RAAF buys P-8A Poseidon
Join Date: Feb 2006
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The Bullimore rescue cost next to nothing extra. The boat was already operational, they were simply tasked to his location versus some training operation elsewhere. It was good training for the Navy as they hadn't taken a vessel of that type that far south, in those kind of condition. Just be thankful that they would do the same thing for any one of us in the future. As for the aircraft, just a few cents of our taxes paid the bill.
VH-XXX,
Sorry but the ship in question was tied up at HMAS Stirling whilst most of the crew were on xmas leave. Many of the crew that went to pick up these two stranded yachtsmen weren't crew of the Adelaide at all. They had been drafted in off the other ships tied up for xmas holidays also. Many of them lived in the area around the base and had their xmas leave ruined by these guys.
Bullimore ate in the Officers Mess every night and couldn't wait to get back to do lots of interviews which he was going to get paid lots of money for. Mr Dubois on the other hand ate with the junior ranks and slept in a bunk for junior sailors. He was a good guy. Bullimore was a twit.
No extra cost?? I don't know what planet your on but these things back in the 90's cost around 150K a day to keep at sea. That's not including the 15k and hour the Seahawk used to cost to keep in the air.
I would say he should have paid something out of the huge amount of money he got from his paid interviews and his "when I was shipwrecked I drank Tetley Tea" royalties.
Sorry but the ship in question was tied up at HMAS Stirling whilst most of the crew were on xmas leave. Many of the crew that went to pick up these two stranded yachtsmen weren't crew of the Adelaide at all. They had been drafted in off the other ships tied up for xmas holidays also. Many of them lived in the area around the base and had their xmas leave ruined by these guys.
Bullimore ate in the Officers Mess every night and couldn't wait to get back to do lots of interviews which he was going to get paid lots of money for. Mr Dubois on the other hand ate with the junior ranks and slept in a bunk for junior sailors. He was a good guy. Bullimore was a twit.
No extra cost?? I don't know what planet your on but these things back in the 90's cost around 150K a day to keep at sea. That's not including the 15k and hour the Seahawk used to cost to keep in the air.
I would say he should have paid something out of the huge amount of money he got from his paid interviews and his "when I was shipwrecked I drank Tetley Tea" royalties.
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Personally I wouldn't be upset if my Christmas was ruined if I helped save someone's life but that's just me. They spend so much money on fruitless exercises the government then whinge when something "real" happens.
Apparently Tucson has a bit of a problem and you can see it in the photo above ... Grass! It's supposed to be a desert preservation yard but due to excess rain a lot of grass and moisture is now causing some preservation issues with corrosion.
Apparently Tucson has a bit of a problem and you can see it in the photo above ... Grass! It's supposed to be a desert preservation yard but due to excess rain a lot of grass and moisture is now causing some preservation issues with corrosion.
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At the time the operational tempo wasn't that high at all.
The last 10+ years it would be a different story.
But that's the breaks for having a huge SAR area.
The last 10+ years it would be a different story.
But that's the breaks for having a huge SAR area.
Man Bilong Balus long PNG
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The P3B up for sale; Just thinking out aloud mind you, but what if someone picked it up with a view to converting it to a fire fighting aircraft?
Feasible? I have no idea myself.
The cynical side of me thinks that it simply wouldn't be worth the bureaucratic hassle that would be almost certainly put up by various Government Departments.
Feasible? I have no idea myself.
The cynical side of me thinks that it simply wouldn't be worth the bureaucratic hassle that would be almost certainly put up by various Government Departments.
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Is there any precedent where this ac has been converted to fire fighting?
edit: found this..
Aero Union, Inc. operated eight ex-USN P-3A aircraft configured as air tankers, which were leased to the U.S. Forest Service, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and other agencies for firefighting use. Several of these aircraft were involved in the U.S. Forest Service airtanker scandal but have not been involved in any catastrophic aircraft mishaps. Aero Union has since gone bankrupt, and their P-3s have been put up for auction.
edit: found this..
Aero Union, Inc. operated eight ex-USN P-3A aircraft configured as air tankers, which were leased to the U.S. Forest Service, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and other agencies for firefighting use. Several of these aircraft were involved in the U.S. Forest Service airtanker scandal but have not been involved in any catastrophic aircraft mishaps. Aero Union has since gone bankrupt, and their P-3s have been put up for auction.
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Personally I wouldn't be upset if my Christmas was ruined if I helped save someone's life but that's just me.
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I speak from experience when I say it's one thing to be called out on Christmas due to someone's genuine misadventure, and another thing entirely to be called out due to someone clown deciding to be "adventurous", and having it go pear shaped again 
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Read a story once about a P3 (I believe NZ was the first to buy them outside of the US) that was doing its' usual 3 engine endurance cruise but when it came time to fire up the resting one, it wouldn't turn. Story went on to say that when it landed back at base the ice accumulation in the turbine was still melting.
Can anyone confirm this story? Believe it was sortied over the cold wet North Atlantic but may be wrong about that. Good story if it's true.
Can anyone confirm this story? Believe it was sortied over the cold wet North Atlantic but may be wrong about that. Good story if it's true.
TBM,
How about you PM me the name of your employer and I will schedule some valuable training during your vacation time. It doesn't matter if you don't like it or if its the only time this year you will get to spend time your kids, the media will LOVE IT!!!
Is it not enough that the guys worked the other 50 weeks of the year?
We used to get plenty of practice rescuing people without the likes of Bullimore showing his head.
How about you PM me the name of your employer and I will schedule some valuable training during your vacation time. It doesn't matter if you don't like it or if its the only time this year you will get to spend time your kids, the media will LOVE IT!!!
Is it not enough that the guys worked the other 50 weeks of the year?
We used to get plenty of practice rescuing people without the likes of Bullimore showing his head.
Thread Starter
Have no fear P/Chute I gladly spent many a Xmas Day and other holiday times on duty to allow others to spend time playing Santa with their children. In my day no-one whinged about recall or time out or cancelled leave...
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Originally Posted by hempy
Yeah not sure I'd be happy firebombing in an airframe with probably 10,000+ hours primarily over salt water tbh..
Lockheed Martin have a refurb program where they'll strip a boneyard airframe down, build brand new wings for it and then rebuild it from the ground up with new avionics etc. I've been told that the fuselage on these is apparently more often than not free of any major corrosion or fatigue issues, so once the wings are replaced the aircraft is as good as new.
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Hi Biggles,
When planning an engine shutdown for fuel endurance in a P3 Orion, one of the parameters is to be and remain outside icing conditions, since, as you have highlighted, the shutdown engine has no anti-ice capabilities at all.
Bottom line, I don't believe that story. You can quite easily see icing build-up on the prop spinner even if the "ICING" caution light got past your attention!
Any chance of icing, restart the engine, it only takes a minute or so!
By the way, that P3 shown is Buno No. 154600, it just so happens that the replacement P3B Orion for (the RAAFs) Buno No. 155296, the one that crashed at a Navy field in San Francisco back in '68 during its acceptance flying, was Buno No. 154605.
By the way, that ICING light system, as was fitted to all P3s, is the same system as that fitted to the B787.
Chances are that a P7 or an Orion 2000 is a better replacement for the current AP-3C, much better, just needs an sensor fit/radar upgrade!
I hear that RR are modifying the T56 and getting a 13% improvement in fuel burn!
When planning an engine shutdown for fuel endurance in a P3 Orion, one of the parameters is to be and remain outside icing conditions, since, as you have highlighted, the shutdown engine has no anti-ice capabilities at all.
Bottom line, I don't believe that story. You can quite easily see icing build-up on the prop spinner even if the "ICING" caution light got past your attention!
Any chance of icing, restart the engine, it only takes a minute or so!
By the way, that P3 shown is Buno No. 154600, it just so happens that the replacement P3B Orion for (the RAAFs) Buno No. 155296, the one that crashed at a Navy field in San Francisco back in '68 during its acceptance flying, was Buno No. 154605.
By the way, that ICING light system, as was fitted to all P3s, is the same system as that fitted to the B787.
Chances are that a P7 or an Orion 2000 is a better replacement for the current AP-3C, much better, just needs an sensor fit/radar upgrade!
I hear that RR are modifying the T56 and getting a 13% improvement in fuel burn!
Last edited by EW73; 26th Feb 2014 at 10:52.
