Duxford 2014:-

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What was and what should have been....
 

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PA2 returning after some Safe Separation work

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A little more nostalgia
Another low job in Majunga
Last Mk3 to leave ISK
Coastal Command Funeral on Sharjah Mardet

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S37

Is that the official LAST Mk3 to leave ISK or the one that came back u/s and had to hide in our hanger for a few weeks until it was mended and was then flown out 'surreptitiously'?

Shackman, I couldn´t possibly comment. Mostly because I don´t have the answer. I can´t recall where I found the photo but the caption came with it.

And now for something completely different...

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Why did they bolt the back end of a boat to the front of a ship?


I'll stop drinking the gin now.

It´s a convertible:)

The Last Mk 3
 

S37

Sorry, that was somewhat tongue in cheek. I think what happened was that there was an official 'farewell to the Shackleton' event at ISK where they were all due to fly off to either Cosford or Kemble, but on the day one was u/s so they put in what was to become 8 Sqn's first hangar. It was still there being worked on when we started arriving in November '72, but soon departed on its one way trip (although we on 8 were tasked with delivering some of the Mk3s from Kemble around the country for airfield fire practice - after we had left them; who remembers the 'Save the Shackleton, Burn Valley' campaign?)

Last Mk3 from ISK
 

Shackman, Shack37, I believe it was the last official departure. There may have been other airframes remaining at Kinloss. I was the Co Pilot. Selected members of the Press were "treated" to a last fly round the Moray coast and after they had been dropped off we carried out this flypast for their benefit and ferried the aircraft to Cosford. This was an interesting exercise as the weather was below limits for the Cosford NDB approach. We tried an "Offset SRA" from Shawbury given by an infamous lady Air Traffic Controller (Shi**ey Gr**ve) before giving up and going to Shawbury for the night. The departure from Shawbury next day was (thankfully) delayed by the weather (most of the crew were "under the weather" after sharing a grog or 2 with various characters including said lady controller and my QFI from BFT. Eventually WR974 was delivered to Cosford. We returned by Civair. The BEA crew were not impressed by 6 Shack crew wearing bone domes and LSJs playing Kirkey round the tables at the front of the Viscount. The passengers were even less impressed when we diverted to Kinloss (because of fog at Inverness) and the RAF Chaps said "Ta very much - Goodnight" before walking off into the darkness.

olddog
Thanks for that clarification. I would love to have been on that Viscount.

Shack an asked "who remembers the 'Save the Shackleton, Burn Valley' campaign?"

I do with great clarity. When WL754 arrived at Valley after a 'gentle' beat-up, the engineering team followed, swapping the good engines and props for life-ex ones, prior to the aircraft being towed to the fire dump. This was at the time of the UK governments "Save It" campaign to reduce electricity consumption. The personnel at Valley stirred the locals into quite vocal and written contempt of the planned demise of this once fine aircraft. A huge "Save It" sticker appeared on the rear fuselage, and articles appeared with continued enthusiasm in the North Wales papers.
Harry Staish relented, and the Shack was displayed beside the Blister hangars (home of the MRD's) for a good couple of years, easily viewed by an appreciative public.

During the campaign, there was noted to be a concerted effort by 'the management' to quell the uprising amongst the unruly uniformed personnel..which only stoked the fires. Anonymous posters and memo's appeared in many corners, both on the camp and in the local villages, promoting the "save the Shack-Burn Valley" campaign.

Happy days.

Camlobe

Ah, the blessed Shirl.....
 

......one of the very first female air trafficers. Best known for her cry of "Mine's a Bells" for which she seemed to have an endless capacity.

She'd be about 90 now, at least - depending on the preservative qualities of Bells.

The Ancient Mariner

MODD Callsign
 

Random query i know but would any of you be able to explain the significance of the callsign MODD (Mike Oscar Delta Delta), used to be heard quite regularly back in the 80s/90s but not heard now for a long time. Reason for asking is pure curiosity 😀

Thanks

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One of them on a pole outside what is now the National Gendarmerie School in Rochefort, and which used to be a major French Navy air base. Nice little Naval aviation museum there as well

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