BIGVERN, Hi,
Mni tks that pic out of the backend of Fat Albert towards the Phantoom. Brought back some memories. I was there 1982-86, and after the refuel Fat Albert used to go and hide (at very low level!!) in the hills, and the Phantoms had to come and find us!
Rgds
Resmoroh

Somebody, somewhere, must have a pic of a Phantom doing an airborne refuel from Fat Albert near RAF Stanley. The C-130 would stream the hose out the back end. It went out through some vast chunk of cast-iron that ensured it wound out properly, and wound back in properly. This chunk of cast-iron (or whatever) moved from side-to-side as the hose paid out – or was reeled back in. When the hose was out and the Phantom was having a drink, anybody from the Station staff – along for the Air Experience flight – could photograph the Phantom through the gaps in the paying-out/retrieve gear (sorry, I don’t know what it’s called – I’m just a Met Man). Whenever the Phantom Jock saw somebody aiming a camera at him out the back of the Herc he would just move the throttles a bit back – or forward! This resulted in the hose either paying out, or reeling in. In either case the cast iron block started moving from side-to-side. The photographer had to leap smartly out of the way. There were, consequently, mutual signals of a two-finger nature between photographer and Phantom Jock!
I had some good shots of this, but lost them in some domestic upheaval. Would like to be reminded of some good (but occasionally ‘hairy’) days.
TIA
Resmoroh

Further to my last on Proj Scillonia. Pse accept Senior Moment for “late 90’s” to read “late 60’s/early 70’s”!!!!!!! Just a mere 30 yrs slip of the keyboard!!!!!!
Resmoroh

All logics are, by definition, sound until proved otherwise either by superior logic(s) or by detailed observations (empirical or otherwise). It is, in most cases, not the logic that is at fault but the reasoned argument. This latter can be a very variable feast.
Will you lay odds that some WW2 aviation statistician is already calculating “casualties per a/c type”. Would make interesting reading to us lateral thinkers!!!!!!! (that is, of course, if you are willing to allow me to include you in any such category)!
HTH
Resmoroh

Have you ever tried to get a Hard-Top Long-Wheel-Base Landrover into the back of an Argosy at Driffield on a Dec night in 1969 (Ex FERNANDO). Can only be done by letting the vehicle tyres down.
Then, by the time we’d done that it was dark. No runway lights at Driffield in them days. Captain says “Position Mobile Met Unit Landrover at upwind end of take-off runway. Switch on headlights. I will steer towards you. When I flash my landing lights, get to hell off the end of the runway bl**dy quick!”.
It worked, else there would have been a big queue of us outside AOCs office the following Monday!!
The Argosy’s also did some experimental parachute work. Nice – when the grunts, or kit, had been chucked out the back end – to hear the Loady say in yr headset “Would you like a gammon steak on the way home?!!”.
Now that was a proper Air Force!!
HTH
Resmoroh

BOAC Yorks

Is it true that BOAC used their Yorks on the ‘animal freight’ run in the mid-50’s? They were crewed (or so common scuttlebutt had it) by those who had transgressed the BOAC Rules at the ‘posher’ end of their operations and got sentenced to 3-months, or 6-months (depending on the severity of their crime(s)) flogging these Yorks from Africa to Europe. We had a number through El Adem at the time!
Resmoroh

Dan, Hi,
If you want to give yr ‘Wheels’ some WW2 ground-crew authenticity just make sure there’s a half-eaten bully-beef sandwich, and an old, chipped, pint pot half-full of (cold!) NAAFI tea!
HTH
Resmoroh