I flew Aztecs out of Brough for Humber Airways in 1973. Yup, Arthur Ramsden and John Clutterbuck.
I do recollect that, taking off towards the chimney in low vis, the main thing at the front of one's mind was, no matter what happens, TURN RIGHT immediately!
John Clutterbuck - "The job isn't finished till the paperwork is complete." (Accompanied by amusing cartoon of kid on potty).
Arthur Ramsden - "Lack of moral fibre!" (Upon my late return due delays at staging points)
Leavesden did a very good PAR - only one I recollect in civil aviation.
We also used Paull a lot - home made pundit and NDB.
Arrived back one night to find front seat reserved at flying club strip show (I'll draw a blind over the antics of one or two members ;)

Last Buccaneer did leave Brough
 

Timed for 7am, the Buccaneer did finally get away from Brough at around 10.10am, having been held up by a parked car on the exit road: a hired car, apparently, and for which permission was eventually received for it to be towed away.

The Buccaneer actually got away at the time it should have been arriving at Elvington ;-)

Photos we need photos!

Of the Hire Car;)

SGC

Basil: Leaveseden had a Plessey 424 radar and did half mile SRAs; they didn't have a PAR.

Courtesy of the BBC:

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/image...8842_plane.jpg

BBC News - Brough to Elvington journey for Buccaneer XV168 aircraft

And another great shot:

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/image...anea63carl.jpg

Was it just a gate guard?

Not exactly. It used to sit on a hardstanding adjacent to the 12 threshold, although it was viewable from the Saltgrounds Road/Skillings Lane gate.

Thanks, was wondering if they used it for test flights, but seems not. Good to see its gone to a good home.

I fly around that area and occasionally it's notamed for 'fast jet operations'. Anyone know what that's about?

Perhaps they still fly Hawks in for reasons technical ?



SHJ

The notams are more of the 'fast jet operations will take place at a radius of blah around Brough' so not giving the impression of jets just arriving and departing.

Basil

Was that the Arthur that suffered a Lightning Strike' over the North Sea one night?

AD.

Depicted here at 45'55" XP168 arrival at Brough on 15/19/93... the only Bucc ever to have flown into or out of Brough...

Got married in 1966 and went to live in Brough left in 1969.During that time Autair started flights to Luton, don't know when they stopped. Remember coming home about 0400 from a party and suddenly finding the street blocked and being directed into the entrance to a field while an aircraft went past from the factory, I assume it was a Buccaneer and looked massive.I know it was well before the breathalyser but i was crapping myself in case the copper wanted to talk to me and would smell my breath or hear my slurred speech, fortunately they were too busy..

English Electric Lightning Strike over N. Sea
 

I think I might have been on runway lighting duty that night (i.e. pointing headlights accross the end of). Arthur or "Jock" had not yet seen the funny side as he did a quick external inspection on landing. I seem to remember that some of the cargo (divers coming in from AMS) were so pissed they did not even notice. I think it was the second approach that worried him the most, he thought they had come back to finish the job.

I just googled the man, I hope I am wrong , but I fear he passed away in 2006, hopefully somone has the full story, and don't even get me started on his short takeoff in the Islander at the air display - Even the Red Arrows commentator was running for the ladder!

Brough Memories
 

Hello - I am a newbie so please be gentle.

I joined because I found this thread in response to a google search concerning some research about a book I'm working on.

I lived in Brough from 1965 when we moved there from East Hull until 1973 when I went to University. My dad was a fitter at Blackburns and worked night shifts at Brough and HOSM (the satellite site)

When he first started, they were working on things like the Beverley, by the time he retired, he was working on the Harrier and on Airbus Wings. I remember particularly (though I was living away by then) the hoohah in 1982 when the Falklands blew up and everything went totally ****nastic with them working on Harriers 24/7.

Anyway, I remember Brough airfield. When I was a kid I used to sit on the end of the slipway (now demolished) where Blackburns used to launch the seaplanes onto the Humber to test them in the 1930s. My Mum worked ion the Flying School on Brough Airfield and that's how she met my Dad. Both Mum and Dad used to get taken up for "flips" in various aircraft, including the Beverley and a Dragon Rapide which they used to have at Brough. One day, my Mum got taken up in the Dragon Rapide and the pilot decided to "buzz" Welton church tower. When she got home that night (she lived in Welton) my Granny said to her, "Eeh, you should have been here today, some bloody fool in an aeroplane nearly flew into t'church tower". My mother replied "I know. I was in the aeroplane".

I remember as a kid/teenager seeing the Chipmunks of 1324 ATC Squadron flying over in formation, I remember seeing the Buccaneer, various others including the Vulcan, a Shackleton flying over from time to time, and of course the B2, which I gather is now at Duxford*. I also recall that my dad was there the day Sailor Parker crashed the Buccaneer at HOSM while they were practising a bomb toss manoeuvre on a low pass. We were still living in Hull then. Must have been 1963? Both Parker and the co-pilot died because although they ejected, they landed in the flames of the crashed plane.

They used to take the Buccaneers by road from the factory to HOSM on a big low loader called the "Queen Mary" - the bloke who used to drive it, Ken Boddy, lived diagonally opposite from us. He had a dog called Mandy, if that helps in any way.

I remember the Autair flights to London because I used to lie in bed and listen to them revving up their engines prior to takeoff. It was like a second alarm clock. Time to get up and go to school.

Thanks for letting me witter on. It's been like a trip down memory lane. It's a shame that Brough is no more. If I can find them, and work out how to do it, I'll post a couple of pictures of my dad a) with the Beverley and b) with the B2.

Low intelligence and lack of ability
 

Sad to say, owing to low intelligence and a lack of ability on my part, I have failed to upload either picture! :\

Hi Learjet50, on your post about Brough I read your remarks and want to query the ‘infamous’ reference to Arthur Ramsden. I knew him quite well and got to this thread while I was researching Arthur. I remember him getting in trouble for flying under the Humber bridge while it was under construction. I recall he and another (never knew who) was following the river in inclement weather and went Under the span. Workers were alarmed and made a complaint. Yet I can’t find anything on it. I think he was disciplined by the CAA. Do you or any other thread readers know more?

Hi Basil I was excited to see your post about my friend Arthur. In 1975-‘79 I flew with Arthur as often as I could while I was on Royal Navy leave. He was running NPD Aviation then and had 4 or 5 Aztecs and 1 or 2 Chieftains. I had a hoot of a time and got to hear lots of his antics. I remember a couple of the pilots he had. Namely Brent and another whose name escapes me but I remember he had a fantastic job in the RAF flying the then new Harrier around the world showing it off.
Anyway I got to this forum while I was searching for information on when Arthur flew under the Humber bridge and got in trouble with the CAA. Do you know any more on that? It would be great to fill in some of his history and maybe I could share some of the stories from then.