Members Photo Gallery

 

Teeside Harrier Mayday - 5th March 2008

Whilst airborne, Harrier ZD404, c/s Psycho 1 was to hook up with a tanker and refuel. During this part of the flight, the hose or basket hit and shattered the canopy.  The pilot, called a mayday and descended, heading for nearest safety - Teesside Airport.

Making an approach for runway 23 at 14.55, tailed by his wingman, Psycho 1 made a successful, eventless emergency landing, and taxiied in to parking in front of the hangars at the airport, where I caught up with him half an hour later.
The shot left, was made at a range of approx a mile, whilst at an altitude of about 500ft.  Although everything looks OK, if you inspect the cockpit area you can clearly see there's no lid!   A similar shot taken just seconds later of Psycho 2 clearly shows the glint of sunlight profiling the canopy top.

The shot above was taken just 40 minutes later.  The aircraft, GR7A ZD404/33A of 1 Sqn appears undamaged apart from the canopy.  No doubt a ground crew will arrive via Transit van tomorrow with a new canopy, and a few hours graft will see the aircraft fit to fly home to Cottesmore.

Psycho 2 trailing his leader, note how the sunlight contours the canopy

On the ground, shaken but not stirred!
PS to above:  2 days later, after the delivery of a new canopy, brought in, by all things, a dH Dove of Air Atlantique, the ground crew had discovered that debris ingestion to the engine was either to severe, or outside their ability to check or fix off base, so '404 was dismantled and roaded back to Cottesmore. (dove pic Jon Irwin).  

Duxford IWM, April 2004

Plane Sailings' new (as it was then) Catalina B-25 Mitchell

Bucker Jungmeister Museum mates - oh the irony!  The superb TSR2, cancelled, no, murdered in cold blood in 1965 by a naive, misled, misinformed and misguided Wilson Government, and its ultimate replacement, Tornado, now itself steadily approaching its twilight days, despite the massive GR4 upgrade programme, its still an old airframe. Did you know that the Thatcher government held a revue in 1981 to look into the feasibility of dusting off TSR2 and starting the project up again? 

September 04

  

Sally B Flight Deck view forward from rear hatch

Beaufighter cockpit Spitfire XXII

Lakenheath 2003

  

ex Iraqi (?) quad 14.7mm point AA defence

 Spitfire Vb replica in the memorial park
F15Cs 176 and 156

 

 

HMS Ark Royal Private Tour,  11th November 2003  - P. Charlton.

 

 

SHAR FA2 ZD610

Sea King HU5 XV651/24 of 824 NAS
  The innards of ASaC7 XV664

 

 

HMS Illustrious Private Tour,  6th June 2005 - P. Charlton.

 

Men at work - SHAR FA2 - ZH813

The shape of things to come - 1 Sqn GR9s onboard for trials

GR9 ZD465/55A, 1 Sqn - on the bow...

...and the stern

 

 The Island

The Bells, The Bells..........

The CAS Boarding Party assembled front and centre, but not exactly 'ship shape' !!

 

 

HMS Invincible Private Tour, 3rd November 2003 - P. Charlton.

 

Sea Harrier FA2 ZH811 / 005 at the base of the Ski Jump

Sea King AEW (AScA) 7 XV707

Sea Harrier FA2 XZ497 / 001 on the hangar deck

The forward Helo maintenance area, and forward aircraft lift.

The tractor needed to go topside, so we hitched a ride.....

The Bells, The Bells..........

 

Meet The Gang (CF)

(well some of them...)

 

RAF Waddington, 10th July 2003 Ex Nomad - P. Charlton.

 

Special personal note:    My mate Tony Coates.

This is Tony Coates, against the 617 Sqn memorial at Woodall Village following a day trip to Waddo on 19th Feb (see above).

Tony was also our driver on our trip to the 2003 Waddo Show just 1 week ago. 

Tony died in his sleep yesterday, 6th July.  He will be badly missed by all his friends in the Society, and our thoughts go to his family.

Tony is the third member of our band who have moved on to pastures new this year, we also remember our friends John Wilson and Gavin East.

Adios Amigos.

 

RAF Waddington, 28th June 2003 At Home Day - P. Charlton.

 

The black hole that is the business end of the PR9 Canberra XH135.  To me, its not often you'll see one of these opened up like this.  (74k)

One of the very few remaining Op Telic Aircraft that still retains its artwork.  Once the aircraft returned home, with almost indecent haste all mission marks and artwork were removed.  (71k)

Maybe nothing new - Nimrods have carried Aim 9 Sidewinders and have been trialed with Harpoon and, I think, Maverick, but this was the first time I've seen a Tornado Boz pod.  (84k) A Spitfire XViii, next to a Nieuport Scout.  Its hard to imagine that a little less than 30 years separates these aircraft, and approximately the same separates them from the E3 in the background.  Take a Scout driver and stick him in the back of an AWACS. I bet the word mind-blowing would come up somewhere.  (96k)

 
That Spitfire......(51k) Following Ex Norka earlier in the year, a Mirage clipped the fence on landing.  Now that's not gonna happen again, ma oui?
RAF Leeming, 8th April 2003 - P. Charlton.
XX284 CA - 100 Sqn (94k) XX191 obligingly pulled up for me grab this shot - thanks guys! (81k)
XX247 - that's one big Airfix kit ! (77k) "I might put one of these in my Cortina..." (95k)
The view along the pan  (57k) a/c are: CS, CO, CG, CC, CD XX188 CF, obviously, taken by Col Fawcett  (90k)
 

The day was well enjoyed, helped by the fine weather. 

Our thanks go to the Guys and Gals on 100 Sqn, Air Traffic, and a few others, who showed us their hospitality. 

Happy landings and enjoy yourself guys. You know who you are.

 

 

RAF Waddington, 19th Feb 2003 - P. Charlton.
5-NW (119k) Unidentified Sea Harrier FA2  (119k)
5-EM (85k) 5-NY  (105k)
The first 5 come out to play for the afternoon sortie...(119k) ...shortly followed by the remaining two. (101k) Best shot all day !

I have to admit, I tweaked this one, and made all the barbed wire vanish.

 

K Baldridge
F105D under restoration at Duxford. This is the recently donated aircraft from AMARC, and at the time of the photo, still had spraylat around the canopy.  Duxford staff reckon 5 years for this restoration. The aircraft still carries this motif under the wing from its days with the Virginia ANG.

Both these aircraft served in SE Asia. 
F105G 62-428 now immaculate thanks to the Coventry Air Museum, On Guard at RAF Croughton. In service, this aircraft was christened 'Red Ball', 'Rum Runner' and 'June Bug'. It ended up on BDRT at Upper Heyford.

 

The images are sized at 1024 pixels for wallpapers where possible. If you use them, tell me. It doesn't pay the bills but it makes me feel 

good, and I might even send you an unsigned copy!

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04/05/08