

That's a Jetstream.

Hastings were around until 1977, certainly saw one flying at the Coningsby air show that year.

Also had the pleasure of ground running the one at Newark Air Museum a few years later.

I know, I never said it was. :O

Yup one was at the RAF at Home Day...(remember those LOL) at St Athans late summer of 1976

Lukeafb1 wrote

Still around. Some images from last month at the following link. A Dominie was noted on the 14th December going low level in Wales.

Photo Search Results | Airliners.net

TJ

From Disposal Services Authority

I love it when the MoD proof read items on the interwebby thingy - it makes them look so professional.l

When I joined, we still had Valettas and Whistling Wheelbarrows, and Vulcans,Victors,Valliants...etc, etc but it was in 1963 :ok:

XS714 'P' was scrapped in 1994 owing to corrosion and fatigue cracks.

What remains of her (fuselage section) now resides at the Fire School at Manston.

Dominie Colours
 

Diablo Rouge

Don't think the (DH125) Dominie ever wore yellow training bands. We had one or two at Stradishall in early 1966 that were silver overall with orange Dayglo nose and tail.

I agree with all the above sentiments regarding the Dominie, but I doubt I am alone when I shudder, thinking about the relative hell of LLTS, trying to do my 6min, 5min etc ETA calculations, occasionally being 'tapped' on the head with a nav ruler, trying to find that damned last fix before the target in amongst that radar soup!
The 3ship end of course OTF however....:E

http://www.abpic.co.uk/images/images/1053982M.jpg

Le Bourget 1965 at about the time Dominie entered service. Looks like kitwe is correct regarding yellow go-faster stripes.

I think the VC10 is going 2013 with the Tristar if Im not mistaken.

Grim picture come 2014 and the end of Afghan

About time they got rid of that POS.

Horrible little aeroplane with only one bloody VOR at the front!

As for the 'organ-grinder' ADFs . . .

The upgrade aircraft (introduced in 1996) had twin digital VOR/DME, digital ADF, TACAN, RADAR repeater and side stick controller up front.

Still had the crappy Mk2 Artificial Horizon though.

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/a...FlightDeck.jpg

Blimey - doesn't look much like the aircraft I managed 850 hours in.

Mind you they were quite safe by then . . . Chris H had gone (ex VC10 captain who lost his scraper on the journey from BZZ to FY) - he used to scream 'I hate this f***ing aeroplane' and pounded the glareshield (I think it was to assist the vibrator in the altimeter).

I thought he was testing my CRM (before we called it that).

Mind you, it did allow us to sleep in our own beds at night and leave the suitcase in the loft.

Still got the little square cans for the engine oil?

Oil Cans
 

Still carry them around, refilled every day since the start, well engineered bits of kit.

Lose Merlin... Yeah right as if that will ever happen, only getting 12 Chinooks to replace 26 Merlins and with less Puma 2's coming, after a scathing SDSR... CHF will go!