RAF Lyneham
 

On my first tour in the RAF I was an Air Trafficker at Lyneham. In 1968, whilst on local control, I remeber being given notice that an Exercise Mick/Micky Finn had been called and we were to expect some Vulcan aircraft within a half an hour. Having never even seen a real Vulcan, let alone had one anywhere near Lyneham, during my tour this was a bit exciting I can tell you. First ac cleared to land and carry's out an interesting manoever, which I came to recognise later on in a future career, by adopting a severe nose up attitude! Keen young chap that I was, I sounded the crash alarm and the entire fire team leaped into their charges and asked where the "practice crash" was??? "Vulcan tailscrape, RW 25" say's I "Roger" say's the fire chief and off they go in pursuit of said V- bomber which is still very nose up and sending up a healthy stream of sparks. " Lyneham, Mission XXXX request taxy instruction" "Roger, XXXX taxy to the ORP located to the west of ATC, crash crews are approaching from the East." There then followed a short, sharp verbal exchange between sprog ATC officer and Vulcan captain on the merits of aerodynamic braking! Three other Vulcans followed on within the next 20 mins. Scrambled the next day and I never saw one again until I arrived at Scampton as a u/t Nav Rad, on 230 OCU, some 5 years later!:ouch:

Anyway point of the post is that Lyneham had a four ac ORP, which can be seen fairly clearly in XV277's list, not two as in your original post jackonicko.

3P

Topbunker

Woodvale? Are you perchance having us on? T'would be a brave soul who brings in or takes out a loaded Vulcan, surely?

Besides, the locals would only complain about the noise of the Soviet retaliatory strike :ok:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6..._Dispersal.jpg

Clearly shows the four aircraft dispersal site on the lower left hand side, this is still used by aircraft from time to time.

I just knew it would not be long before BEagle appeared!! Do you guys put these V Force threads on here just to keep him amused?

Careful! We are all over the place.

Did an interesting dispersal to Llanbedr on 5/6 Jan 65 in XM597. Ex Kinsman. Had to land by 1700 as they let the sheep back onto the airfield then. I can't quite remember but there was at least two aircraft from Cottemore there, possibly three.

ACW

..... those welsh lads didn't like to be away from their sheep after dark

The one of mine (just off one of the 'airfields') is at least 7 years old because I know when they were taken! Most of the high-ish definition stuff is from Get Mapping's Millenium map, and was taken in 1999

We have a copy of "RAF Woodvale-The First Fifty Years" and there's no mention of V bombers in it. The only mention of jet aircraft operating from here is of Meteors in the early fifties.

There were certainly Meteors at Woodvale in 1965.Used to look enviously at them when attending AEF ( No 8 or 10??) every term for an hour in Chipmunks.

A useful contribution, newt. But Red Ken would love you....


Do you chaps mean Woodford, not Woodvale?

You are right 418, Llanbedr was a Cottesmore dispersal. 1965/66 seems to have been a particularly nervous time as my records show dispersals to Ballykelly, Valley, Pershore, Yeovilton and Llanbedr.

Apart from the sheep I remember Llanbedr being a bit short, nobody wanting to do a 'stream' away from base.More work for the Co-pilot and AEO!

ADVERTISING

Woodford theoretically could have done it but it would have been off RWY 08. It would have been a relatively short taxi from the apron opposite Flight Sheds. It would have been a hell of a long taxi to RWY 26, though, with a long enter and backtrack from 02/20; one at a time.

They would have looked good arriving over Commieland with "Rag Rag" sprayed over them! courtesy of the students of Manchester University.

ADVERTISING
Apparently the runway was specifically extended for V Force Ops.
Allegedly it was offered up to the Spams for similar use.
However, their reply went along the lines of "Thanks for the offer but we'd rather divert to North Africa than land on 6000' of tarmac!"
Please excuse the apparently/allegedly caveats - Mr Ferguson's research - not mine (and my befuddled corpuscles)!

Yes, PJ, I thought my faculties had not deserted me.

IIRC, the runway at WV was extended for Meteor operations whilst T.7s and F.4s were based there prior to their move over the water, some time before V-force was in full service.

I shall ask the author when I see him!

GM

V force QRA dispersals
 

Cranfield was used by Cottesmore as dispersal for QRA

You might want to add Filton to the list, if you look there is a 4 AC Pan with loop situated just north of and direct Taxiway to the Main East-West, also to the old North-South secondary which I think would have been a bit short for FUW ops.

Thorney Island??? I quote "Higher Authority" who is NEVER wrong. She lived in the vicinity in the early '60s and remembers Vulcans visiting.

Fv, TI certainly stirs the memory.
ACW418, about that time at Llanbedr on of the 12 Sqn crews launched and departed sharpish through the hangar gap. Unfortunately the gee forces prevented the nose oleo retraction. The duty pilot, off another sqn, IX think, reported the Captain for dangerous flying.
I have been in touch with said Captain a couple of years ago on a Vulcan forum. Unlike other spirited flying this incident did not seem to dent his career as he became OC C Sqn although one could surmise that a move to Victor BS was not promotion :}

What about Carnaby?

Chivenor also rings a bell.

FV you are right, She is never wrong: Nov 27th 1967 about 1630 in 534.