Happy 40th Birthday Bulldog XX553, ULAS '07'
 

Hi All:

I have recently become the proud owner of Bulldog XX553 which I flew as a Cadet Pilot with the University of London Air Squadron between 1984 and 1986. For those of you who follow these things, I thought you would like to know that her first flight at Scottish Aviation Prestwick was 14 Nov 1973 which makes today her 40th“birthday”. I am pleased to report that Bulldog XX553 is still going strong and is now based at Chino airport in Southern California where she even qualifies as a member of Squadron 16 of the Warbirds of America (go figure?!). XX553 will be exhibited on the first-Saturday of most months beginning next year, so if you’re in the area, pop by or PM me and I’ll try to give you a tour and perhaps a flight too.

Now a request for help … I would like to collect some historical background on Bulldog XX553 and her time with ULAS for possible inclusion on display boards for her monthly appearance at Chino. XX553 is one of those more fortunate Bulldogs which saw unbroken service with one UAS from 14 January 1974 as ULAS ‘07’ until her last flight with the RAF on 9 August 2000. So I am appealing to all former ULAS students, instructors, ground crew, staff, etc, to send me any photos, anecdotes (gash trips or otherwise!), memorable log book entries, etc, concerning Bulldog XX553. From my own time with ULAS I have a few photos featuring XX553 at Summer Camps in Leeming and St Mawgan and some memorable trips with the late, great Pete Thorn – there must be many more stories and photos down the years which could be made up into a nice tribute to Bulldog XX553 on the occasion of her 40th birthday.

Thanks all in advance,

ABL262
PS: Anonymous submissions accepted to spare the blushes of those involved!

Happy birthday 07 :)
And well done for keeping her airborne :)
I was a rigger at ULAS (UEF) 1980-83 and most certainly did quite a bit of work on her,I think I did fly in 07 but will have to check my logbook when I get home on friday !

rgds LR

Well done chap...will check the logbook and redact names as appropriate!

ABL262 ...

If you have access to Tw@tter it might be worth getting in contact with ULAS direct as they've recently started posting some historic pics and info ... so might be able to help you :ok:

https://twitter.com/LondonUAS

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BWxnLbhIYAEh8pW.jpg

Our BEagle may also be able to help ...

Good to learn that '553 is still alive and well! One of the first Bulldogs I flew as a ULAS QFI.

When she was a relatively youthful 16 years old, I delivered her to Cambridge for the VOR/DME/ILS mod. - with a young StopStart in the other seat. Then collected her a few weeks later.

'553 certainly had a long career with ULAS - if I recall correctly there was a lingering stink of tobacco in the cockpit, as wasn't she the usual mount of Uncle Pervy, aka 'Cool Col'?

I wonder whether the 'plastic spastic' Teutors will still be flying when they are 40!

Happy Birthday, 553. I flew this ac occasionally between 1977 and 1980 as a student on OUAS. Co-located at Abingdon with ULAS, I guess there was a bit of frame swapping from time to time.

Thanks everybody for your swift responses.

LR, thanks to you and those who came afterwards, XX553 flies a treat and trims out nicely - no more "why bother flying at 3,000' when you might as well fly at 2,950'?!"

Beags, you'll be pleased to know that your trip to Marshalls was not in vain as XX553 still sports the '89 vintage VOR/DME/ILS mod which I have been putting to good use in the congested airways of SoCal. And yes, the distinctive smell of the cockpit is exactly as I remember it!

Coff, many thanks for the Twitter reference. I am also in touch with the ULAS ex-members association. I fear I will have to go through the archives pretty sharpish before THQ is sold and the inevitable clear-out begins.

Keep those stories and photos coming!

Many thanks,

ABL262

According to my logbook I flew 553 11 times when on ULAS in the 80s. I'll check my albums for any photos.

A few minutes 'blast from the past' review of the logbook and memories of a fine fighter pilot now departed.

Solo GHs on 31 July 86 at St Mawgan, 4 Sep 86 at Abingdon
CCTs with Pete Thorn on 4 Feb 87 and solo on 4 Mar 87
3x Spot landing practice for the Cooper Trophy - solo on 8th and with Pete Thorn on 9 & 10 April 87
Then solo ccts on 4 Nov 87 and solo GH on 31 Jan, 23 Jun and 5 Sep 88.

My favourite Bulldog
 

I flew 553 as my first Bulldog flight on ULAS on 23 Nov 93 and went first solo in her on a few flights later on 21 Jan 94. During my 3 years on ULAS. I flew her more than any other of the fleet as she was 'owned' by Sqn Ldr Colin 'Santa' Sills who was my main instructor for the first few years. If I remember correctly when he did retire he was the last person serving who had done National Service.

What was great was that having flown aircraft as old as the Beverley there wasn't much us students could do that he hadn't seen or recovered from before. So I got to bring manoeuvres from my holidays to try in the Bulldog, it was never - no don't be stupid boy. It was, well let's go and see. Horizontal rolling loop in a Bulldog, well let's go and see. How far do you think we'll get? Well neither of us could get it beyond 1/3 of the way around but I suspect neither of us were actually at all practiced doing it!

Lovely aircraft. My favourite? In service certainly and looking through my log books I flew 12 different Dawgs. My favourite? Well that'll go to my good mates XX537 and mine, XX629: both now in civi reg but like you I'm sure still flying them hard (but not quite like we did when we didn't have to pay for it).

I'll check my photos but I've a feeling all my formation pics were taken from 553. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

ABL262,

I spent 21 Nov 77 to 18 Jun 79 on University Engineering Flight (UEF) at Abingdon. Whilst I was actually posted to Oxford UAS we only split to postings for summer camps. This allowed us to maximise the manpower, and cover the ground servicing of 6 AEF Chipmunks as well. What a smashing tour that was, and I can certainly claim an hour at least in 07 with Flt Lt Eric Steenson in early 79 I believe. Low level through some great terrain, and being "bounced" by a Harrier. The annual invite to THQ by the aircrew to the Groundcrew usually resulted in the workers (us) winning all the challenges, and usually even the schooner races. You have a nice beast there, even though I was an Airframe man by trade, I hope it's got a "green spot" injector. Enjoy.

Best wishes and Happy Birthday 07

Smudge :ok:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...ps7aa00185.jpg

I sold loads of copies of these on the Sqn. Even a few mouse mats! 553 was no 2 throughout with us in no 3 so in the middle!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...ps7f42c926.jpg

If you're on Facebook come and chat to us in the Scottish Aviation Bulldog Appreciation Society.

Just checked my logbook - I've flown solo in your aeroplane :ok:

Thanks ABL
Well I have checked my old logbook and 07 only appears once - Feb 1983 - 45mins with one of the nicest guys you could ever meet :)
In fact I specifically asked him if I could fly with him !
Because he knew I had done quite a lot of flying previously - he let me do the whole flight...start,taxy,take off etc ...I think I did the landing but it is too long ago to be 100% sure (I hope so and hope it was good...we did walk away from it :)!)
During the take off roll he was chuckling and said he would have guessed that I was an engineer because of my gentle handling of the throttle LOL

rgds LR

PS it was my last flight in a british military aircraft (while still in uniform :))
and only a couple of weeks before I got promoted to 'mister'

I flew in her 3 times in July 1987, on camp at Brawdy and at Abingdon, at the end of my 3 years on ULAS, just before going to IOT. Happy days!

I have both pictures! Can't remember if I was flying in the aircraft at the time, don't think I was...when were they taken?
*Such* good memories!

ABL262

I flew her a few times in 1983 and 1984 with Colin Lamont and Pete Thorn,(who I seem to recall had "dig here for PCFAT" written on the top of his bonedome). I was once treated to a low level aeros routine in the Abingdon overhead with Pete, which became one of the highlights of my time on ULAS.That would have been in 07.

I also flew her on my BHT with Pat Lander, who had returned to Abingdon as one of Prince Edwards's QFI's over the Easter Holidays.

Great memories, now a lifetime ago. I'm really pleased she is still flying.

I'm really impressed you still remember your callsign. I struggle to remember where I've just flown to by the time I reach the car park!

Here she is over RAF Abingdon, circa 1989. I'll have to dig out my logbook and try to work out exactly when.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7425/1...bddc86f1_c.jpg
Bulldogs by Simon Bradshaw, on Flickr

I was on Examining Wing in 1974 and visited LUAS in April. On 8 April I flew a standardization sortie with APO McNamara and, the following day with APO Gripper (cannot remember whether he did)!

I next encountered the aircraft at the AEF at Benson between January 1995 and August 1997 - no mishaps recorded!

Great composition Satellite Driver!