Ops-Normal.org

Latest development here:

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-kent-35136052

Crashed there once. Plaque is probably still there. F700 certainly is it went all over the airfield. Stn Cdr invited us into his office for tea and biscuits. Jolly decent chap.

Yes, happy memories of EGMH, ULAS summer camps, visits on the display circuit including some pleasant memories of Margate and a 'real' weather diversion in my Cat I 737-200 with BA leading to an enjoyable enforced nightstop (this time in Ramsgate) with crew and quite a few 'extra vegetables' on the dinner bill.

Memories of my old friend Ted Girdler too. RIP

Crashed there once. Plaque is probably still there. F700 certainly is it went all over the airfield.

Wow ! tell us more please Ex-Ascot.

Departed Manston on my final RAF flight - RTB as spare from the Folkestone Air Show.

Remember arriving on the Friday, to a rapidly flustered Air Trafficker who was used to puddle-jumpers & suchlike.
"Nitro 1"
"Nitro 2"
"Manston, Nitro with 2 inbound to you, 5 minutes out to the North"
"Roger Nitro. We don't have you on radar, say range"
"Range 54 miles"
"54 miles?? You're supposed to call us at 5 minutes"
"We did. Range now 52 miles....51 miles"
"Oh...er..er..Runway 10, 2 in the circuit,1 joining"
"Contact all 3. Shall we just call you at initials?"
"Er..yes...thanks"

That's cool Fox 3, a Tornado ?

Indeed, Tornado F3.
Both us and the Air Trafficker had a good laugh about it when we'd landed and were reporting to the Tower. Most people called them up 10 miles out.
It was great to be able to go past the Battle of Britain memorial on the White Cliffs just after departure; it had only opened a couple of months before.

Fox3

I do envy you with some of what you have done, obviously a few laughs have been had.

And great places visited.

I should perhaps add that my own inadequacies have provided the laughs more often than average.

e.g. "NO! Other Left!" Which my nav (also my Flight Commander - way to impress!) yelled at me during my first 2v2 intercept.

I am eternally grateful that they put up with me. I had the virtues of being able to find, and hit, every target, and could be persuaded to follow orders by merciless beatings; other than that, I was replete with vices. Thank God there was a (Cold) War on!

Fox3WheresMyBanana wrote:I should perhaps add that my own inadequacies have provided the laughs more often than average.
I am eternally grateful that they put up with me.

So am I but in a different colour and a SAS Major (My OC) who was an absolute "nutcase" in a good way, unconventional
and a ball of energy who put the time into me.

Fox3WheresMyBanana wrote: other than that, I was replete with vices.

That makes two of us !

Thank god "hi jinks" was looked at back then for what it was.
I reckon now you would be hung, drawn and quartered.

Well, I wouldn't be in.
That's why I left, because I could see it going that way.

And they've lost someone who hit every single target, air or ground, on time.

Some people are 'War Goers', and you have to put up with them in peacetime.

Kipling had it right in 'Tommy'
http://www.poetryloverspage.com/poets/k ... tommy.html

For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Chuck him out, the brute!"
But it's "Saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot

Otherwise, you are going to have a problem come wartime. It isn't much use when your Army runs away at the first sign of trouble, no matter how many forms they've filled in or Diversity lectures they've attended. Ask Iraq, ask the Saudis.

Fox3 I was in the same situation. The w@nkers at Group had no idea about the job I was doing. So many Stn Cdr's 'OK if anyone asks you have had a bollocking'. One more year and I would have really blown it. Regulations are just a guidance written by some idiot who doesn't have to carry out the task.

Ah yes; "Bit of a Flap on at Group"
From chatting to some WWII vets, I think Group has been out of touch for a while. I do recall John Allison with respect though, when he was AOC 11 Group. He (unusually) refused to change any rules after a Phantom crash, pointing out that the crew had disobeyed the existing rules, so more were unlikely to help. He also reopened a hurricane Inquiry (that would be me actually doing the admin) which then successfully found the cause. I was told he gave a good b#llocking also, unlike the previous incumbent (Johnny Rotten aka Bill Wratten) whose Hats On, No Coffee monologues rated about 4/10 (from the 9 guys I knew who had them). I did once visit the Staish's Office, and was given a cup of coffee, apologised to for the conduct of Group, and given every freebie imaginable (and I mean every). It strikes me now that he probably had to tell them he was b#llocking me