2003 – It's the 40th Anniversary of my first engine run.

RE: Congratulations!!

Blimey Keith, I’m back there! I remember that JP well.

Thanks again and all the best.

RE: Congratulations!!

………..and for you Steve, A JP you’ll probably recognise, it’s XS209 alias 8409M, one of the fleet we used for engine changes and ground running, altogether much easier than the Pembroke – and not so much fun!!

KeithMac
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RE: Congratulations!!

You’ve certainly aged well Keith , compared to the photo of you getting your Royal Warrant and Meritorious Service Medal from AVM Johns you haven’t changed at all !!! , the sea breezes , highland air and fine malt whisky must have some preservative effect.

RE: Congratulations!!

OK Alastair, This is me now, well 6 months ago! Suitably attired as a Highland Gentleman!

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RE: Congratulations!!

Keith , if you noticed , I did put a bit about “then and now” , we’ve seen photos of you then (including the menacing look from you holding a Sten gun in the back of a KAF Caribou).Where’s the “now” photo ??.

Alastair

Congratulations!!

Fwiw, let me add mine … Congratulations, Uncle Keithmac; and hats off to the system that produced people who can still remember the old school nickname of every individual nut and bolt they worked on!! Do keep sharing these piccies and memories, won’t you? All the best,

Snoopy

RE: Keith McKenzie

Hi Keith,

I was there in the summer of 1973 and then again in the winter of 1974/5, and well remember the many-handed struggle to get the thing fired up. Most of our engine changes and ground runs were on the JPs, although I well remember one of the instructors bemoaning the fact that they could not run the Mk.1 Buccs the Navy had given them because they had no spares.

RE: Keith McKenzie

Hi Steve, The Pembroke shot was taken in 1974. You’ll probably remember that you needed about 6 hands to start a Pembroke, fuel primer, booster coil, mag switches, throttle and starter button all at the same time!! We carried on with the Pembrokes until 1976 by which time the engines and the systems were getting a bit tired of being started, run for 15 mins or so, then shut down. I took the last Piston engine entry through the school for ground runs one cold february morning and had six engine start fires in the space of 20 minutes, so perhaps it was time to call it a day anyway!! But I still have fond memories of the beast.

KeithMac

RE: Keith McKenzie

Thanks Keith, when was that Pembroke shot taken?

RE: Keith McKenzie

Two pictures from my St Athan day’s (2nd time around), firstly for Steve, one of the Pembrokes you may have run! and for Alastair an official piccie of me when I was doing the JU-88 restoration (not in my best uniform of course!!)

KeithMac
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Keith McKenzie

As this is Uncle Keiths 40th anniversary of firing up his first aeroengine I vote that he should post a photo of himself then and now !!! at least if we all make it East Fortune we know who to look for , come on Keith !!!!

RE: 2003 – It’s the 40th Anniversary of my first engine run.

Not at all…HAPPY ANNIVERSERY! 😀

Keith Mc K

Excellent Keith , big respect , if this was your first time firing an engine up and you were a boy entrant that means you are only 56 years old , far too young to retire why are you not the curator at East Fortune !!!!!!!

RE: 2003 – It’s the 40th Anniversary of my first engine run.

Ah memories! I was almost exactly ten years behind you going through St.Athan, but we still got our hand on the Leonides, albeit in a Pembroke.

RE: 2003 – It’s the 40th Anniversary of my first engine run.

Sorry Kev35, I should have said – yes it’s the good old Provost T.1, it had an Alvis Leonides 9 Cylinder radial engine which was the basic piston engine used for training in those days. It was still in use until the RAF decided to stop training all engine men on piston engines in 1976. After that they were only trained on Jets. Anyone posted onto piston aircraft after that did special pre employment training.

Keithmac

RE: 2003 – It’s the 40th Anniversary of my first engine run.

Nice picture Keith.

Now, here’s where I probably get it totally wrong, but, is it a Provost? I’ve just been struck with the commonality of shape between this aircraft and the Jet Provost, wings, tail, in fact much of the aircraft, barring of course, the lump stuck on the front!

Regards,

kev35

RE: 2003 – It’s the 40th Anniversary of my first engine run.

I don’t mind at all… CONGRATULATIONS… HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!!!