Global Aviation Magazine : 60 Years of the Hercules
 

For those interested ...

The latest free edition of Global Aviation Magazine contains some great articles featuring iconic images of Royal Air Force aircraft past and present as well as articles on the RAF's No1 School of Technical Training based at RAF Cosford and 60 years of the Hercules.

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Image Credit : Global Aviation Magazine

On-Line edition ...

GAM Issue 23

Coffman,
thanks for the link. Ah the memories of the 'K' ! Nice cover pic of the RAF 25th anniversary scheme. Been to a few airshows in that one.

Excellent link ... thanks for that. Great photography too.

Oh yes 292.

Flew her in that scheme on many occasions, happy days.

I believe she is now flying with the Austrians.

xv292,Marietta and the Royal Review
 

When 292 was painted up for the 25th anniversary of the Herc in RAF service I was selected as the GE to go with the aircraft to visit Lockheeds at Marietta on a little jaunt master minded by OC 30 Sqn, Wg Cdr Main ( also known to many as the Fat Controller ). We took a random selection of bods from round the station on the trip to represent the people who supported the Herc operations but didn't get much recognition.
Whilst at Marietta we had a tour of the plant, a briefing on the future of the Herc , mainly to do with the HTTP frame they were trialing things on,( leading edge slats for one ) and a burst of air to air photography with a B25 Mitchell as the photo plane. Trying to get the Herc in frame over the plant was a bit of a struggle until the captain, (Paul Obourne if I remember correctly ) told the guy flying the B25 to fly straight and level and we would do the positioning. The B25 had had the tail fairing removed so the photographers could shoot out the back and Oby tried to give them so real good close ups by getting the probe within about 15 feet of the B25.
During the trip we took the airframe to Denver to pick up some Marines back from an exercise and then brought everybody home.
I also went with 292 to the Royal Review where we were fortunate as although it was raining we lined up to meet Her Majesty and Prince Phillip under the tail of the aircraft in the relative dry, a bonus that was appreciated by more than just us judging by Prince Phillips comments at the time.
I often wondered why I got selected to go on these trips and thought it might have been that I marshalled the first Herc onto the Farms dispersal at Thorney Island way back in 1967, you never know.

Is my maths bad, or is that not more than half the period of powered heavier-than-air flight. Amazing.

gopher01,

I did a UAS summer camp at Thorney Island in 1969 and had my first trip on a "K" to Gib and back. Seems like yesterday!

Gopher, you had some luck with 292. My records show me "accompanying the frame" on a couple of air display days, Waddington being a real treat. A Deci Sched or three and that was about it. I'm sure we may have overlapped as GEs but 21st anniversary would have been 87 ? A year before I did my course. The K was the "bees knees" though, can't imagine what they see in these new jobbies:rolleyes:

Being an Ex Halton Apprentice, 1 S of TT has only one meaning to me, but then, I'm a philistine !!!!

Smudge:ok:

gopher01,
I was on 30 when W/C Tony Main was the boss and the anniversary a/c was his idea brought to fruition with the assistance of, I think,
OC B Line. As I recall the cargo compartment was set up with a display of the 'Labours of the RAF Hercules' . I did not go to Marietta (wonder who I sent !) but did lots of UK airshow trips in it. May even have done one with yourself or smudge.

Ancientaviator,

I suspect my time as a GE may have been a bit late (88-95) but I certainly went to a couple of displays in 292. Most of my time as a GE the "Air Display" frame was XV210

http://i1292.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9670136e.jpg

An A Line frame I believe, but we may well have done an Air display or two :ok:

smujsmith,
the entries in my logbook are for XV 292 as the anniversary a/c as is my pic. I must learn how to upload pics and bore everyone ! I was on Hercs from 1968 until 1997 so our paths will have crossed. I have all the 'Alberts' logged.
Very nice pic of 210. Do you have anymore ?

Ancientaviator,

Unfortunately, that's not one of mine, but a shot taken and uploaded to airliners.net, copyright Gareth Horne, which I "borrowed". I've a few good Albert shots from my days as a GE, but not many to do with Air displays. I could bore the pants off most with Albert photographs. I started my RAF career, out of Halton in 1971 on the aircraft, was injured in a flying accident during GW1 in an Albert, and was employed to my medical discharge date on Albert. I regard myself as lucky in working on a great aircraft, with seriously professional crews and top ground support. Only people who have experienced a long time on the RAF Hercules fleet will know what I mean. Oops, perhaps a tadge sentimental. Here's one of mine;

http://i1292.photobucket.com/albums/...pseff6f2a9.jpg

Winter deployment Norway, many moons ago. The big tall bloke is the boss of Hereford. He's talking to our small Captain, who was a giant in his own way. Me, I went to get warm in the tower, hence the snap.

Smudge:ok:

A second fave shot. XV200, after ops in to Sarajevo, having a rest at Falconara (Ancona). this aircraft was a real workhorse. I did many trips and routes in it, and had very few snags. Note the MAROC pods on the wings. I understand that MAROC simply stands for MARshalls (as in MARshalls of Cambridge) Orange Crop, stolen from the Vulcan, as was the refuelling probe. Perhaps someone ex V Bomber fleet could confirm that for me. Certainly, during the Sarajevo airlift we carried an AEop and heard lots of funny sounds on intercom.

http://i1292.photobucket.com/albums/...psc123feb0.jpg

I wish I had straightened the No4 prop better though.

Smudge:ok:

Isn't that XV200 in the photo above??:confused:

Apologies Wizard, the perils of a good evening and posting on an IPad. I've corrected my mistake, and thanks for your observation.

Smudge:ok:

No worries, I too have both in my log book so suspect our paths have crossed at some point :ok:

Happy days (or daze) Wizard. I'm sure we probably have.

Smudge:ok:

Smuj,

The probes were ex V-force (as were the probes on Nimrod). MAROC/Orange Crop on the other hand wasn't. Orange Crop (Racal MIR-2) was originally fitted to the Navy's Sea kings.

Great pics Smudge :ok:

AA62 ... Would you like some help with pic uploading ? ... I'm sure we'd all love to see some of your collection :)

CoffmanStarter,
thank you for your kind offer. I have been reluctant on 'will I bore the readers grounds' and and also to 'learn' how to upload pics to some third party site, which I believe is the only way to do it. Perhaps it is time I got a grip and did it.