Black Buck
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Black Buck
There is one thing that I am curious about relating to the 'Black Buck' Vulcan missions....
Would it be beyond endurance for the pilots to have remained strapped into their ejector seats for such a long mission? or do you think that they would have taken it in turns to have a stretch (as much as you can in the limited space down the back) during the long transit?
Maybe remaining strapped in for such a long time would have compromised safety? or did they just grit their teeth & get on with it?
Maybe it will never be known? like I say, just curious.
Regards, Flight_Idle
Would it be beyond endurance for the pilots to have remained strapped into their ejector seats for such a long mission? or do you think that they would have taken it in turns to have a stretch (as much as you can in the limited space down the back) during the long transit?
Maybe remaining strapped in for such a long time would have compromised safety? or did they just grit their teeth & get on with it?
Maybe it will never be known? like I say, just curious.
Regards, Flight_Idle
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Rowland White's book Vulcan 607 gives an excellent account of the Black Buck One mission. In the book, he talks of the pilot, co-pilot and the Air Refuelling Instructor brought over from the Victor fleet as the Vulcan fleet had not really done any air refuelling for at least 10 years prior to the outbreak of the Falklands War and the air to air refuelling equipment was reinstated especially for the missions, that including taking spare refuelling probes off retired Vulcans in museums. As there were technically three pilots on board the Vulcan during the Black Buck missions, they all all rotated the flying duties throughout the mission with the Captain and Co-pilot obviously taking over for the bomb run. This would ensure that they all had the chance to get up and stretch their legs etc. Hope that answers your questions.
Getting out of the seat and having a stretch would have been pretty essential and quite possible in the Vulcan. I'm sure at some stage they had to get up and use the pee tube as well!
The longest flight I ever did in a V Bomber was 11 hours. I got out of the seat about three times, although this was in a Victor with less space. To do this, the Nav would have to come forward and put the pins in the seat to make it safe.
The longest flight I ever did in a V Bomber was 11 hours. I got out of the seat about three times, although this was in a Victor with less space. To do this, the Nav would have to come forward and put the pins in the seat to make it safe.
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The Vulcan's Pilot and Co-Pilot were OK, it was the poor sods in the back that didn't have the "Martin Baker option", a shortcoming that would have been addressed had the B3 gone ahead. 
I'm pretty sure that the situation was the same for all three V-Bombers and was due to space and structural reasons.
I'm pretty sure that the situation was the same for all three V-Bombers and was due to space and structural reasons.
Last edited by SincoTC; 15th Jan 2009 at 16:40. Reason: Afterthought
