A Wonderful Sunday
 

For me the memory is far away and long ago.
We had briefed and done a dummy run over Wales on the Saturday before. It was all good.
On the appointed Sunday we kitted up and jumped in the most beautiful jet I have ever flown.
U/S at start-up,Seats safe, straps off and run for a reserve. The jetblast as we ran was not as bad as one had imagined.
We were last cab of the rank and caught no.2 before the straits.
Boss Homer called every man for himself. So Yellow Two leads to Three and Four over that big long lake south of Snowden. We were not above 2500 ft.
Long one short we 'called in' the formation at the IP. The banter was pretty rich on the R.T.
I believe and truly hope we looked good to all the folk on the ground.
Then the fun began. Can one imagine 16 Gnats overfly the BBMF(Lanc and a Mk5 & Mk 19}. We relaxed all the way back to Valley.
As we were yellow section we ran and broke first with the rest of the section
following at one second intervals. I estimate we at windsock height on the run in. The ground crew applauded when we climbed out.
We had a most enjoya:*:8:8:8;)ble barby on the veranda that evening.

Davey Mussen

Per Ardua Ad Loungebar

You flew on Sundays??

Yes,
We didn't get paid but it was great. When you decide you want to fly you fly.
QED. Oh, the barbeque was something else.

Davey.

Per Ardua Ad Loungebar

In the Gnat era at Valley, you could hardly blow your nose loudly on a Sunday, due to the sensitivities of the Chapel fraternity on the island of Anglesey.

As a 'rough shooter', my shotgun had to stay in its' case on the Sabbath; OK, you might think, let us partake of a modest libation in a local hostelry. Well, the pubs were closed on Sundays - we Blue jobs had access though to the usual array of Mess bars & on-station Underwater Basket Weaving Club etc bars. Those who were most affected by this bizarre rule were the tourists of course, who had no access to such venues. Oh yes, and it was a holiday destination...........

I remember my girlfriend & I being rebuked by an elderly gentleman in an Anglesey village for actually travelling in my car on the Sabbath; this would be about 1973/74.

So, dmussen, perhaps you could clarify your post with a few more details, such as how you were able to launch 16 of my beloved Gnats on the Sabbath? The Station Commander would have been buried free of charge in one of the numerous local Chapel graveyards, methinks.

HB

I'm a bit more confused by these phrases:

I definitely smell a rat!

Rat on the BBQ?

Not a Sunday, but as duty stude in the Valley tower during night flying, overheard duty instructor take complaint call from the local hospital about an aeroplane flying over and disturbing the patients -response was to the point - if he cannot get his undercarriage down soon the pilot might be joining them. End of complaint!

Lake Bala?

Lake Konstanz?

HB

Surely you need only consult the Aircrew Map of Britain to resolve the problem
http://www.bannedphrases.co.uk/asset..._map_of_uk.gif

I think he per adua'ed to the loungebar and has been there ever since:confused:

Chapel Folk on the Island.
 

True story.
We were banned from several pubs. We didn't speak the lingo.
How come they did not / could not play rugby like the greats from the valleys.
Flying low flat strap on a Sunday was good. I also apparently killed about 20 sheep in the Conway valley one morning. Their Airships at MOD paid up. I was only flying as briefed-ish. I could also jump on a ferry from Holyhead in minutes
to watch Ireland play the game in Dublin and get back the same night-ish.

For any doubting Tomas' check out the aeros. comp. board outside the mess bar.
75 course Plt. Off. D.T.Mussen
Henry you might well be able to confirm given all the fun you had on 74.

Per Ardua Ad Loungebar

Davey.

reply
 

To quote John Cleese "Go for and Multiply" you pratt.

Maps and Memory.
 

Bala sunshine. Maybe you need a proper map.

This is fun.
 

If one can smell a rat check out the roof space. There is no bull**** in anything I have written

Our Friends on the Ground.
 

You chaps in the tower were superb.
Saved my bacon on a few occasions.
A belated thanks to all in ATC and the Chief and his fine band of fo;k who looked after us so well. The groundcrew at Valley were superb.

The Complaint.
 

Not me,
I only ever did an inverted run over Blackpool tower the night they turned the lights on. No see no Know. I was reasonably high but moving along apace.

Timing.
 

Only after 17.00 my dear rude offensive chap.
Get a life.:ok

Language.
 

Two very simple little statements. Grammar looks fine. Where are you comming from.

Dmussen


Would you like a cuddle?

Confused?
 

Drink more scrumpy and take it easy.
D.

Cuddle?
 

If you are a wonderfully rounrded lady the answer is yes. If not go far away.

Who the hell is he talking to??:confused:

Who's Henry?

Henry?
 

Still flying and a fine chap.

Who? not You.
 

This is an open forum. You work out who i am talking to.

Flying on the Sabbath out of Angalsey.
 

Valley was an MDA and weekends were always noisy with the 'missile camp' over near the sand hills full of Frightnings and Tombs. As far as an op were concerned thier Airships somewhere told us to do it and we did. We were really quiet compared to two pairs of avons in reheat at 0600 on a Sunday. A wonderful alarm clock regardless of the previous nights fun. If, per chance, there might be anyone reading this who was there do tell your story.

Davey Mussen

Per Ardua ad Astra & Any Bar

You know when you join a conversation in the bar and can't quite work out what important bit you missed at the beginning? Well, that's what I'm feeling now.

It did paint a great picture in my head though. Thank you, Davey:ok:.

Most bizarre thread/poster on Prune for a long time. I didn't get the original post (much) and was hoping some replies might enlighten me. Seems, however, that most readers are as mystified as me, still.

Question for Davey (alone, please)
 

Davey, please could you tell me:

How many pins did the Gnat ejection seat have? Was it:

a) 3
b) 4
c) 5

Thanks for an intriguing thread!

HB

Halton Brat ... (it was a) Knob :E

Just so there can be no misinterpretation :E

Yes, it was a bit nobbish. Not like you, HB, but I think I understand.

I suspect we may a source of good stories here. And so much fun decoding them. I say keep it up, Davey.

The first Gnat to enter service with 4 FTS was XP502, joining the unit on 7th November 1962 having first flown on 24th August 1962. Retired in 1978 to instructional use as 8576M at RAF St. Athan, she was auctioned off in 2000 and acquired by Delta jets at Kemble. Subjected to a cosmetic restoration, XP502 now wears Red Arrows colours as do so many preserved Gnats (despite never flying with the team), and is now standing 'on guard' in front of the control tower harking back to the days when the Reds were based at Kemble.

Davey Mussen from EARTHISH
Posted at 3:50pm on Saturday, August 25th, 2012
Won an aeros comp. at Valley in this machine in '74 ish. what a ride.
Per Ardua Ad Loungebar.
Watch your Six.
D


He's the real deal, odds on.

I'm pretty sure he's the real deal - it would have been late Friday evening local time in his stated location down under when he first posted and it has the feel of a mate getting all melancholy just back from Happy Hour.

Been there myself, just need to keep away from a keyboard:ok:

Doubt we'll hear from him for a good 12 hours - hopefully he won't just delete the thread!

James Joyce eat yer heart out. A "stream of (barely-)consciousness" at its best...

For those of us who mock - we'll all be there in N years where:

N=55 - E*T/(3*Gp)

and:

E = Number of ejections greater than 1 else = 1
T = Tours
G = Variable - Group 1 = 1
Group 3 = 3
Group 2 = 10

Can someone check my working? More paper please.

No reason to suspect to the contrary. And there've been some rather unkind posts on this thread regarding a pilot who must be 'somdel stape in age*' in 2013, nearly 40 years after his aeros competition....:=

My lips are sealed, lj101**!!













*For oiks who don't realise, that's a Chaucerian reference.
**but if it was me.....:E

"it would have been late Friday evening local time in his stated location down under when he first posted and it has the feel of a mate getting all melancholy just back from Happy Hour."


That's what I worked out as well.

:ok:

I do hope that this gentleman is kosher, and if so I would be delighted to offer my most profound and profuse apologies for having doubted the veracity of his original post.

As a humble earth-bound oik, I would not wish to impugn the honour of those who Slipped the Surly Bonds etc.......

HB