Smudges Mastiff turns into a load of planes....

[KirriePete]

Back on topic - planes, specifically low flying ones.

Back in the 80's I worked at RM Condor in Arbroath - my office was the original 1937 workmen's hut, a rattly wooden shed type construction that had been condemned as a fire hazard several times.  My office colleague had a son in the RAF, flying Tornadoes in Germany, who would do the occasional duty-free run back to Leuchars.  On these occasions he would let his Mum know he would be home for tea by overflying the base (dead reckoning nav exercise, obviously!)....... at 50ft ........ wings spread ...... afterburners on ...... holy f**k!

Won't mention the time he buzzed the parade ground while the CGRM (Commandant General Royal Marines) was taking the salute from the guys not long after the Falklands.  The booties had recently returned from a battlefield situation where a low-flying plane meant trouble - what do you think they did?  I didn't know the CG knew that sort of language ......

Or the Inverness floods ..... or the decapitation of a pine tree in Anglesey ... or ..... these sky jockeys are completely hatstand, you know that?

[SteveC#222]

I live in rural Lincolnshire...so on a regular basis I can get any of the following flying over my house - Tornado's, Red Arrow's, Typhoons, Harrier,Chinook helicopters ( noisy bastards!) Hercules, AWACS, BBMF Lancaster, Spitfire, Hurricane, Dakota plus the odd exotic and hush hush stuff going into one of the local RAF bases.. Oh yes and occasionally The Queen! ( Well she does own the local flying club!)..

By far the noisiest - though thankfully no longer based around here - were the A10 tankbuster's - they used to pop up out of nowhere from behind the trees and fly over just above tree top height.  They used to use the tractors down on the fens for dummy runs!!!.....used to scare the crap out of you!

[guest27]

Nah - it is just my style 

And only ever sell a bike to a beautiful young lady....

R

[guest18]

...By far the noisiest - though thankfully no longer based around here - were the A10 tankbuster's - they used to pop up out of nowhere from behind the trees and fly over just above tree top height.  They used to use the tractors down on the fens for dummy runs!!!.....used to scare the crap out of you!

They are amazing things, ever heard one fire it's main gun? A weird but terrifying sound! 

[SteveC#222]

No - thankfully they didn't actually fire on the tractors!

I did see a documentary on TV filmed on Salisbury Plain showing live firing on some old trucks....5 second burst of  fire and there was nothing but wreckage!! awesome!!....I believe they fire 3000 rounds per minute?

[guest18]

Something silly like that, I'd need to google to check the rate of fire!  I've heard a couple on ranges in the distance and it is a very odd noise, quite glad not to hear it close up thanks!!

Another weird one is if you ever get to be near an Apache... wherever the pilot looks, the chin gun points.... most disconcerting when he looks at you! 


Thinking back (a looong way) probably even a bigger scare that the A7 one was when I was just a little kid (OI, less of the short jokes from the cheap seats  ) and my family was at a campsite somewhere, I was making dams in the burn (stream), think 70's bright colours, vauxhall vivas, Abba in the charts, Jimmy Saville etcetc and you'll get the era,

Little did I know the campsite, and especially the stream, was just over the boundary fence at the end of an RAF runway where Vulcans took off.... my first ever proper "TAKE COVER!" when I threw myself to the ground in response to the scary noise, the sun being blotted out then the amazing hot blast from the engines....
COOL!!!  lol

[guest7]

A chap who lives up the lane from my brother has a Vulcan nose cone in his yard. He has converted it into a little sleeping shack with the addition of a caravan door in the bulkhead and caravan bed and whatnot. It's very cool.

GC

[SteveC#222]

There was a Vulcan for sale on Ebay a few years ago (A real one!)...buyer collects!

I saw the last Vulcan fly out of RAF Waddington when they were decommission.. amazing planes.  Have you ever been in the cabin of a Vulcan?  Incredably small barely room to move with tiny windows.

Re the Apache - I was watching an old episode of Top Gear ( yes I know I know..) and they were saying that they can pop up above the battlefield, identify something like 250 potential targets, prioritise the top 20 or so threats and destroy the lot in 28 seconds!! Wow. 

[guest27]

Re the Apache - I was watching an old episode of Top Gear ( yes I know I know..) and they were saying that they can pop up above the battlefield, identify something like 250 potential targets, prioritise the top 20 or so threats and destroy the lot in 28 seconds!! Wow. 

Of which 18 are Blue-on-Blue.... 

R

[guest27]

By far the noisiest - though thankfully no longer based around here - were the A10 tankbuster's - they used to pop up out of nowhere from behind the trees and fly over just above tree top height.  They used to use the tractors down on the fens for dummy runs!!!.....used to scare the crap out of you!

I used to see the Warthogs over the M4 - I am sure they were lining up the cars for a quick burst, you would get a group of them wheeling over, running down a length of the road and then wheeling around again.

Have seen film of them shooting up a tank - Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr - no tank.  Eeeeeek!

R

[guest18]

Re the Apache - I was watching an old episode of Top Gear ( yes I know I know..) and they were saying that they can pop up above the battlefield, identify something like 250 potential targets, prioritise the top 20 or so threats and destroy the lot in 28 seconds!! Wow. 

Of which 18 are Blue-on-Blue.... 

R

Who mentioned the septics? Our lads know what we look like!