Nero
Re: Tired
Looks like you won the lottery!Paul , Looks like you won the arm wrestling
Who is brave enough to post a selfie?
- Thread starter Tony Lockhart
- Start date
Tony Lockhart
Avoiding Stress, at Every Opportunity
I organised a wee reunion for a few of us old RAF Marham guys at the City of Norwich Aviation Museum yesterday. Lucky with the weather, and my old chief gave me a guided tour of the Vulcan, including time in the cockpit. He worked on them in the 60s…
If you want a cockpit tour of the Duxford Vulcan: £45. Norwich Vulcan: £2.50!
Recommended.
Edit: pic in the cockpit. That’s with my iPhone’s ultra wide lens, so it looks roomier, but you get the idea.
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Weecrackpot
Frank made me do it.
I’m always amazed how these chunky old planes take to the skies, even from your close crop,
you can see there’s a huge chunk of metal in these monsters.
you can see there’s a huge chunk of metal in these monsters.
Tony Lockhart
Avoiding Stress, at Every Opportunity
And yet the cockpit is tiny, with the curved roof making it even tighter. I doubt there were many Vulcan pilots of my height.I’m always amazed how these chunky old planes take to the skies, even from your close crop,
you can see there’s a huge chunk of metal in these monsters.
XM612 was lined up to carry out one of the Black Buck bombing missions on Stanley in ‘82, but poor weather (challenging winds I think) put paid to that.
Weecrackpot
Frank made me do it.
Must be great experience to sit in the cocooned cockpits and feel those old style tactile switches and dials,
the bases you mentioned are far away from my neck of the wood so a tour is out,
i don’t think RAF Leuchars or Lossiemouth have these amazing crafts for public viewing.
the bases you mentioned are far away from my neck of the wood so a tour is out,
i don’t think RAF Leuchars or Lossiemouth have these amazing crafts for public viewing.
Paul L
coffee lounge for me
I would probably (perhaps harshly) describe myself looking back as a young oik akin to one of Sugar’s Apprentices with no academic family background just fumbling my way through the beginnings of a commercial negotiation career surrounded by 80s British and American go-get culture. All attitude and no foundation and yet…
Those early years in BAe sunk deep and set me up for life, the time spent walking by the production facilities watching Harrier and Hawk skilled technicians at Kingston, watching flight testing at Dunsfold and holding the phone as you couldn’t continue the conversation until it stopped, being amidst graduates of many disciplines, aware of another entire industry waiting for the end product. I have had nothing but respect for those involved in design, creation, maintaining and operating amazing aircraft ever since. It seemed to culminated in me when climbing the steps to look into a live Harrier cockpit in Goa India, listening to a chief designer discuss operations with the Indian Navy, bird strike, patching at al. That experience stayed with me ever since.
Not only that but aside from attempted professionalism and development through the rest of my career, I struggled after that (with a career in private sector telecoms, systems and networks) to get excited about boxes with flashing lights, comms kit, cables and all manner of things that seemed trivial in comparison. Even engineering of objects of desire such as fine watches, high end cars and audio, enjoyed and indulged but knowingly with a consciousness of their triviality for the most part in comparison.
My sincere respect to you and your pals Tony!
Those early years in BAe sunk deep and set me up for life, the time spent walking by the production facilities watching Harrier and Hawk skilled technicians at Kingston, watching flight testing at Dunsfold and holding the phone as you couldn’t continue the conversation until it stopped, being amidst graduates of many disciplines, aware of another entire industry waiting for the end product. I have had nothing but respect for those involved in design, creation, maintaining and operating amazing aircraft ever since. It seemed to culminated in me when climbing the steps to look into a live Harrier cockpit in Goa India, listening to a chief designer discuss operations with the Indian Navy, bird strike, patching at al. That experience stayed with me ever since.
Not only that but aside from attempted professionalism and development through the rest of my career, I struggled after that (with a career in private sector telecoms, systems and networks) to get excited about boxes with flashing lights, comms kit, cables and all manner of things that seemed trivial in comparison. Even engineering of objects of desire such as fine watches, high end cars and audio, enjoyed and indulged but knowingly with a consciousness of their triviality for the most part in comparison.
My sincere respect to you and your pals Tony!
Tony Lockhart
Avoiding Stress, at Every Opportunity
Thank you, Paul.
I’m only just starting to fully appreciate what I was doing, and what I was trusted with back in the 80s. I admitted to one particular diversion from the rules yesterday, and we all chuckled about it. If I’d admitted to it back then… well, nuclear weapons arming and release systems were taken quite seriously back then!
That was taken in, I think, 1983. Our first minor servicing finished, aircraft handed back to 617 Sqn. That’s me, third from right, back row. Five of us in that pic were there yesterday, sadly two passed away a few years ago, far far too young.
Gromit
Plasticine Dog
Spent this week up in the Lakes so decided to take a trip to Winlatter Forest to visit the alpaca rescue sanctuary. Had just the best time (I much prefer animals to people anyway). My new mate, Basil - such a dude.
My new pal by Boxertrixter, on Flickr
My new pal by Boxertrixter, on Flickr
eternumviti
Insufficient privileges to reply.
You need new windscreen wiper blades, you'll never pass your MOT with those.
Gromit
Plasticine Dog
PhilofCas
pfm Member
We did that last year there, I wasn’t right fussed about it but the Mrs and daughter wanted to do it so I went along, was absolutely brilliant, a really pleasant way of spending an hour or so, really glad I did it.Spent this week up in the Lakes so decided to take a trip to Winlatter Forest to visit the alpaca rescue sanctuary. Had just the best time (I much prefer animals to people anyway). My new mate, Basil - such a dude.
Marchbanks
Hat and Beard member
Basil’s old best friend doesn’t look too chuffed about things if you ask me.
Gromit
Plasticine Dog
Mirrored
Gromit
Plasticine Dog
Tony Lockhart
Avoiding Stress, at Every Opportunity
What were you doing there?Slightly dated one (and a scan of a print....):
Libya 1991.
robs
should know how this works by no
What were you doing there?
Asked that of myself many times....
Smuggling brewing yeast (and cameras!) through customs. First job out of Uni, field engineer on the rigs. Hard work but 4 on + 4 off and decent money, so great as a youngster. Started there just before the Gulf war, that was a slightly nervous hitch...the escape plan was to drive those somewhat modified pickups to the Egyptian border...
paulfromcamden
Baffled
Slightly dated one (and a scan of a print....but it was a selfie!):
Libya 1991.
You can't fool us. That's Margate beach : )
linnfomaniac83
I bet you can’t wheelie a unicycle!
In my natural habitat!
John Barry
pfm Member
On the ferry to the Outer Hebrides:
