ValMORNA as Fire Officer at Kai Tak I had occasion to drive up the mountain to do the annual fire inspection at the unit. I was denied entrance by the aforesaid CO as I didn't have the requisite security clearance. As a fairly junior flying officer I couldn't really argue with him but I did point out that I couldn't sign off the fire inspection. He said if the place burned down he'd take the blame!

As you say -an "interesting" road journey.

Incidentally our weekly poker school in the mess was joined for a while by a CIA man who worked "up the hill". We thought this lent an air of glamour to our game!

... Blimey, time for a diet!

Not me.

Ys

Good Lord! Imagine what that would sound like!

Hmm. A Concorde, I suppose.

And the rudder much too small.

Attachment 4390

Interesting Avro proposal from 1952 for a very long range Photo recce version of the Vulcan

A Zero Fuel Weight <75k is a touch optimistic to say the least!

YS

They were going to remove the soup heaters obviously! Simples.

ACW

This wasn't the unit where fully loaded Japan Airlines 707 flew through the car park when he did a non standard go-around from Kai Tak.

If you have access to the channel "Movies4men" then set your alarm for 3am on Tuesday, 10 Apr

I flew a Vulcan B2 with bomb bay tanks for 7:05 hours. I had proposed to HQ No 1 Group at Bawtry to take a Vulcan around the North Pole. The plan was to take off from Bodo in Norway, fly to the Pole, then once around, and back to Scampton. There were many airfields on the east coast of the UK should we run short of fuel. We proved the range by flying a large square in mid-Atlantic, climbing 1,000 feet at each corner (due to air traffic restriction, we could not do a proper cruise-climb). We landed with the minimum fuel - in those days, 8,000 lbs, which was raised a few years later to 10,000 lbs. Our project was rejected by No 1 Group. More is the pity since no Bomber Command aircraft had flown round the pole since war time. However, I believe John Pack of 27(?) Sqn managed a few minutes longer than my flight. I think he also managed to get above 60,000 ft.

That trip around the North Pole would have been quite a challenge for the Plotter - unless there was any significant land from which a radar fix was possible? But an excellent training opportunity nonetheless - what a pity HQ 1 Gp said no!

J Le B - a name much feared and revered as OC GSU when I was on 35! Hope you're keeping well?

If I recall correctly, during one of those pre-Western Ranger briefs we used to be given by the GSU, you were describing the buttes to be seen on one particular OB route "The sort of thing from behind which you expect to see John Wayne appear on his horse".

"Thuh hell ya will, pilgrim....", I commented.

Your eyes narrowed and in a mock-Gestapo voice you simply said "Ve are ze GSU! Ve do ze jokes!"

At least I think it was you?

J le B
Good to know you are alive and kicking!

BB, my thoughts too.

As far as the polar trip, as far as I know they might have had GPI4. JP was the OC when my skipper was a co jo. They certainly had GPI6 with BS but as BS was only just entering Service.

The VC 10 route involved a refuel at Iceland and a recovery direct to Brize. I suppose radar fixes would have been possible of Svarlbard but night set to in winter would have been OK. Though there was one 'night's astro exercise panned up in to the Norwegian Sea in summer. The crews all complained after the event.

John Lebrun

Thank you much appreciated.


With living next to RAF Scampton & Waddington most of my life during the 70's & 80's I have always being fascinated by the Vulcan & Vulcan Scrambles at airshows. Like most Vulcan fans would have jumped at a chance of a flight in the aircraft. The next best thing was a flight in Concorde, good times!!

Glider 90

John,

Great to "hear" from you again! Many good memories from the old days!

Never did the North pole (in a Vulcan) but had a great short stages run to Canada with the "Reds" (still Gnats) as their guide (?) through a fairly Northerly route !!

Take care,
Bill.