655 Sqn NI Gazelle Swansong announced
How I wish I had been able to do BFT on the Gazelle rather than the Squirrel! Don't get me wrong, the AS350 had its good points, but the Gazelle always appeared more robust. I was lucky enough to witness the mass Wessex swansong at Shawbs in 2001, another one I wish I had flown.
Still current on both 
The following 2 users liked this post by [email protected]:
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 32,937
Received 2,851 Likes
on
1,219 Posts
How I wish I had been able to do BFT on the Gazelle rather than the Squirrel! Don't get me wrong, the AS350 had its good points, but the Gazelle always appeared more robust. I was lucky enough to witness the mass Wessex swansong at Shawbs in 2001, another one I wish I had flown.
Purveyor of Egg Liqueur to Lucifer
Originally Posted by [email protected]
Still current on both
On an EWI course at Wallop when the topic of a potential cushy posting came up...
"I'm the only qualified gazelle pilot available for the post so its a dead cert I get it" one of the course was heard to confidently say in front of the other course members, who all happened to be pie eating Lynx jockeys, many of whom were looking for postings at the time.
"You're forgetting that we are all qualified Gazelle pilots, it's just that we happen to be uncurrent at the moment" I replied.
I think he was posted to a Lynx squadron after the course
The following 2 users liked this post by SilsoeSid:
The following users liked this post:
oldbeef:
to quote Messrs Python - "vicious, but fair..."
to quote Messrs Python - "vicious, but fair..."
Oldbeefer - It's just that my version of retirement just means not working - flying is too much fun to give up 
The following 2 users liked this post by [email protected]:
The postponed flypast has now been rescheduled for Monday 23 October but will stay on the west side of the country between departing Aldergrove at 10:00 and arrival at Fleetlands at 15:45 .
I have a photo of the route and timings if anyone can post it for me ?
I have a photo of the route and timings if anyone can post it for me ?
The following 3 users liked this post by sfm818:
Looking at G-INFO it reveals that one of our squadron Gazelles from 1975 is still flying G-CGJX, XW892.
Also still flying G-CIEY XW851. This was a demonstration and trials squadron aircraft.
This aircraft sticks in my mind as we found a serious defect with the cyclic flying controls in 1976 while on a major inspection.
This was probably the true cause of the fatal accident to XW850 in 1973 which was attributed to jack stall.
Also still flying G-CIEY XW851. This was a demonstration and trials squadron aircraft.
This aircraft sticks in my mind as we found a serious defect with the cyclic flying controls in 1976 while on a major inspection.
This was probably the true cause of the fatal accident to XW850 in 1973 which was attributed to jack stall.
Apologies for delay in replying to your P.M. I have now responded.
ericferret
This was probably the true cause of the fatal accident to XW850 in 1973 which was attributed to jack stall.
Below are some details
The only documents I saw was a signal (1976) sent to all units asking for a check of the cyclic stick and it's friction plus I saw the accident report in about 1981.
During the major of XW851 (1976) we were incorporating the hydraulic accumulator modification which I believe was to combat jack stall and was related to the crash of XW850.
I wrote this up at length in AVIAFORA.
Someone recently posted a photo of XW850 post accident I had never seen it before.
http://www.aviafora.com/forums/forum...=1697837079675
This is what I attached to the recent post numbered 6045 in Aviafora which includes the photograph. Dated 01/09/2023
"Go to posts 5271, 5260, 5263. I wrote a long piece on this accident.
The accident report at Aviation safety network is wrong as there was at least one fatality.
I think the wiring fault is a confusion with another incident in which the strobe light wiring was causing electrical interference to the hydraulic system causing the hydraulics to cycle on and off.
I think there was an earlier post on this issue as well."
50 years ago and this one still bugs me.
As an addition while investigating the hydraulics cutting in and out the pilot involved was sitting in a aircraft with an investigator and was asked at what frequency the hydraulics were cycling at.
Another aircraft was running nearby with it's strobe on. He said at that frequency pointing to the strobe.
The wiring for the strobe had been routed close to the hydraulic system wiring and was inducing a current affecting the system.
Last edited by ericferret; 21st Oct 2023 at 11:01.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 32,937
Received 2,851 Likes
on
1,219 Posts
Damn, was just going to post the updated route, I have posted it in the Military aircrew forum, thanks to David for sending it over.
The following users liked this post:
The following 8 users liked this post by Brewster Buffalo:
ZB690,presently 15 N of Strawberry.....