XV 303 FINAL DETACHMENT
 

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m...Take0ff_01.jpg
I copied this link from Fighter Control, shame to see but was wondering where the strip is, somewhere in California?

My logbook says I last flew her Sep 2nd, '75. That's thirty-eight years ago. The old girl kept flying longer than I did.

Could it be near to Yuma, Arizona, very close to the Californian border?

I know several years ago the guys used to work out of that area a lot, maybe staying at the Ramada, El Centro.

crown pinnacle
 

Most likely to be up at China Lake NAWS but there again it looks too green.

YPG and China lake are easily confused as the skyline is similar.

We used to operate from a strip called Laguna at YPG. A good few miles (40 ish?) further north was a desert strip that the USAF used for C17 testing (Some good footage on Youthingy). This was almost adjacent to another strip they used for UAVs. I don't believe we ever used it as the stones were too big for our Hercs. I had a look on G Earth but it may have overgrown since I was there in Oct 2009

I think the last time they went to El Cento was 2005 - FMS case ran out!!!

The guys from Jate will know best. I have been away from it all for a while now.

Bang Crown Pinnacle in your search engine if you have time to browse.

Last trip in 303 in my log book April 2 1996 to Split and back ! First trip in 303 Fairford to Wildenrath and back. Looooong time ago.

XV 303
 

16th December 1968, XV303, Sqn Ldr Ward, Fairford-Everleigh-Fairford, stick of 2 MSPs. Happy days on 30 Squadron.
LXXIV

This could turn into a long thread....



First sortie in XV303 - Mar 31 1983. CPT, instrument approaches at Brize.



Last sortie in XV303 - Jun 11 1999. No.4 in 4 ship flypast for Lyneham annual reception.

First sortie: April 22 1974, Capt Fl Lt Brown, MCT

Last sortie: Dec 4 2006, Capt Flt Lt Lippiatt, Instructing 222 Crse Crew 2 Ex 2- sortie curtailed due to Throttle Restriction #4 Engine

:)

I thought I'd look through my log books and see where XV303 featured in my life. I finished flying Albert in 2007 and had to go all the way back to May 1999 to find an entry - and then only another 9 entries back to when I started in 1995. Just over 5000 hours and only 23 of them on 303, go figure!

LXXIV, check your pms

Last trip I did in 303 was 4 - 7 October 1990, with a 24 Squadron crew doing the Army change over run between Gutersloh and Benbecula (Ascot 5508). I remember the trip for the first days early departure from Gutersloh, when on a cold dark morning we headed down the runway, cargo bay filled with smoke, and we aborted. After taxying in, I removed the cargo pack access panel, to be greeted by the still cherry red, burned out cold air unit. Ahh well, low level to Lyneham, collect replacement CAU and fix it that night. Happy Days.

Smudge :ok:

Last trip was 10 Oct 2013. :(

My pic by the way. :)

Didn't fly many C130s but XV303 gave me a memorable holiday at El Centro in Nov 89 and here she is.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...g?t=1381623611

Nice plane shame about the legs :{

Didn't realise The Village People had been in XV303 . . .

Did El Centro 1992 (Feb/Mar) XV212, what a det, funnily all the PJIs etc looked just like the blokes in the photo.

Smudge:ok:

Ah the 'B-Line Bullet'; first trip in her was Gander - Goose Bay New Years Day '79 (she was a Mk 1 then). Last flight 2nd March '98 Lyn -Akrotiri (Mk 3 by then).

VX303 Memories
 

First trip in XV303 Aug 1989, the Decci schedule going via Wittering to Decci flying through the night. I was flying with a Staneval/OCU instructor crew as the planned Nav was Ill, I was a Junior Sqn Nav with 200hrs on the C130. I woke up over middle of France at around 0400 with everyone else fast asleep in the cockpit - an early case of I must watch fatigue in my colleagues, little did I know, but good practice for Granby in the future.

Last flight on XV303 9 years later on a SKE lead trip out of Calvi in Sardinia to Evreux. This in the early days with SCNS, which went u/s so I had to use Doppler G/S and stopwatch to lead the trip - but we stayed on track and time.

Great memories and a great aircraft.

First trip May 87 with P Ratt Colt Bardofoss
Last Trip Jun 87, Dave Molyneux lots of Incerlic- Erzerum

Worked on the B line Bullet when ground crew

First flight in 303 was 8 Sep 93 with Flt Lt Dean Plumb on a Jural, she's also the last entry in my first logbook, Feb 2000, when we had an extended stay in the USA - at Canaveral & Charleston - courtesy of a misbehaving secondary fuel pump as I recall. Happy times.