PPRuNe Forums - Global Aviation Magazine : 60 Years of the Hercules

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What type of boat is it and who owned it ?

Is it Navy ?

The boat was owned by a little outfit on the coast near Poole. I'm sure Google will tell you the name.

I had the 'pleasure' of loading it once and numerous similar ones on may occasions.

So what is it called - never seen anything like that before

Reminds me of a US Navy SEAL Boat or a rescue boat, can't seem to find what I am looking for.

500N,

Try this link. SBS Boats - VSV

Or this

http://www.globalsecurity.org/milita...s/ship/vsv.htm

Wander00,

VSV = Very Slender Vessel

Smudge:ok:

Smuj - wish I was (very slender), but thanks all. Now better informed

Interesting to see the Aus airdrop video of their dozer. Their platform looks nothing like an MSP or HSP!

I don't want to take issue with AA62 but I think his boat airdrop snap is a Medium Inflatable Boat . Not a Rigid Inflatable. In the early days these were dropped on boards and hit the sea with a slap. - Huge g forces that would break things. It took a good while for us to solve this problem. The chutes are ADUX. supposed to be one shot, single use. We used them all up in various HUMAID ops.

AA62 tails of TROC extension cables ring true. I tried to have two separate lengths and have them colour coded to prevent such a murphy. We did this for static line extensions for SC15. People just don't understand the safety issues. Towards the end of my time I became very concerned about MSP. It was not dropped often enough to maintain currency. Almost every other drop was a maldrop of some sorts. Including one that really alarmed me when the para tray clouted the door. It was not noted for a number of days. Corporate knowledge had faded so much in the end. The good thing was that every drop was filmed. I am surprised not more has finished up on Youtube.

Whilst on the subject of things that go on water I once loaded a hovercraft at Diego Garcia on a Mk1. It touched both sides at the wheel well, the seat stations stowed at 245 and overhung the ramp.

The real issue was we had 19 POB (all crew of one sort or another) and we could not get any seats down in the back. I was thank full for my hammock tied between the yellow posts.

As requested the photos of the MSP drop at Volant Rodeo - courtesy of DM !

First photo of the DZSO's wagon on the bullseye of the drop zone.http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m...psd477a19e.jpg

Secondly the load in flight.http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m...psc2e067d4.jpg

Thirdly the result of an accurate drop ! http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m...psb5388c52.jpg

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

Tonights Offering - I believe Stretchwell will be along at some point with a pic from DM.
The pink scheme was reasonably effective.
http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/p...psf4ff551b.jpg

Sorry, I just love dogs chasing aeroplanes :)
http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/p...psb93cca89.jpg

More Red Flag shenanigans
http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/p...pse11b2e90.jpg
Playing with the 7th SOS in southern Germany
http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/p...ps6677e92a.jpg
We thought we were pretty clever, hand painting our own aircraft until the Gents from 7 rolled out this much more gnarly version..... done with cargo/cam net masking and spray cans.
http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/p...ps21e0c360.jpg

I hope the faces are just about blurry enough to protect the innocent in this-nice use of kamikaze headbands though :)
http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/p...psd1198330.jpg

This one was taken by the lovely Mr IB
I hope he won't mind me posting it here.
http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/p...ps3232deb2.jpg
Thats it for now til I fire up the scanner.

Tales from the Hammock

WE992,

Of course, the hammock in its "classic" position. Now, picture the scene. I'm the AGE on an ASI LOX trip. A rather large LOX container is in the cargo bay, accompanied by a LOX safety man, whose sole purpose is to monitor vessel pressures and advise of any faults, mounted on a platform, on roller conveyor. Our Captain, C**** O'*****, briefs us on the plan. Basically, if the safety man tells me its about to blow, I will open the ramp and door and dump it in the oggin. So off we go.first leg Lyneham to Banjul, no probs, and I had a good trip operating my hammock, tied between the yellow poles. Putting Albert to bed was standard and the refuel was accomplished without incident (this matters).

Next day we completed the trip to ASI, and landed just after the weekly Timmy. Taxied in and the VASF lads were very helpful. We were informed that we had to wait around an hour and a half to remove our LOX pot, because the Tristar had priority on the movers. Not a problem I thought, and duly refuelled Albert for our northerly departure the next day. And, by the time we had it put to bed, the local movers turned up, unloaded the LOX pot and myself and the safety man headed toward the accommodation and a welcome beer.

Imagine my surprise at breakfast in the mess the following morning when the Flt Sgt Muppet in residence introduced himself with "you're in the crap now matey boy", with respect to his rank I replied that he could call me Smudge if he liked, and asked what I had done wrong. Well, he said, I've had OC muppetry ASI send a signal off to FATCOCK reporting you for refuelling your aircraft with a LOX container on board. I doubt you will even be allowed to be the GE for the return trip today. Well, I thanked him for his astute recognition that I had indeed refuelled my Albert, whilst the LOX container was aboard, but pointed out that I had done the same thing at Banjul, en route to ASI, and that it was authorised by signal from the said FATCOCK. Halfway through his full English, spitting sausage he went apoplectic, and continued to insist that C130s were not allowed to be refuelled whilst LOX was aboard. I further explained that in normal operation Albert carried its own LOX pot, that was never routinely drained to allow fuel to be loaded on board. He left half of his breakfast and stormed out. I never heard a word about it again. And now for the hammock. On the way back north, I enjoyed a 30 minute chat down the back with our skipper, who made the point to me that strung up where I had it, had he needed to jettison the southbound load, I would have gone with it. Now there was something worth listening to. As a result, and whenever possible after that I rigged a stretcher, aft of the MLG and enjoyed luxury travel. Far be it from me to come between a pilot and his jettison. Anyway, despite the fact that I absolutely admit total inferiority in knowledge of Albert, what did the two yellow stanchions mean, no doubt a question for the Loadies among us.

Smudge:ok:

PS, Chickenlover. In 30 years of service as groundcrew, I only really loved two aircraft. Your photograph of Albert and the Lightning (surely an F6) has just encapsulated my whole service career. Thanks very much.

Smuj
You're very welcome-that day out was right up there as a highlight of my service career - I'm breaking rule one of forum muppettry by posting whilst tipsy , so tomorrow I'll put up some more Lightnings and Herc pics :)

Bunta,
I have replied to your PM.

dragartist,
ref my boat pic you are most certainly right ! I did not annotate my pics (who would ever be interested ?) so fallible memory strikes again. In my defence m'lord it is a typical RIB drop ! But where is my pic of the RIB ?
Do they still drop the MSP now ?.

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m...psb14e1186.jpg

Still with the MSP. this is on the same VR detachment and could easily be the famous bulls eye referred to. You can just see that the platform is starting to rotate. In the pic showing the load on the vehicle you can clearly see the DZ marker panels very close to the incident.

Smudge,
did no one wonder how you had got to ASI in the first place without refuelling?. As regards jettisioning the LOX tank , as I mentioned in a previous post we used to carry it rigged for airdrop. When that requirement was dispensed with I was never convinced we could have got rid of it in an emergency without it striking the cargo door as it tipped over the ramp. However when needs must !

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps13d27b11.jpg

A real blast from the past. Taken I think when we were at Fairford. Unlike the RIB this usually did 'what it says on the tin'. I had huge admiration for the SBS paras who used to follow this out at night.

Good morning Gentlemen ...

This thread simply gets better by the day ... thank you all for making so :D

Hopefully it won't be too long before the "Maggie/Grey Funnel Line" incident appears ... the title is certainly intriguing :}