No Water Please
 

So how exactly do the other ten air arms around the world that operate the T-6 manage?

By not buying a solution and changing it all.

CG

Under a different regulatory framework maybe?

Move back into Linton, problem solved.

Bit of an issue when operating from an airfield on an island?!

I guess the key word is ‘minimise’, so no long transits over water but the Menai Straits are probably not an obstacle. Which explains how the one that flew over me this morning made it to the Lake District.

Not sure if following the flow arrow up Windermere would count as minimizing though?

Martin_the_Martian.

Take your choice, choke, freeze or drown.........

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zon...e-years-to-fix

Two Newest RAF Pilots Earned their Wings in 'Record Time' | Aero-News Network

One way round it. FFS!

Errr. One year JP to "wings", then (for the lucky ones) onto the Gnat, predecessor of the Hawk. I didn't go that route, but many did, and that was mid sixties. Re-inventing the wheel?

Hmm. Another great aircraft procurement decision. Is it too late to take them back and swap for some PC-21s?

M the M
 

I have two points:

1. The MOD did not procure the aircraft. They were chosen and bought by the contractor. It is just possible that they may have realised they need more than the initial purchase of 10.

2. I’ve said this countless times before but I’ll say it again. PC21 is overkill. It’s a great aircraft but not what was required for the job in hand.

BV

Perhaps the problem lies in using the aircraft in a place that freezes your knuts off. Other users live in more sensible climates.
But I think it is taking a rather extreme view in wanting this water-activated quick- release buckle. What happens when some student barfs on it? Or spills his inflight coffee?

The choice of the aircraft doesn't help if you order it with the wrong seat/harness/life support (etc) kit.

Regarding PC-21, that aircraft is used by some air arms as an ab initio trainer and by some as an advanced trainer leading onto Gripen, F-18 etc. Therefore, it covers the whole spectrum of training. When the contractors (Affinity and Ascent) decided on platforms for MFTS the Hawk T2 was already well in service and the PC-21 would have had considerable overlap of capabilities with it. In fact, the PC-21 has some capabilities which I believe the Hawk T2 does not (synthetic air-to-ground radar). The PC-21 was more expensive than the T6 and so was not a sensible option, however good and capable it may have been.

I was involved with the proposal by Affinity to Ascent of the T6 as the platform for this role but my remit did not involve any aspects of AEA. Both the T6 and PC-21 are fitted with Martin-Baker Mk 16 ejection seats. Therefore, it begs the question why the UK T6s were not fitted with a version of the seat that used UK AEA. I suspect that it was a question of cost but some here may know more.

The Tucano was never cleared for flight over the sea due to a number of reasons. As has already been stated, the real issue is basing the aircraft at Valley.

Well that makes instrument approaches to the southeasterly runway tricky.....

This must be old news as the Texans have been happily transmitting over the Irish Sea for low level work in LFA17. There were several in the Lake District last week for example.

Seriously? I don't recall any similar limitation with the JP. We didn't wear immersion suits, but then again Church Fenton, Cranwell, Finningley, Leeming, Linton and Syerstonl were well inland, as were Manby and Strubby. Although Acklington was pretty close to the North Sea.

The water-activated QRB sounds interesting. Something which doesn't operate when a student is strapping in on a wet day, but operates quickly enough to release him/her quickly enough to avoid drowning must be something of a design challenge.

But I still cannot understand why the RAF didn't include the optional the M-B Mk.17 lightweight ejection seat in the user requirement for the Prefect T1.

You just can’t keep some people off GUARD......

Orac, thought I was missing something when I read you post.... Then reread my post.....”transmitting” should have read ‘transiting’.....

Bloody predictive text....