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-   -   'Unknown' aircraft at Akrotiri (https://www.pprune.org/military-aviation/617013-unknown-aircraft-akrotiri.html)

chopper2004 8th Jan 2019 17:47

RIot at RIAT
 
Never saw one on static at RIAT 2017....nor with pressure suit, helmet, gloves boots, ALsE on display 👽👽

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....254896b95.jpeg

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....bdb46fe89.jpeg

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....6d7d1da93.jpeg


ValMORNA 8th Jan 2019 18:25

Yuri Gagarin didn't hitch a lift in one prior to his journey into space, April '61. Not many people know this, so . . . Mum's the word.

OKOC 8th Jan 2019 19:00


Originally Posted by chevvron (Post 10355104)
We were on the beach at the east end of the SBA near the harbour when one came in to land; far from being a VRT type (like us) who tried to stop us photographing it, the Deputy ACLO was running round shouting 'you can't take a picture of that'.
He also tried it when a decidedly non standard looking Nimrod came in to land later.
As for noise, they generally took off as we were walking across to the mess for brekky about 7am noisy buggers.

Bloody woke me and reminded me to go for breakfast--"George have you any nice shoes please?" Is he still alive I wonder?

dook 8th Jan 2019 19:06

And I never saw the one with which I was in close formation.

Akrotiri bad boy 8th Jan 2019 19:47

I didn't drink beer with the spaceman who didn't have anything to do with it whilst I wasn't there at any time during various Toom APC's in the early '80's. Something might have been at the far end of G dispersal but it was probably a bit of heat shimmy distorting the tacky ton Canberra target tug. Aircraft recognition was never my strong point.

Bill Macgillivray 8th Jan 2019 20:28

Can't remember drinking with the crews at AKR in the early '70's (can't remember much from then) - must be old age!!!

Bill

unmanned_droid 8th Jan 2019 21:23

I'm pleased to say none of this happened.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....f39326251d.png
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....2ec2c57034.png
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....e0e1161644.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....a657c53ede.png

spannermonkey 8th Jan 2019 21:30

Never used to see one take off in the mornings making a huge noise with a steep take off climb when I was on the way to school, but hey I was only a kid so I have no idea what I didn't see back then.

Seems a lot has changed since 82 - no more swimming pool and the MQ we used to live in must have been flattened and replaced with a new one.

tartare 8th Jan 2019 22:14

The US taxpayer certainly got their money's worth from that particular example.
Needs a spot of paint...

CONSO 9th Jan 2019 03:29

And while standing outside plant 42 in Palmdale in 1973 I never saw one take off and dropping the wingtip gear and climbing at a very steep angle with a lot of noise -before getting into a Rockwell Aerocommander as SLF with a corporate VP pilot named Hoover and just barely clearing the ridge with a nice house- between Palmdale and LAX while working on the first B-1 Bomber.

Out Of Trim 9th Jan 2019 04:08

I was never almost deafened by a weather balloon on departure whilst I plugged in the Runway Caravan at AKT during an F4 APC. It was painfully loud at such close range!

Ogre 9th Jan 2019 05:05

We were out there in 86 I think it was, and were told that if the aircraft that wasn't there wasn't towed past us on the taxiway we were to turn round with our backs to what wasn't there. I was also told off on day 1 of the detachment for getting lost looking for GEF and parking the landrover outside a hanger while I asked this bloke for directions.

The fact that half of the south of Cyprus could hear an aircraft that wasn't there not take off in the morning was not relevant...

chopper2004 9th Jan 2019 08:10

Golden BB : RIot at RIAT 2017
 

Originally Posted by chevvron (Post 10354469)
Don't know how long it will be there but on www.zoom.earth/#34.587014,33.000716,19z,map is a 'strange' aircraft lined up on 28.

Hand on heart a year ago I did see a golden or red BB 😝👽

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....f81f87ffe.jpeg

ORAC 9th Jan 2019 08:46

Nearly got killed in a car crash by the head of U2 operations in Cyprus back in 1977.

The detachment had had just been allowed to start going off the SBA and he came out to Cyprus on a visit and he, along with the detachment commander, came up to 280SU on a curtesy call as we provided their radar surveillance. The plan was to meet in the mess and go down to Kakpetria for a meze in their SUV. What we were unaware of was that they had been drinking all afternoon.

Halfway down the mountain the car left the road, rolled down a slope and ended up in a storm drain on its roof. Thankfully the water only half filled the interior and we were able to kick out the windscreen. In the car along with the two of them were me and, IIRC, HW.

Police attended, taken to hospital, lots of urgent telephone calls and both the Americans were off the island in 12 hours.

Shortly after the det had another crash off base which killed two female schoolteachers and injured two of their pilots. That left them so short they flew in another to maintain their flying schedule. He was the one who took out the ATC tower, Ops and Met office on his first take-off.

They got got barred from going base again after that.

chevvron 9th Jan 2019 13:03


Originally Posted by spannermonkey (Post 10355520)
Never used to see one take off in the mornings making a huge noise with a steep take off climb when I was on the way to school, but hey I was only a kid so I have no idea what I didn't see back then.
.

I was disappointed not to witness that; they always departed in a 'flat' attitude making lots of noise and a 'normal' roc, certainly not as steep as the TT Canberras.

It was most embarassing when one arrived at Farnborough for the static display. The SBAC supplied groundcrew insisted on ignoring the USAF ground party and handling it their way not allowing it to taxy off the runway once the outriggers were fitted and consequently it blocked the runway for about 15 -20 minutes while they tried the manhandle it with the pilot still on board.
The Group Captain (COEF Farnborough) naturally blamed us (ATC) for the delay (nothing to do with us chief) as he was waiting along with other members of the Flying Control Committee to 'vet' the displays of several other aircraft.

melmothtw 9th Jan 2019 13:46


The US taxpayer certainly got their money's worth from that particular example.
This particular example was ordered in FY1980 (that's what the 80 on the tailfin denotes). Would be interesting to know when the oldest in the current fleet was ordered.

ORAC 9th Jan 2019 14:11

This one perhaps?
  • 68-10329 art.#051
    • Originally built as a U-2R, first flew as N803X on 28 Aug 1967
    • Also flown by ROCAF, ROCAF code: #3925
    • First aircraft to fly with Superpods
    • Transferred to 9 SRW, 1981
    • Reconfigured as U-2S, May 1995


SASless 9th Jan 2019 15:11

An Army Helicopter Flight School roommate from back in 1968 wound up being the Squadron Commander of 99 Squadron after he shifted over to the Air Force.....he was bound for higher places than just a Chinook seat.

He is an excellent pilot who went through Chinook Conversion training with me and travelled to Vietnam to the same Battalion where we were assigned to different Chinook units.

He shifted to the Air Force in 1974 and retired upon which he went to work for American Airlines as a Pilot.

Along the way he became an author.


https://web.ipmsusa3.org/content/sha...-u-2-spy-plane

bobward 9th Jan 2019 17:08

Way back in 1980 World in Action (I think) were filming an interview with some talking head at Mildenhall. Said head was denying that any alleged spy planes were operating in the Uk when a certain black glider drifted in over the hedge and waiting cameras. and it made inclusion in that weeks programme as well. Allegedly it was a weather diversion from Beale AFB, they said.....




PS:
I made the last bit up...…….!:O:=

treadigraph 9th Jan 2019 17:13

I wasn't at Air Fete 80 at Mildenhall and I didn't get a glimpse of a section of black fuselage through a briefly opened hangar side door... I haven't just looked at my old mil spotter's log (can't bear to throw 'em out, after nearly 30 years, God only knows why) and it wasn't 68-10339.

I did however see and hear one take off from Patrick AFB - the log I didn't look at tells me it was 68-10329, the history of which ORAC has kindly detailed above. I recall the climb as quite steep and I was surprised by the noise. Mind you, I think I had seen the TR-1 flying at a show or two by then. The departure was just before the the first post-Challenger Shuttle Launch so possibly connected?


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