Sad to see the old girl go; I generally loved my time down the back of the Dom, facing backwards, being taught (bullied) by Uncle Dick & Pod, trying to figure out where I was from what only ever resembled Garfields ar$e on the Echo 190 !

'cut off, 3 miles, CLIMB !' ah, bugger, radar in stby mode !!

Great flypast too, hope a few ales were sunk at the wake ?

I've always wondered where aircraft go after retirement from the Force.
Where are these going, hope not the chopper! :-/

Goodbye old girl.

Fond (I think) memories of convincing myself the orange radar soup was some town or target. After 20 years I´ll finally admit I usually didnt have a clue what the radar picture was saying, usually hoping beyond hope that the TANS hadn´t gone off on one and sneaking a look at the same time for the Trent power stations through the tiny curtain gap.

Also, chilling as Nav 2 and doing the "accidental kick" under the table when you realised your mate on Nav 1 might miss an important altitude call or something. Normally followed by a whack around the head by the instructor. And by god, my ex Phantom mate instructor had a good right hook........

And I can still remember the smell of the Finningley aircrew feeder at some godforesaken early hour.

Fond memories of a faithful steed.

Fond memories as both a trainee and instructor on the Dom.......good training in airmanship for sure for the Air Engineers..... Good guys flying them and mending them. Fondly remember assymetric heated socks!!!!! Those that were there would remember.

My Photo tribute 18th Jan 2011
 

At the risk of being self serving.
Perhaps I should have include my Photo Tribute thread (See page 5 this forum)
As a post within this thread.!!!!
Mods please remove this post if you feel I maybe out of order for any reason.
OPF

I was only ever a student on the Dominie, but my most vivid memory was the Pole Hill recovery from high level into Finningley.




You had to make sure you packed all your nav kit away, or secured it, before you started the descent, or you would end up wearing it... Good times, so long ago!

Stradishall Adv Nav Trng Cse Sep-Nov '68. I remember the nigh impossible "activity" requirement for Strad-Duxford-Wyton- 53N 01E. Compass comparison, fix, alteration of heading, revised eta. The Decca fix with oggliometers whizzin' around like good 'uns due close spacing of the red,yellow,green(?). The 3 sectors couldn't have been more than a few minutes each as I recall. Hardly time to sharpen your 4H.!!
On one Airways Navex, took a shuftee at the "cloud and clonk" (CCWR) and thought I'd avert a near catastrophy by giving an immediate 60 degree alteration of course to avoid a monstrous Cu Nim. The clonk in fact was across my shoulders as the instructor used my straight-edge to emphasise that I was looking at Istres harbour as the dish was on full downwards tilt.
Quelle Plonqueur!! :O

"My most vivid memory was the Pole Hill recovery from high level into Finningley."

Decimal 7 Mach converting to 280 KIAS, IIRC, Idle/Idle Airbrakes out - you could get somewhere between 12000-15000 fpm RoD. Cracking fun at night - and certainly made the Stude(s) sit up and take notice!

Apart from the low levels, the POL recovery was the best bit - that was fun.

Having spent a lazy 2.5 years relaxing at Cranners '66 - '69 learning how to navigate on the Varsity, I never quite caught up with the Dominie at Strad. It was with great relief that I was posted to Shacks!

RIP faithful lady.

Oh yes the Pole Hill recovery with the pressurisation on the dump valve could make or break an Eng stude! We did ours into Waddo as Applied Flt had bolt holed there in early 89 whilst Finningley’s runway was resurfaced.

I used to love the final approach past Lincoln Cathedral at night because by that stage the beasting from your instructor was over. Little did I know that eventually I would be a Flt Eng on E3D’s, the sight always filled me with a warm feeling even on four hour P sorties!!

Ahh nostalgia!!
:):)

Thanks Nutloose, I was in the Dominie on your left so appreciate the larger images.

If you look at this link there are some shots from inside the formation

Pixstel - Dominie

Regards

Neil

Recognition where it is due.
 

The Dominie flypast went to plan and looked very professional. Once again, however, the crew that actually led the formation recieved no recognition by the RAF or the media. Andy Neal and Jim Crowley were the lead pilot and nav who got the formation to the right place at the right time. As you say the rest of D Flt did an outstanding job in being so smooth. Who would believe you could do such a thing with a 45 year old business jet.

What?? They'd already stripped out the navkit . . . in that case they DID do a briliant job. :rolleyes: ;)

NikNak and Jim
 

With their total age of 120, I was amazed they remembered the way to the aeroplane, let alone how to fly and nav it.

Well done both.

CS

Lovely air shots, Neil (Thatch).

Superb formation flying. Congratulations to all for a very fitting tribute to the Dominie retirement. A special mention to the ground crew who kept the paint work immaculate. The mirror finish was amazing! :D :ok:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5287/...b57284c4_z.jpg
DSC_0136-DOMINIE by llihmot, on Flickr

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5290/...96391c58_z.jpg
DSC_0033-DOMINIE by llihmot, on Flickr

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5170/...67e24b1e_z.jpg
DSC_003-DOMINIE by llihmot, on Flickr

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5007/...20417d33_z.jpg
DSC_0225-DOMINIE by llihmot, on Flickr

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5128/...e7115e3a_z.jpg
DSC_0131-DOMINIE by llihmot, on Flickr

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5207/...516d97f0_z.jpg
DSC_0064-DOMINIE by llihmot, on Flickr

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5164/...8ab2af6c_z.jpg
DSC_0088-DOMINIE by llihmot, on Flickr

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5169/...d4b14766_z.jpg
DSC_0035-DOMINIE by llihmot, on Flickr

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5127/...298324e9_z.jpg
DSC_0074-DOMINIE-3-SHIP by llihmot, on Flickr

Last one down!

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5044/...1ca2abf2_z.jpg
DSC_0110XS731-LAST-ONE-DOWN by llihmot, on Flickr

Thanks for looking.

TJ

Well done Nik Nak.:ok: Shame you missed my village en route (but we were well off track). Would have loved to see the formation on the day

Quick pop in and out from a civvy, thanks all you guys for overflying my little cottage and village in East Lothian with such accuracy over the years, every week/year exactly the same heading..:D

The Dom Crunch
 

I was at Stradishall when the first Domine came in. Soon after, one did a wheels up at Manston which is a long pub type story. I was part of the initial rescue crew but which A/C was it ?

Preparing the Met. for the 6-ship landaways from Finningley to Gib. was very nerve racking .......... not many allowable divs. what the tension with Spain, and the obs. from the possible divs were, shall we say, not to British standards ..... as for their TAFS!
Not much info from the Atlantic in those days ...... satellite was only interpreted for us by HQ and the resultantant cartoon issued.

I didn't relish the go/nogo discussions with OCOps [or was it still OCFlying in those days?]

Even if nothing else, it was an expensive failure if the trip was scrubbed enroute.

I don't think I caused any of those, but it was a close-run thing.