Aircraft you'd wished you had a chance to work on.

[docbombhead]

What aircraft do you wished you could have worked on but never had the chance to ?
Mine would have been the Phantom, was down the Falklands in 92 when the tonka's took over. The tombs final fly past was awsome, just above the sangers ! got some great pics. Did manage some hands on with the Suu gun though while working in the armoury now that was a GUN (Cannon).

 

[gemarriott]

What aircraft do you wished you could have worked on but never had the chance to ?
Mine would have been the Phantom, was down the Falklands in 92 when the tonka's took over. The tombs final fly past was awsome, just above the sangers ! got some great pics. Did manage some hands on with the Suu gun though while working in the armoury now that was a GUN (Cannon).

It certainly was a gun, best piece of kit we had.

I would have liked to work on sea vixens, did a couple of training loads at Halton on them and they seemed quite tough pieces of kit. RAF wise I would have liked to work on the Vs when they were in their prime. Victor 35 thousand pounders awesome. I think though that in the tomb and the bucc I worked on 2 of the very best.

 

[docbombhead]

It certainly was a gun, best piece of kit we had.

RAF wise I would have liked to work on the Vs when they were in their prime. Victor 35 thousand pounders awesome. I think though that in the tomb and the bucc I worked on 2 of the very best.

Were the V's still in sevice when you were drafted gem ?

 

[Yossarian]

Some "V"s were around when Gem was drafted, yes.

Vickers Vimys I think. ::

 

[gemarriott]

Were the V's still in sevice when you were drafted gem ?

we still had meteors, varsities, herons and chipmunks not to mention vampires piston provosts and whirlwinds. Hunters, gnats, belfasts and brits and ofcourse the wonderful whistling tits.

 

[JetLaverick]

Ha we must be about same time Gem

 

[maxvon]

Gem ,obviously not been in as long as you but add these to the list of the gone...JP 3/5. Andover, Vulcan,
Lightning,Jetstream,Phantom,Jag,Gazelle,Wessex and Victor! Alot of aircraft in only 21 years!!

 

[docbombhead]

we still had meteors, varsities, herons and chipmunks not to mention vampires piston provosts and whirlwinds. Hunters, gnats, belfasts and brits and ofcourse the wonderful whistling tits.

And centurion was a soldier not a tank !!

 

[Hu Jardon]

And centurion was a soldier not a tank !!

I'll correct that

When centurion was a rank not a tankDT_Xtremez_28:

And I once worked on a Javelin

 

[Tashy_Man]

The Vulcan was the aircraft I always wanted to work on.......Used to love sqn scrambles on Lightnings and i bet they were as impressive (if not better !) on Vulcans.

Crack on..............DT_Xtremez_09:

 

[pie sandwich]

I think I would have liked to have worked on vulcans, shackletons and lancs too.

None of this namby pamby fast jet rubbish

 

[Lamptramp]

The Vulcan was the aircraft I always wanted to work on.......Used to love sqn scrambles on Lightnings and i bet they were as impressive (if not better !) on Vulcans.

Crack on..............DT_Xtremez_09:

I had the privilege of working on the mighty Vulcan B1A and B2.

One of my greatest thrills was to be number two of four on the ORP, when we scrambelled over thirty Vulcan from Waddo.

We had kites from Waddo, Scampton, and Cottesmore spread around every bit of concrete on the station. The scramble was for Princess Alexandra (she fired a Veri pistol from the tower to start to whole thing off.

The noise and heat on the end of the runway where we were was unbelievable. The last few kites were struggling to get into the air as it had been used so many times and was a bit hot.

Out of interest the aircraft I saw off was one XH558! (Just been watching her on the webcam.)

FYI I have worked on: Vulcan (Lancaster), Phantom Mk1 & Mk2 (M & K), C130, SAR Wessex, JP 3/5, Hunters and Buccs.

Also serviced (visiting A/C Manston): Gnat, F1.11, Canberra, Victor, Harrier, Tonka, Nord Atlas, Spitfire, Hurricane, CH53, Sea King, Whirlwind, Sea Knight, Sea Prince, Scout, Wasp, Sioux, Gazelle, C47. Boeing 707 (Air Force One), Britannia, Nimrod, Varsity, Valetta, Venom, Magister, Fiat G91, F104, Puma, Chinook, Belfast (Belslow) Andover, Argosy, Hastings, BAC 111 (Boscombe Down Kite), Lightning, Phantom C, D, E, J, RF4C, A4 (French), King Air (Douglas Bader's - stroppy or what) Heron, Dove, Strikemaster, Shackelton, Pembroke Jetstream, Hawk, Global Express ........

I agree with GEM, Phantom and Buccs win hands down with the Big "V" coming a very close second/third.

 

[Tigger]

Buccaneers, Phantoms or Scimiters. Applied for the first two out of training, got close....Nimrods !

 

[gemarriott]

When I went to "war" with the Tombs in Cyprus back in 74 they scrambled the Vulcans either 2 or 3 times to get them safely out of the way should the Turks get a bit tasty. Impessive as hell to listen to and to watch but it left us with our 14 tombs and 56 with a dozen lightnings to do the busness if required. They launched us once to bomb Nic airport but aborted the mission in the end. That was the end of my proximity to a shooting war thank goodness

 

[Lamptramp]

......... That was the end of my proximity to a shooting war thank goodness

You didn't get caught in a Penn Club bundle "Tooms V Frightenings" then?

 

[gemarriott]

You didn't get caught in a Penn Club bundle "Tooms V Frightenings" then?

No we had to use the Cpl's club then, what is now the shalamar. Got into a brilliant punch up with the rocks and Marines one night though.DT_Xtremez_14:

 

[Tashy_Man]

That was the end of my proximity to a shooting war thank goodness

Which is why we are classed as the more "Intelligent" of all three services...cause we send our officers to fight......we stay behind and party !!

Crack on...............DT_Xtremez_09:

 

[Lamptramp]

No we had to use the Cpl's club then, what is now the shalamar. Got into a brilliant punch up with the rocks and Marines one night though.DT_Xtremez_14:

I was there in January 1970 with 54 sqn.

3 para were in town and they and 1sqn rocks were having nightly rucks culminating in them all jumping off the Penn Club roof to determine who was the hardest outfit. The rocks won two broken arms to one broken ankle.

 

[gemarriott]

I was there in January 1970 with 54 sqn.

3 para were in town and they and 1sqn rocks were having nightly rucks culminating in them all jumping off the Penn Club roof to determine who was the hardest outfit. The rocks won two broken arms to one broken ankle.

Fcuk me I remember doing that with a rock in the late 70s, I landed in a bush and just got a few scratches, he landed on the path and got a hell of a bruised hip, ah happy daysDT_Xtremez_14:

 

[Scaley brat]

Did the Victor, Tomb, Canberra, tonka and GR7. Wish I had the chance to work on Vulcans though. the Victor was a pleasure, plenty of room for everything.