Out in Shorts, an unexpected Gannet and herds of Aardvarks
Here we go again with an extract from the first half of August 1971
This offering is mainly from attendance at ATC annual camp which in this case was at the then RAF Bicester in Oxfordshire which was an MU (Maintenance Unit).
Noted out on the airfield was Handley Page Hastings WD490 along with ten of Oxford University Air Squadron's Chipmunks. More would be noted as the week went on.
One hangar was a veritable treasure trove containing various historic RAF airframes - not least the Avro Lancaster R5868 which had been on Scampton's gate and that ended up on display in the RAF Museum at Hendon.
David Cains' father photographed her when at Scampton here: www.flickr.com/photos/ayronautica/34227341423/in/photolis... )
No less than seven Spitfires were there too - some will ring bells with those of you that keep an eye such gems, not least K9942 - now in the RAF Museum at Cosford ( Chris England saw her at Abingdon for the 50th Anniversary of the RAF: www.flickr.com/photos/chrisengland/18273520700/in/photoli... )
Lightning F.6 XR752 was also there - roaded in as Bicester was a grass field - not sure why it was there now but it returned to service not long after (see: Les Rodgers superb shot of here here:
www.flickr.com/photos/91795549@N05/16203154212/in/photoli...
A 'Red Arrows' painted Gnat T.1 XM693 was also in there but it was never a 'Team' member afaik.
A trip out to Old Warden found many of the airframes that still exist and some that are now back in the air, one being Sea Hurricane Z7015 (seen moire recently after rebuild: www.flickr.com/photos/29288836@N00/40152503003/in/photoli... )
plus Spitfire PL983, and the Comet Racer G-ACSS, then non-flying but since painstakingly rebuilt to fly as here: www.flickr.com/photos/29288836@N00/21379718863/in/photoli...
The wonderful Bristol Fighter D8096 was also there
www.flickr.com/photos/29288836@N00/43216536371/in/photoli...
On the 2nd of August we were out on the airfield taking Air Experience Flights in Chipmunks when overhead flew Royal Navy Fairey Gannet T.5 XG882 (incorrectly logged as 382)
(See Simon Brooke's photo here - though she's in a sorry state but still alive: www.flickr.com/photos/133813370@N04/50136638778/in/photol... )
Later on we went by RAF coach to nearby RAF Upper Heyford for a visit to the USAF's 20th TFW where we were shown around the Hangars, the Control Tower and taken by coach around the perimeter track to view then then 'new' USAF F-111E's Aardvarks - then mostly parked outside as in those days the HAS Shelters had yet to be built!
Sadly no photo's were allowed on base bar those taken from the Tower but eight years later I caught 68-0023 at a Greenham Common show: www.flickr.com/photos/29288836@N00/15660471069/in/photoli...
On that visit - immaculate USAF Convair 51-7901 was parked near the Tower: www.flickr.com/photos/29288836@N00/15089277107/in/photoli... and their base SAR Flight Kaman HH-43 Huskie 62-4535 was also seen (Carl Ford caught her there a year later: www.flickr.com/photos/53277566@N06/23043581636/in/photoli... )
As can be seen from the log - a full compliment of 'Swingers' were seen that day and of note are the tail codes used then: JR, JS and JT each for the three Squadron's assigned. They were eventually replaced by the common and representative code 'UH'.
A pair of USAF Flying Club Cherokees were also noted N8557 & N441J
Two days later and we visited RAF Brize Norton where nine Royal Air Force Air Support Command BAC VC-10's including XV106 which I saw at Dulles sixteen years later: www.flickr.com/photos/29288836@N00/49713608873/in/album-7...
plus twelve RAFASC Bristol Britannias including XM497 (The RAF Museum at Cosford has one painted as '497' but in reality it's an ex Civvie machine that I noted there in 2001:
www.flickr.com/photos/29288836@N00/14228263998/in/photoli... )
along with three Short Belfast transports which were all strewn around the Airfield or on the Terminal Apron.
Belfast XR367 provided some Air Experience for us that day where we spent nearly 3 hours bashing the Brize circuit - seated in a small passenger deck that was immediately behind the cockpit and being invited up to view the proceedings - we got stand behind the crew who were busy flying this Leviathan where it was quite something to experience the view from that vast cockpit!
Unfortunately, not so much so for the remainder of the cadets who'd been installed in a pallet of seats situated in the main cargo hold, between the main undercarriage where the wallowing nature of the fuselage turned many of them 'green' round the gills after a matter of just a few circuits!
(here she is two years before taken by Adrain M.Balch - from Dave Haines collection: www.flickr.com/photos/egbj/5619814695/in/photolist-2hLR9j... )
Avro Shackleton MR.2 WR955 was seen there which may have been on the dump?
The 4th saw us back doing AEF at Bicester and a USAF F-100 Super Sabre coded LT from RAF Lakenheath was noted over in Heyford's circuit. A trip in a 'Chippie' took me out cross country for an approach and overshoot at RAF Halton where outside I spotted various Instructional Airframes - amongst them - eight Sea Vixens, a number of Jet Provosts, a Canberra and a Hunter and no doubt the Comet was also seen but not noted on that trip.
RAF Hercules XV308 and a USAF HC-130H 65-0983 were noted in the area (Jim Leslie caught her beautifully Stateside the latter just 4 years later: www.flickr.com/photos/jimandtina99/31870787090/in/photoli... )
and then on the 6th - as senior NCO at the camp I pulled rank and wangled myself yet another ttrip to Heyford where I filled in several gaps of 'missing' F-111's from my previous trip!
Heading home by a fellow ATC member's VW Beetle we stopped at Heathrow where Gulfstream II N375PK was noted along with Malaysian Singapore Airline's Boeing 707 9N-BBB
At Gatwick we found Aviognex's Tupolev Tu-134 YU-AJA and then a few days later it was back to work at Heathrow via Gatwick where Caledonian Cargo B707 G-AYZZ was noted ( Carl Ford caught her there: www.flickr.com/photos/53277566@N06/16403356436/in/photoli... )
along with Gulfstream II N205M, 5Y-AHE Cessna 337, DC-8 N4906C and Westland Whirlwind G-ATIU
tbc.....
Out in Shorts, an unexpected Gannet and herds of Aardvarks
Here we go again with an extract from the first half of August 1971
This offering is mainly from attendance at ATC annual camp which in this case was at the then RAF Bicester in Oxfordshire which was an MU (Maintenance Unit).
Noted out on the airfield was Handley Page Hastings WD490 along with ten of Oxford University Air Squadron's Chipmunks. More would be noted as the week went on.
One hangar was a veritable treasure trove containing various historic RAF airframes - not least the Avro Lancaster R5868 which had been on Scampton's gate and that ended up on display in the RAF Museum at Hendon.
David Cains' father photographed her when at Scampton here: www.flickr.com/photos/ayronautica/34227341423/in/photolis... )
No less than seven Spitfires were there too - some will ring bells with those of you that keep an eye such gems, not least K9942 - now in the RAF Museum at Cosford ( Chris England saw her at Abingdon for the 50th Anniversary of the RAF: www.flickr.com/photos/chrisengland/18273520700/in/photoli... )
Lightning F.6 XR752 was also there - roaded in as Bicester was a grass field - not sure why it was there now but it returned to service not long after (see: Les Rodgers superb shot of here here:
www.flickr.com/photos/91795549@N05/16203154212/in/photoli...
A 'Red Arrows' painted Gnat T.1 XM693 was also in there but it was never a 'Team' member afaik.
A trip out to Old Warden found many of the airframes that still exist and some that are now back in the air, one being Sea Hurricane Z7015 (seen moire recently after rebuild: www.flickr.com/photos/29288836@N00/40152503003/in/photoli... )
plus Spitfire PL983, and the Comet Racer G-ACSS, then non-flying but since painstakingly rebuilt to fly as here: www.flickr.com/photos/29288836@N00/21379718863/in/photoli...
The wonderful Bristol Fighter D8096 was also there
www.flickr.com/photos/29288836@N00/43216536371/in/photoli...
On the 2nd of August we were out on the airfield taking Air Experience Flights in Chipmunks when overhead flew Royal Navy Fairey Gannet T.5 XG882 (incorrectly logged as 382)
(See Simon Brooke's photo here - though she's in a sorry state but still alive: www.flickr.com/photos/133813370@N04/50136638778/in/photol... )
Later on we went by RAF coach to nearby RAF Upper Heyford for a visit to the USAF's 20th TFW where we were shown around the Hangars, the Control Tower and taken by coach around the perimeter track to view then then 'new' USAF F-111E's Aardvarks - then mostly parked outside as in those days the HAS Shelters had yet to be built!
Sadly no photo's were allowed on base bar those taken from the Tower but eight years later I caught 68-0023 at a Greenham Common show: www.flickr.com/photos/29288836@N00/15660471069/in/photoli...
On that visit - immaculate USAF Convair 51-7901 was parked near the Tower: www.flickr.com/photos/29288836@N00/15089277107/in/photoli... and their base SAR Flight Kaman HH-43 Huskie 62-4535 was also seen (Carl Ford caught her there a year later: www.flickr.com/photos/53277566@N06/23043581636/in/photoli... )
As can be seen from the log - a full compliment of 'Swingers' were seen that day and of note are the tail codes used then: JR, JS and JT each for the three Squadron's assigned. They were eventually replaced by the common and representative code 'UH'.
A pair of USAF Flying Club Cherokees were also noted N8557 & N441J
Two days later and we visited RAF Brize Norton where nine Royal Air Force Air Support Command BAC VC-10's including XV106 which I saw at Dulles sixteen years later: www.flickr.com/photos/29288836@N00/49713608873/in/album-7...
plus twelve RAFASC Bristol Britannias including XM497 (The RAF Museum at Cosford has one painted as '497' but in reality it's an ex Civvie machine that I noted there in 2001:
www.flickr.com/photos/29288836@N00/14228263998/in/photoli... )
along with three Short Belfast transports which were all strewn around the Airfield or on the Terminal Apron.
Belfast XR367 provided some Air Experience for us that day where we spent nearly 3 hours bashing the Brize circuit - seated in a small passenger deck that was immediately behind the cockpit and being invited up to view the proceedings - we got stand behind the crew who were busy flying this Leviathan where it was quite something to experience the view from that vast cockpit!
Unfortunately, not so much so for the remainder of the cadets who'd been installed in a pallet of seats situated in the main cargo hold, between the main undercarriage where the wallowing nature of the fuselage turned many of them 'green' round the gills after a matter of just a few circuits!
(here she is two years before taken by Adrain M.Balch - from Dave Haines collection: www.flickr.com/photos/egbj/5619814695/in/photolist-2hLR9j... )
Avro Shackleton MR.2 WR955 was seen there which may have been on the dump?
The 4th saw us back doing AEF at Bicester and a USAF F-100 Super Sabre coded LT from RAF Lakenheath was noted over in Heyford's circuit. A trip in a 'Chippie' took me out cross country for an approach and overshoot at RAF Halton where outside I spotted various Instructional Airframes - amongst them - eight Sea Vixens, a number of Jet Provosts, a Canberra and a Hunter and no doubt the Comet was also seen but not noted on that trip.
RAF Hercules XV308 and a USAF HC-130H 65-0983 were noted in the area (Jim Leslie caught her beautifully Stateside the latter just 4 years later: www.flickr.com/photos/jimandtina99/31870787090/in/photoli... )
and then on the 6th - as senior NCO at the camp I pulled rank and wangled myself yet another ttrip to Heyford where I filled in several gaps of 'missing' F-111's from my previous trip!
Heading home by a fellow ATC member's VW Beetle we stopped at Heathrow where Gulfstream II N375PK was noted along with Malaysian Singapore Airline's Boeing 707 9N-BBB
At Gatwick we found Aviognex's Tupolev Tu-134 YU-AJA and then a few days later it was back to work at Heathrow via Gatwick where Caledonian Cargo B707 G-AYZZ was noted ( Carl Ford caught her there: www.flickr.com/photos/53277566@N06/16403356436/in/photoli... )
along with Gulfstream II N205M, 5Y-AHE Cessna 337, DC-8 N4906C and Westland Whirlwind G-ATIU
tbc.....