Top tip, M2. Why didn't they tell me that earlier?

may I ask if you refer to the crater shown on the picture linked below? (I mean not the one on the runway side, but the second one which has a written indication that I can´t actually get to read)

http://www.pprune.org/military-aircr...ml#post7074058

crater
 

izod tester,

when you say this:

"I remember that the RE had considerable difficulty repairing the bomb crater between the Control Tower and the FiGAS hangar and the repair was delayed several days whilst they extracted a bulldozer which had been pushing hard core into the hole."

can you tell us which one of the craters shown in the picture linked below are you talking about?? (I´d guess it´s the one which has a written note, below the runway...)

http://www.pprune.org/military-aircr...ml#post7074058

Have been doing a spot of redesign and the site is back on now

Thanks for everyone's input, really valuable.

The series is complete now, it was originally a three parter; Atlantic Conveyor, San Carlos FoB and Port Stanley Airport but the last one kind of grew as I started writing it to include Black Buck and RAF Stanley

A trilogy in 5 parts!

The Atlantic Conveyor #Falklands30 | Think Defence

Harrier Forward Operating Base ? Falkland Islands | Think Defence

And on Port Stanley

That Famous Runway at Port Stanley ? Part 1 (Pre Conflict) | Think Defence

That Famous Runway at Port Stanley ? Part 2 (Conflict) | Think Defence

That Famous Runway at Port Stanley ? Part 3 (Post Conflict) | Think Defence

On my original question about San Carlos FoB, it seems the runway surface was pretty much anything the sappers could lay their hands on; MEXE pads, PSP and the materials they used for helicopter landing pads onboard the civilian ships.

Feedback, as ever, is always very much welcome

Tried all five links, all came back forbidden on this server. Is there a problem?

ColinB the links worked on my PC.

The crater I was referring to is the third black arrow up from bottom left.

I arrived in Stanley in early 1985 and was intrigued to find that the entrance to the HQBFFI mess at Lookout (assorted tents and cabins) had a floor made of AM2 matting. Having been involved in the procurement and movement of said matting I reckoned that it was without doubt the most expensive mess entrance anywhere in the 3 services!

Sorry about any access problems, have just transferred to a new host so the DNS needs to propagate.

Interestingly, had a comment on one of the posts from Dave Morgan DSC which confirms the San Carlos FOB runway was PSA 1.

One of the great things about this kind of material is how it provides an opportunity for people to contribute to the accuracy of the post I am very grateful for it.

I´ve writing my own account of airfields and planes in the Malvinas for over two years now. If it all goes according to my plans, it might be turning into a book late this year.

Regarding FOB San Carlos, I remember reading somewhere that the matting used there was gathered out of the existance that some RFA ships had, since most of the actual FOB sunk with the Atlantic Conveyor. How accurate could this be?

Also, I´d like to ask if anyone has information regarding a second FOB erected sometime between southern winter 1982 and late 1983 in the Goose Green area.

One last note: there is some information about RN SHARs taking up the interception role around August 1982, maybe due to the fact that RAF Stanley had to suffer major refurbishing works, or maybe because of some harrasment from the west. I tend to believe those planes were based in some CV, but I failed to find out which one. Could it be Vince?

ISTR several lengths of AM2 being used at Murray Heights as bridges, as well as a second-hand UH-1 main rotor blade.

The original runway plus the extension were laid with AM2, some of the original Harrier dispersals were laid with PSP. It was the 26 end of the runway that was re-laid. Because most arrivals were from the East and the F-4s did carrier-style 'arrivals' into the cable with the added benefit of 'chute popped just before touchdown, the matting was 'creeping' and had developed a bit of a hump. Normal ops were suspended midnight Fri 22 Apr 83, and 1500ft of matting was taken up leaving about 4400ft useable runway. C-130 Tankers were launched and recovered during Sat and Sun along with Harriers. Full runway was back in use around mid-day Sun 24 April.

Surely the CV at the time was Lusty.

@ExBlanketStacker:

My recollection is that the decision was taken much earlier, in the early '80s.

The last petrol powered vehicle I can remember is the early APV which replaced the Piglets in West Belfast in 1985.

EG

You would think being on GSE I would remember this, but can any Phantom crew members recall, after a sortie, when the first aircraft landed and took the RHAG, did the second aircraft wait till the first had cleared the runway, or did the second land with the first one still on the runway? I know we didn't start rewinding the cables in till both aircraft were down and off the runway.

As far as I recall it ( v late 82/early 83) it was very definitely "one at a time". I think the possible consequences of a missed "trap" by a second F-4 with one still on the runway ruled out doing anything else :eek:.

I thought that was how it worked Wiggy. I was trying to recall if the first one landed, unhooked, then went down to the end, to let the second one in. Since the majority of landings were towards Stanley, I suppose the stop was near enough the Phandet turnoff, to allow the jets to turn in there. They certainly didn't hang about when landing.

The rules were only 1 F4 airborne unless the C130 tanker was also up - unless there was a QRA scramble and then the C130 got airborne asap after the F4s. That way if there was any problem after the first one landed the second one could be re-fuelled if necessary.

If I may ask to both of you, could you recall how often those QRA sorties were lunched between late 82 and the openning of MPA?

I´m trying to figure out some pics I have of an argentinian Navy Electra been "escorted" by a couple of F-4s and I have two different dates for 1983 and another pair for 1985... could it be that there were that many incidents? Were any QRA lunched against the Mirage fighters the AAF placed in Rio Gallegos by December 1982?

Could you share these photos with us?