chickenlover,
a wonderful contribution to this ever expanding thread. Never did air to air with the Lightning (but I used to work on them on 92) only with the Nimrod, Phantom and Harrier. These pics must be in my lost box. I noticed the net strung across the back to stop the 'goofers' falling out. I was on the crew that did the filming for the film Juggernaut, and may fit that tale in sometime.
Just to show that life on 48 in FEAF was not all sightseeing, the next sequence will be airdropping. These are I ton containers which were pushed out manually by the Air Despatchers (must some of those around with pics/tales of the 'K') but could also be dropped in an automatic sequence.
I think this pic well illustrates the 'innards' of the 'K' to those who may not be familiar with it.

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps3f5888d8.jpg

chickenlover,
although I worked on the Lightning I never got a ride in one either. It seemed to be mainly WRAF officers ! However my brother , a scribbly, did when he was the the clerk on the Lightning 'OCU' at Middleton St George.
I do not think I will ever forgive him. Worked on the Javelin and Hunter as well but no flights.

Interesting Lightning photos - cannot be many pics of them with overwing tanks on

Sleepy Hollow
 

Thorney generates many stories, not all Herc orientated as I got there when Bevs, Hastings and Argosys were the incumbents along with the SAR boys at the other end of the Airfield.
The Herc element started in traditional style with nobody on the techy side having done a course on the Herc, they all went to the Colerne guys so when the first frame arrived ( my first aircraft marshalled after training at Halton, a bit of in the deep end ) the after flight servicing was carried out using the flt servicing notes which meant you had to find the bit mentioned in the book if you knew what it was before you could check it. In this I had a bit of a head start as having torn a ligament on the football pitch, my light duties consisted of two weeks in Air Pubs doing all the amendments to the Herc A.Ps before the aircraft arrived so at least I knew where to look for things. Terminology was a challenge, as quantities were in US pints, quarts etc ., but eventually experience built up to the point that when we were sent on the Herc course we knew most of what we to be taught.
There were still things to be learnt that were new, for a sooty used to working on the Blackburn Oilspill a dry prop did not mean it had all leaked out and a small weep really did need looking at! The first prop change was again done to the A.P. and this was when we found out that although the A.P. said the prop oil quantity was so many quarts it already had some in it in transit so filling with the stated quantity did produce rather an extreme case of over filling and subsequent evidence of such!
One of the best non Herc moments there was the arrival of the Red Arrows in their Gnat days, a very impressive run and break followed by a stream landing closely spaced, with a high speed taxi to the end of the runway, application of brakes followed by Gnats going in all directions as it appears the threshold at Thorney was a low friction surface to reduce the rubber build up from Hercs doing circuits , result was various Gnats with speed tape holding things together for the display. Lots of sympathy all round!
There is lots more to tell and maybe I will in the fullness of time, just one for smudge the illustrious Eddie Botham was a SAC lecky with me at Thorney both of us working on the Farms dispersal of which more later.

Grand Canyon
 

Possibly same trip to Nellis, maybe a different occasion as I have memories of crew declaring VFR and getting clearance from well before Nellis and dropping into the Canyon to follow it down and scaring the whatsit out of a sightseeing trip going the other way as this big smoky grey green machine came round a corner as he was minding his own business with his bunch of sightseers. An early version of " well you don't see that every day"

Welcome to the thread Gopher :ok:

gopher01
 

I arrived at Thorney straight from nav' school in April '67 so saw the first Herc' arrive. I had 3 months holding before 4 Course started and spent most of that time in Air Pubs amending manuals.


I was joined after a while by 2 more navs, a Plt Off like me also waiting for 4 Course and a Fg Off waiting for an Argosy course. Although tedious we managed to have a few laughs, including making paper half-wings with AP in the middle to stick over our N badges.


The civilians in there, after being a bit wary of us young occifers, joined in the fun too - I seem to remember 2 of them had been airmen in the 1920s and served in Iraq.


Did you see us in XV 179 go off the runway ( 12th Oct' ) and take to the grass after the u/t driver selected the wrong 2 engines to reverse on a 3 engine landing?:oh:

Thorney Island and 242 OCU
 

Thank you Coffman I have one or two posts in already on the thread having been a G/E during smudges time and for a previous existence, a grand total of 10 years as a G/E, starting in the time of Chalky White and Black Harry who I still see around Swindon occasionally.
Does anyone out there remember a device, for want of a better word, that was trialled on the OCU that fitted on the forward end of the throttle console and consisted of a spring loaded flap that rested against the power levers. I believe the intention was that the flap was adjusted so that on run up before take off the flap was set against the power levers when they achieved the required power setting for take off and clamped into place by a knurled nut. The power levers could then be returned to minimum power until the take off run commenced when the power levers could be advanced till they came up against the flap which gave the required power setting without the gauges having to be watched and adjustments made during the take off run. The flap was spring loaded so that in case of a need for more power, engine failure etc., then further movement of the power levers tripped the spring loading and the flap flipped out of the way. I don't remember seeing it around for very long so presumably it was not a great success.

Brian ...

In response to an earlier request from you ... see Post #393 ... hope this helps :ok:

Coff
 

Remiss of me! I did thanks, but being a complete technophobe didn't understand a word of it. SWMBO I think may understand your tips, however she is up to her eyes in dealing with our planning application to build a new house in our garden. Tomorrow is the last day for objections/observations etc from interested parties.


I don't know if anyone else has experienced this , but when I hung up my headset on retirement from LHR ATC I seemed to lose the ability to cope with anything stressful. Thank goodness Anne just loves taking charge of everything :O.

gopher01,
I think the device you mentioned was invented by an Air Engineer to prevent the T56 being powered beyond the normal torque limit of 19600 lbs. The problem was that most of the Captains came from the Hastings/Beverley fleet. These were not exactly overburdened with excess power so the throttles were pushed fully open and kept there until the Co called 'safety speed' when in theory the a/c might stay airborne if you lost an engine. If you did this on the new powerful Herc (we had H model engines) then on a cold winter's day at Thorney you might see close to 21000 lbs. Not a good thing as the engine bearers had then to be inspected. The big problem was not on a standing start but on a roller.
The Captain would call for 'flap 50, trims to neutral, follow me through with the power'. The eng would be calling out the torque readings but in the rush and being new to this 'over power' business it was very easy to exceed 19600 !
Of course under different conditions we could be temp limited but not at Thorney Island.

Trying out the public folder in Dropbox.

Ethiopia, December 1985 at Makalle strip. The 'hard' work is going on underneath as the aircraft is being unloaded (a mobile hospital). This piccy is of me demonstrating how to drink Coke with a view. Let's see if the link works

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...20Dec%2085.jpg

DD ... And a fine looking chap I see :ok:

Large image of 295 ...

Sorry to break the current flow but I have to leave the forum for a spell shortly and I have one or two more pics which may generate some interest.
http://i61.tinypic.com/2q3rcbb.jpg

Forgot to say this is climbing out of Kathmandu.

Cracking pic, hoping it's either taken from the cupola and reversed or they let you back in via a DV window soon after.

Random pics I'm afraid, but enjoy.


http://i57.tinypic.com/20hoc3p.jpg