F-104 1 Gnat 0
 

I know it's been mentioned on here before, however, this is the first photo I've seen of this "up close and a bit too personal " meeting. Acknowledgements to a contributor on the RAF Valley FB page for the shot.

How the Gnat continued to defy gravity after this encounter is one of aviation's mysteries ......

https://scontent.fbhx4-2.fna.fbcdn.n...ec&oe=6092ADA8

Bit of filler and duct tape and good as new....

Air-to-air pedicure for the Gnat-pilot?

My two all time favorite aircraft decided to have a mid air snog!

https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=56500

1975! I like the fact it seems they flew a formation approach - maybe due to the fact that the ASI was showing a bit of an odd reading given where the pitot tube wasn't!!! :E

The location of the photo is another mystery.

Leck air base, Germany.
https://images.app.goo.gl/WiyPHsHqs4fbG8oo8

As indeed it was to the C/T who went up initially to inspect the damage....he had a "scenic tour " of N.Germany before he found it. Nice base actually.

I know where Leck is - I was Germany based for three years.

What I meant was that there is no photo of the incident showing on my screen! :p

That's just a scuff, I remember the Hawk where you could see the pilots feet and rudder pedals through the hole...

One imagines that airspeed would be proportional to the wind up his trouser leg.

He wouldn't have noticed that, what with the wind going down his trouser leg!

CG

OK. I'll swap your Hawk for a Harrier at Husum....the seagull came through the radome and then through the px bulkhead before finally stopping on the right rudder pedal. It was about 3-4 weeks before we got there to bring it back to Wildenrath on a low loader.......the deceased seagull remained in situ until that time

. " Fragrant " is not a word that springs to mind.

Seen it now - Mystery now is that the photo shows on my phone but not on my PC!

Shy, your PC (like mine) probably has defences and blockers to prevent the myriad of 'services' that try to climb on board any page you try to open - this one has at least 15 detected by my primary line of defence. I still can't see the picture, but I can't be bothered to go through each link and temporarily 'allow' them one-at-a-time to find out which one is actually hiding the picture. Just goes to show how many businesses have access to your phone, if it allows the page to load unhindered, eh?

One Summer, a Sea King on Det in NI on fishery protection I believe (this being 1980 IIRC). On final departure a gift of a large crate of fresh fish was donated to the crew by some very grateful fishermen. Std transit back to Cu via Valley for lunch/fuel. Hot/CAVOK Wx + a nice toasty MRGB ensured cabin remained at "oven temperatures" for the duration of the transit.

Upon arrival at Cu, the A/C was unloaded and towed away from the Sqdn/Line and dumped on the grass - downwind of the Sqdn - whereupon all doors/windows were opened, emergency exit windows jettisoned etc. Thankfully, it was a nice spell of Cornish Summer - no rain to hinder the decontam process! Twice a day a "Team" were "specially selected" (ie ordered!) to approach the aircraft to ascertain it's condition.

Re-entry was finally achieved after something like 4 days. :uhoh:

I'll tell you a fish story, winter Olympics in Calgary, went to do an engine change on a Ten at Gander outside!
Anyway I was in some hotel bar listening some of the worst music known to man so I pooters off for a leak... standing there, this huge goliath of a man with a beard to match appears beside me, looks down and says are you British? I reply yes.. Ahh he says, in that funny language they speak, you wouldn't be interested in being my Agent in the UK for my fish would you.....
Now I must admit that's a first... but hey ho. what? I replied...he continues, I will send my catch through you and you will just need to sign the Customs paperwork etc for me and take a cut...
Thinking i need to get out of this madhouse I finish, decline his offer and leave.. relating it to the guys back at our hotel one of them goes ashen faced and asks did I get details, no I replied, he then tells me I just turned down a potential fortune and he had been looking for / trying to get such a deal for years. I was offered it on the first night lol.

Sorry thread drift.

For odorous aircraft, close to the 'top spot' would be dried shark meat in a Valetta (or any aircraft) - not left to 'improve', just carried! Needed a couple of weeks with the emergency windows open to approach normal. :yuk:
Certainly in the 'Top Ten', a whole Camembert, bought in Pnomh Penh and left in the Devon nose compartment, in the Bangkok heat for a weekend, would 'rank' quite 'high' !

Back at the Gnat. I remember speakling to the pilot afterwards. Apparently the F104 airbrakes are rather better than the Gnat's. After disengaging from the 104's jetpipe he could see the ground past his feet on the rudder padals. A bit draughty. Lost the pitot head and had no airspeed indication. A pairs approach and an ok landing.