Thanks PN. In my day it was only used for Type 2 attacks scored by PPI and only on group exercises.

BB, on one Groupex we had a tone malfunction - I switched it ON at bomb release. We claimed a malfunction and said the release w as X second earlier. As you know, scores were not passed to the aircraft in flight .

We pondered a while and on passing Ouston a second time amended our guess.

When we landed the debrief team asked why we had two scores - they didn't say what they were. We bluffed and it seemed it worked. The first guess was 1600 off yards. The second around 400. I think BS accounted for quite a number of good scores.

Slightly off thread but just a little dit in connection with Ouston.
It happened during the early Summer of 1962 at Linton when three Piston Provosts from Ouston decided to pay us a visit. I was on an RN JP/Vampire course at the time, sitting in the line-hut.
We were all watching, fascinated, as we had just missed flying them and wanted a closer look.

It was going well until the unannounced stream landing when 3 overtook 2, followed by 1, ..... on the runway !
The unforgettable screech of tyres by the Tower suggested something was not quite right as our Boss, Tommy Blackham, in his CFI Vauxhall Estate, tore across the grass to remonstrate !

The three never got to visit. They were instantly dispatched whence they came, one at a time, at five minute intervals, without even leaving the cockpit !
One of those indelible lessons that we all have learned, fortunately at someone else’s expense.

This is really interesting, and I've always been curious re these two Pembroke photos I took at Ouston in early 1966 (It was then being used as the temporary Newcastle Airport). This is what I have written about them on my "RAF Ouston Research" website on google;

"This set of photos contains much of interest. The first two show various radar-equipped trailer vehicles in the background, and these were at Ouston for several years, parked well away from curious eyes. It is possible that their purpose was to track the RAF V-bombers that regularly in the early 1960s used Newcastle as a training target for low-level attacks from the West. Nuclear capable white painted Avro Vulcans regularly came low level along the Tyne Valley, climbing sharply and very loudly at Benwell, before banking sharply away at the top of their climb. This was the standard 'lob-bombing ' nuclear attack profile, and it is likely that the mobile radar units at Ouston were there to monitor the training, and award 'marks out of ten' to the trainees."

I'm not ex-RAF, just a former Air Cadet, so I was trying to 'put two and two together'. During my school days at Rutherford in Newcastle (west end near Benwell), our assemblies and lessons were often shattered by the noise of a Vulcan or Victor climbing out on full power. All conversation ceased for several minutes. And one glorious morning it all co-incided with a new Centurion Tank being driven from Vickers, Scotwood, along the adjacent West Road down to the docks. That was the only thing that could top a Vulcan on full power!

Clarification and comments welcome, please.

The beam was fairly narrow and supposedly covering 9375 MHz. We had to fly a specific track towards the target but by using sector scan we could avoid 'looking' at the target and the jamming spoke. We were forced to use offset aiming points to either side of the target and jamming spoke. Occasionally we got luck and the H2S and the jammer freqs were different and the jammer was ineffective. I do remember one attack when I had forgotten it was to be jammed and my offsets were in the jamming beam. now that did cause problems.

Many thanks for the replies, and clarification, from 'Vulbuctor' and 'Pontious Navigator'. I'm delighted to finally, after a mere 52 years, have confirmation regarding the radar trailers parked at Ouston.

I'll amend my "RAF Ouston Research" website on Google, to give a better caption to the Pembroke photos. And fully credit the source of the information.

I'm in the process of adding my 'spotters logs' to the website, and these will include several Vulcan and Victor sightings, all unfortunately without aircraft serial numbers. Is it too much to hope that some of these sightings might coincide with surviving crew logbook entries? It would also be of interest to know which RAF Squadrons or units were involved in th

" climbing sharply and very loudly at Benwell " - no doubt aiming to "hit" the Ministry (DHSS) at Benton .....................

maybe they actually did...................

On a 2E pop up attack the essential need was to start at 500 feet before a rapid climb and a bunt too level flight at 11,000 feet. Many times when the weather was bad we flew the low level at MSFL and were at 4,000 feet of higher at the start - waste of time really.

Well one day, Phil Largeson, ex-OC12 but guesting from 1 Gp, saw a hole in the clouds just after turning off the LL route for the target. As the nav called climb Phil dived through the hole achieving 500 feet (with a downward vector) and now well passed the pop up point. Having got to 500 feet he rotated on full power and much greater angle of climb than normal. The aircraft, now at relatively low speed, max thrust, and at about 200 feet, dug out a field of cabbages. I do not recall how the rest of the bomb run went :)

Apparently, planned to be the location for the UK's first Space Port HQ.





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" Ouston, we have a problem! ". :}


Sorry couldn't resist!

Out of Trim
"Apparently, planned to be the location for the UK's first Space Port HQ."

Did you read The Great North Road too?
f

Ouston We Have A Problem
 

[QUOTE=Out Of Trim;10145743]Apparently, planned to be the location for the UK's first Space Port HQ.
Nothing to do with the bomb plot but a really off the wall situation where we found our ATC wing confined to camp because of foot and mouth disease restrictions. To eveyones delight PO blank actually contracted foot and mouth, as it only infected the cloven hoofed it just went to prove he really was a bit of a devil




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" Ouston, we have a problem! ". :}


Sorry couldn't resist![/Q

For many years it was (is??) an overnight parking spot for N-warheads on the Faslane - Burghfield bus service..................

He taught chemistry at John Marlay school in Newcastle and continued flying for 11 AEF after the move to Leeming, would have retired mid to late nineties. He passed away early 2000s although my memory is vague about the date.

[QUOTE=Out Of Trim;
" Ouston, we have a problem! ". :}


Sorry couldn't resist![/QUOTE]

Very apt comment actually. Every time I try to google "Ouston" (to see if anything fresh comes up), google delights in offering 10 million entries for "Houston".

And talking of UK space ports, I remember well as a lad, in Fenham in Newcastle on a still evening, clearly hearing the Blue Streak rocket test firing at Spadeadam in Cumberland. A mere 60-odd miles away!

Yes - I remember him well. His son John lodged with us to complete his local schooling when his family were posted on.

Charles Dytham

Long time RAF Ouston resident
 

I lived at Ouston, with my parents, from 1950 until it closed. We had a flat in the officers' mess + my father Stan Dytham was a chef there + in the airmans' mess too.

Charles Dytham