#24
Post
by Pontius Navigator » Wed Aug 18, 2021 2:38 pm
BOAC, spot on. Nearer 50 I think.
I remember some PIs in particular but will bore you with only two.
The first was with a Javelin where we got in to a simulated IMC defence. I held him on Fishpool at about 5 miles in our 7 o'clock as we kept turning and keeping him of of our 6. I think the AEO had him on Red Steer. I can't remember whether he had a lock on, I think he did.
After 2 or 3 orbits we had reached about 48k and still hung on. Eventually the Boss got bored and called knock it off. The Javelin was indeed at 5 miles but was at 25k.
The next one was with a pair of Sea Vixen. Compared with the Javelin their performance was on a par with ours but worse a pair was a very much harder proposition and unlikely what we might have met with the Soviets.
Of course we cheated.
The Vixens approached about 5 miles apart. Whichever way we turned we would expose our 6. Now they were ultra cool and dispensed with callsigns.
As we turned towards one we heard "He's turning towards you Clive I'll take him.". Well that was Clive sorted.
We reversed followed by "No Claus, he's turning to you, I've got him". That was Claud sorted.
Another couple of weaves followed by "I've got him" and we sailed serenely between the pair.
As BOAC said, in upper air you needed a good setup and avoid a turning fight. An F106 sqn out of Goose learnt that to their cost.
Oh, one more, this an RAAF F86 and a bar room bet. It was along the lines that the F86 could nail the Vulcan after that Javelin had failed. Both were to depart together and the Vulcan generously offered the F86 to go first. After line up that was the last time the F86 saw the Vulcan.
) we knew that in real terms no bomber of threat would take to dancing around the skies like that upsetting Lightning pilots and we would end up with a tail-on engagement where we could light the blue touch-paper.
