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Hastings on ice?

Being the ubiquitous workhorse did these stalwarts ever operate in the arctic circle or the vicinity of, and if so were they fitted with skis as some DC3s were?

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By: Cees Broere - 6th February 2008 at 09:49

Hasting WD492 is the aircraft on the Greenland ice cap, been there since Sept. 16th 1952 when in atrocious conditions supporting the British North Greenland Expedition it crashed near to the two tents of the Expedition at 8000 ft altitude! A USAF Albatross landed on the snow, without the use of skis and carried the three injured crew to safety using JATO and a run of nearly five miles before becoming airborne!
At Nicosia Cyprus in the early Sixties I had the opportunity to see Hastings from the OCU doing a bit of warmweather flying including the special landing which was the opposite of STOL more of a LTOL (Land Takeoff Land) for most of the main runway. The resident Hasting squadron No. 70 did not use that system showing that the Hastybird takes a bit of getting used to before being proficient in its handling!
I am surprised that the Halifax wallahs hav’nt had a sniff at the Greenland remains for a possible set of wings?Ray

Too cold for my liking, but if LW170 doesn’t come up I wouldn’t be surprised if Karl Kjarsgaard will put on snowboots.:p

Cees

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By: Arabella-Cox - 6th February 2008 at 07:55

A piece here about half way down the page on the Haystack in the snow

http://www.mind42.com/wiki/Transport_Command

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By: keithnewsome - 5th February 2008 at 22:28

I have just “google earthed” the location (78.07N 38.10W) of the hastybird in greenland, which John Cooper Knows all about ! and its very very white !
“Does the team think” that , pressumably, as this aircraft is buried in ice, will it be any better preserved, or just crushed, should it ever be recovered ? Could this be one of the very few “advantages” of global warming ? Keith.

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By: super sioux - 5th February 2008 at 20:44

One did a bit of dancing on ice in Greenland, she is still there. But none with skis to my knowledge, did you ever see one bounce along a runway?:p

Hasting WD492 is the aircraft on the Greenland ice cap, been there since Sept. 16th 1952 when in atrocious conditions supporting the British North Greenland Expedition it crashed near to the two tents of the Expedition at 8000 ft altitude! A USAF Albatross landed on the snow, without the use of skis and carried the three injured crew to safety using JATO and a run of nearly five miles before becoming airborne!
At Nicosia Cyprus in the early Sixties I had the opportunity to see Hastings from the OCU doing a bit of warmweather flying including the special landing which was the opposite of STOL more of a LTOL (Land Takeoff Land) for most of the main runway. The resident Hasting squadron No. 70 did not use that system showing that the Hastybird takes a bit of getting used to before being proficient in its handling!
I am surprised that the Halifax wallahs hav’nt had a sniff at the Greenland remains for a possible set of wings?
Ray

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By: Arabella-Cox - 4th February 2008 at 20:48

One did a bit of dancing on ice in Greenland, she is still there. But none with skis to my knowledge, did you ever see one bounce along a runway?:p

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