Hi all

[EdStep]

Jet Provost, VC10 C.MkI/ K2/K3, Tonka GR1 & 4 and lastly Nimrod. Also spent a bit of time on VASS and did cross-servicings on F-16, Mirage 2000 and some Dutch jet

Were you at twin peaks in Saints?

[EdStep]

Yeah i was at Saints. Worked in 'Twin Peaks' at10 Sqn VC10 Majors in '93

Letter crossed in the post it seems....

[AlanG]

Did some training on AS&TF (crash n smash) as well whilst i was based in Germany

[Ian M]

Welcome to the nut house Ed. Hope that you enjoy it here.

[EdStep]

Welcome to the nut house Ed. Hope that you enjoy it here.

Cheers Ian

[JR]

Welcome Ed.
Some ex REME in here like me and Scottie.:smiling5:
My dad was in RAF did 39 years x boy entrant in signals .
Great forum, you'll soon feel like one of the family.

[EdStep]

Welcome Ed.
Some ex REME in here like me and Scottie.:smiling5:
My dad was in RAF did 39 years x boy entrant in signals .
Great forum, you'll soon feel like one of the family.

Thanks John that's some service from boy entrant; from 16 years old I take it with "two for the Queen"?

[JR]

Thanks John :smiling3: that's some service from boy entrant; from 16 years old I take it with "two for the Queen"?

Yes, :smiling3: he was x Cranwell , went out to Egypt before the war and came back and went to Bletchley as an instructor . We travelled all of the world, thoroughly enjoyed it.

[EdStep]

Yes, :smiling3: he was x Cranwell , went out to Egypt before the war and came back and went to Bletchley as an instructor . We travelled all of the world, thoroughly enjoyed it.

An envious childhood to many . In my entire career with the RAF I didn't step foot out of the UK, the furthest I traveled was to Leuchars on a week's detachment for an airshow open day and then my last 2 years in Marham. I Saw a total of 9 stations during my time, Swinderby, Halton, St Athan, Cosford, Marham, Conningsby, and Leuchars (also went on a Q course at Coltishall, and a vibration course at Wyton).

[JR]

An envious childhood to many :smiling3:. In my entire career with the RAF I didn't step foot out of the UK, the furthest I traveled was to Leuchars on a week's detachment for an airshow open day and then my last 2 years in Marham. I Saw a total of 9 stations during my time, Swinderby, Halton, St Athan, Cosford, Marham, Conningsby, and Leuchars (also went on a Q course at Coltishall, and a vibration course at Wyton).

Suppose for us there were very few signal stations apart from Digby, went there twice, that and Wittering were the only UK posting he had.

[AlanG]

In my entire career with the RAF I didn't step foot out of the UK,

I did 4.5 years at Bruggen. Best time of my whole RAF career.

[boatman]

HI Ed when was you at raf coltishall ? as i was a civvy worker up there in the 80 's an i spent some of my young time up there in the 60's to seventies with my dad as he was the civvy heavy duty crane driver there
chris

[EdStep]

HI Ed when was you at raf coltishall ? as i was a civvy worker up there in the 80 's an i spent some of my young time up there in the 60's to seventies with my dad as he was the civvy heavy duty crane driver there
chris

Wow, it was around 1992 I think - I had just moved onto Jag majors at St Athan and went on my Q-AJG-PM course before being let loose on them as a lowly SAC lol. I saw the Jag school, accommodation block, and the NAAFI. Was really hoping to get out on the line to see some really planes up close for a change instead of being in bits in a stainless steel cage. I still have my Jaguar propulsion notes from the Q course. I'll dig them out sometime.

I also have my Vibration monitoring course folder from Wyton when I was on the RB199 testbed.

[boatman]

Wow, it was around 1992 I think - I had just moved onto Jag majors at St Athan and went on my Q-AJG-PM course before being let loose on them as a lowly SAC lol. I saw the Jag school, accommodation block, and the NAAFI. Was really hoping to get out on the line to see some really planes up close for a change instead of being in bits in a stainless steel cage. I still have my Jaguar propulsion notes from the Q course. I'll dig them out sometime.

I also have my Vibration monitoring course folder from Wyton when I was on the RB199 testbed.

WELL i use to hitch a ride with one of my dad's freinds in the refuling bowsser an go out to the flight line up an watch the jags beeing topped up untill the avgas was flowin out of the tail over flow pipe a i really enjoyed watchin this those was happy days but i'll never see them again as i liked the jag but to me they always seemed under powered on take off on reheat nothing like the lightning that streaked down the runway again on reheat an boy did they go then straight up like a rocket yrs gone by but they were happy days
chris

[EdStep]

watch the jags beeing topped up untill the avgas was flowin out of the tail over flow pipe

This was always referred to as the donkey's d**k for some strange reason :rolling: We frequently nicknamed aircraft parts after something totally inappropriate

they always seemed under powered on take off on reheat

Unfortunately, it was underpowered on takeoff, in a climb, in a dive, and on landing it was even joked about being underpowered in a fall. It's the one thing that let this jet down was the power rating as the Adour mk 104 only produced 8,000lb thrust max wet compared to the RB199 which is hoofing out over 9,000lb dry, and capable of 16,500 lb thrust max wet (not combat rating). Although the Jag could top Mach1.1 downhill with a tailwind on a good day and without radar at low level, it was a bit of a thrill ride by all accounts.

Lightnings were a leaking sieve and nicknamed the nav killer, beautiful jet and yes, insanely fast, but my god frightening to go with it.