Vickers VC-10
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Location: N Yorkshire, UK
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The 'fastest'???
As a 'kenya cowboy' missed the East Af VC10's, saw the BOAC & BUA one's through Nairobi & Entebbe, even knew various 'uncles' who flew them - DAD was East African High Commission ATCO in Entebbe from '64 to '66;
Was SLF to Dubai in '71 - '73 and also back from Freeport, Bahamas via Bermuda in '74;
But most memorable trips were LHR via DOH to SIN in '74 & 75 (& return), flight was allegedly fastest to OZ (Melbourne) at that time - chief problem was dry run from DOH to SIN - OK the Gin ran out, but we had our DF's, the problem was the lack of Tonic - BA as it had become reckoned that apart from no liquor pick up in DOH they couldn't uplift Tonic
PZU - Out of Africa
Was SLF to Dubai in '71 - '73 and also back from Freeport, Bahamas via Bermuda in '74;
But most memorable trips were LHR via DOH to SIN in '74 & 75 (& return), flight was allegedly fastest to OZ (Melbourne) at that time - chief problem was dry run from DOH to SIN - OK the Gin ran out, but we had our DF's, the problem was the lack of Tonic - BA as it had become reckoned that apart from no liquor pick up in DOH they couldn't uplift Tonic
PZU - Out of Africa
Last edited by pzu; 22nd Jul 2006 at 19:11.
Warning Toxic!
Disgusted of Tunbridge
Disgusted of Tunbridge
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Overstress- we used to love the voice-activated autothrust. Impressed so many people. We used to have visitors say 'No.4- reduce power!', and it so amazed them when No.4 started moving backwards. Nobody ever noticed the Flight Engineer had his own thrust levers!
Because the close engines would throb like a piston twin if slightly out of phase, there was a gauge on the F/Es panel with three little needles going around to show engine speed on 1, 2 & 3 compared to No.4, the baseline engine. They were each labelled FAST and SLOW. This helped the F/E get the engines operating at exactly the same speed. We had a tubby kid on the flight deck once, and when we got fed up with them we'd stuff a headset on them and leave them to listen and watch. Eventually this kid tapped the F/E on the shoulder and said imperiously 'No.2's a bit slow'- without having any idea what it meant. It affronted the F/Es professional pride pride, they used to get very protective of 'their' engineering department- he was seething. If he could have opened a window, he'd have slung the kid out. For the rest of the trip, we could spoil his day be repeating 'No.2's a bit slow' to him!
Hated F/Es. It was always their job to conduct the new pretty and innocent young stewardesses into the Electronics bay to show them the fabled 'Golden Rivet' when the rest of the crew put them up to it. Always involved bending right over in a cramped compartment looking through the periscope (used for undercarriage inspection) blackened with shoe polish so they had a nice blackeye when they walked through the cabin. Ah nostalgia!
Rather unbelievably, in those pre-INS days, we used to navigate with a pilot taking sextant readings, with his eye stuck to the sextant and unable to move a muscle. That was usually a cue for the most attractive stewardess on the crew to come up to the FD and grab him by the meat and 2 veg and shake him about screeching.
It was pathetic what used to make us laugh. You have to do something to relieve the boredom while you wonder how you will ever find Bermuda using sextant navigation and Loran fixes. We didn't lose any (well not many).
(Having just been banned for a week 'for making a public pronouncement', this may be my last post for a while)
Because the close engines would throb like a piston twin if slightly out of phase, there was a gauge on the F/Es panel with three little needles going around to show engine speed on 1, 2 & 3 compared to No.4, the baseline engine. They were each labelled FAST and SLOW. This helped the F/E get the engines operating at exactly the same speed. We had a tubby kid on the flight deck once, and when we got fed up with them we'd stuff a headset on them and leave them to listen and watch. Eventually this kid tapped the F/E on the shoulder and said imperiously 'No.2's a bit slow'- without having any idea what it meant. It affronted the F/Es professional pride pride, they used to get very protective of 'their' engineering department- he was seething. If he could have opened a window, he'd have slung the kid out. For the rest of the trip, we could spoil his day be repeating 'No.2's a bit slow' to him!
Hated F/Es. It was always their job to conduct the new pretty and innocent young stewardesses into the Electronics bay to show them the fabled 'Golden Rivet' when the rest of the crew put them up to it. Always involved bending right over in a cramped compartment looking through the periscope (used for undercarriage inspection) blackened with shoe polish so they had a nice blackeye when they walked through the cabin. Ah nostalgia!
Rather unbelievably, in those pre-INS days, we used to navigate with a pilot taking sextant readings, with his eye stuck to the sextant and unable to move a muscle. That was usually a cue for the most attractive stewardess on the crew to come up to the FD and grab him by the meat and 2 veg and shake him about screeching.
It was pathetic what used to make us laugh. You have to do something to relieve the boredom while you wonder how you will ever find Bermuda using sextant navigation and Loran fixes. We didn't lose any (well not many).
(Having just been banned for a week 'for making a public pronouncement', this may be my last post for a while)
Last edited by Rainboe; 22nd Jul 2006 at 18:43.
Join Date: May 2006
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Originally Posted by 1859sqn
Flew out to Muharraq in 1970 on one. Lovely and quiet, lovely and smooth..........
She has to be the most majestic jet airliner ever built bar none. Empress of the skies.
I'd love to see one of the original RAF examples back in the 'shiney fleet' colours before the sad day comes.
Can anyone point me to any photos of BUA VC-10s on the web?
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Go to www.airliners.net and put in g-arta or g-asiw or g-asix
Oh happy days
Lysander (ex Caledonian, Caledonia//BUA and British Caledonian)
Oh happy days
Lysander (ex Caledonian, Caledonia//BUA and British Caledonian)
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Thanks Lysander, some nice pics there of the Ten looking just gorgeous in British United colours, most majestic.
I can still recall my flight from Aden despite it being in 1967 and at the tender age of seven!
The flight was great but weather in Uk was abysmal. We were diverted into Le Bourget due to most of the UK being fogbound. Lyneham was intended destination I believe, but eventually ended up in Manchester!!
We arrived in winter with no suitable winter clothes and wanted to go back to Aden, despite the natives being restless.
I wonder if any ex BUA aircrew might read this and recognise the details of the journey?
Edit: spellnig corerctnoi
I can still recall my flight from Aden despite it being in 1967 and at the tender age of seven!
The flight was great but weather in Uk was abysmal. We were diverted into Le Bourget due to most of the UK being fogbound. Lyneham was intended destination I believe, but eventually ended up in Manchester!!
We arrived in winter with no suitable winter clothes and wanted to go back to Aden, despite the natives being restless.
I wonder if any ex BUA aircrew might read this and recognise the details of the journey?
Edit: spellnig corerctnoi
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My one bad memory was sitting under a skycot for the 8 hour overnight leg Cyprus-Gan hoping the canvas was waterproof. On the return leg we thought we had the VIP seats at the back (they had curtains around them). 30 mins into some ZZZ's we were awoken and told to move; we were in the seats used by nursing mothers for breast feeding!
