Airfield Flooding – floats

During the evacuation of civilians/non-combatants from the Canal Zone prior to the Suez Affair we (at El Adem) received a call (on an El Adem ATC frequency) to “Tobruk Tower”. “Identify type” – and all the other good ATC stuff! Turns out it was some flying-boat full of refugees. I was the duty Met Assistant. El Adem could not be flooded(!) so I was despatched (together with an ATC Cpl, VHF radio, Verey pistol, etc, etc) to Tobruk Harbour. A/c made a good landing. The episode had a happy outcome. When I got back to El Adem I was told that the pending Charge (RAF F 252!!) against me for some infringement of The Rules (usually Sect 40 – “Conduct Prejudicial”, etc,) had been dropped due to my exemplary conduct!! Some y’win, some y’lose!
Resmoroh

Chris,
Got Rellies on the other side of Fla from you (Ormond B, Smyrna B). Might be there next spring (if I’m a good boy!). If that happens can we have a meet?
Rgds
Resmoroh

The reason there were not more air collisions was, according to an Ancient Air Trafficker of my acquaintance, because when the world was invented whoever was in charge of that bit of it put more space into three dimensions than they thought would ever be needed. Didn’t do a bad job? Would that some of our modern experts were as good!!
HTH
Resmoroh

I don’t know about other Forumites of my age – but “Round The Bend” was one of the most important books I ever read.
If I remember it correctly “RTB” said that regardless of one’s individual religious beliefs the fact – for example – of absolutely correctly doing up a locking-wire on an a/c servicing was the equivalent of a religious action. This requires some intellectual effort! – but I knew what he meant!
I was only obliquely involved in airframes (at least in the early part of my career) as a meteorologist.
I did a lot of flying later. I hoped that “they” had done the locking-wires up properly. They must have done! I’m still here to drone on about it in my mid-70’s.
HTH
Resmoroh

Lindoug,
I knew someone would come up with the details!
Bowler Radar (atop Green Mt on Asension) reported this Herc was “fishtailing” on its approach to ASI so as to lose time and ‘beat the record’. But just what record that was I have no idea.

Aeronut,
As you so rightly say Business Class on the Airbridge was something that had to be experienced to be believed. But there were differences. A lot of us boarded an Airbridge at Ascension (to fly to work you understand), only to be halted as we self-loaded, to be told that a “Navy Captain” was coming. He turned out not to be a Full 4-Ring RN Captain, but a MN Captain who was ‘going south’ to take over command of one the tugs that was thereabouts – and was a fairly basic gentleman!!!. Was this – I mused later – the one that got TEV Rangatira’s moorings hopelessley fouled-up in Stanley Harbour such that those of us sleeping off a 24-hr shift at RAF Stanley were kept awake? Or was that keeping awake the result of some Jock Regt pipers practising their skill just outside my cabin door? On complaining to the Jock Regt OC he said “I’m frightended fartless of the Pipe Major, can’t help”.
And was this the same TEV Rangitira when, on announcement of a possible Argy air-raid, manned all the gun positions. There was, however, a severe shortage of ammo for the Bren guns. The guy with the key to the ammo store had gone ashore on R&R. When, eventually, the ammo store was opened we (all and sundry) were put to filling Bren magazines and tossing them up to the bren-gunners on the upper decks. One of those so employed was a Padre. And as he pressed rounds into mags, and then tossed them ‘upstairs’, was heard to mutter “I don’t think I should be doing this. It might endanger my status under the Geneva Convention! And, moreover, it might make my career prospects a little more difficult!”. We calmed him by saying “if the Argies are going to come by air, then they’ll come from the side opposite from us”.
After all this I had to go on yet another 24-hr working shift at RAF Stanley. But so had everybody else! CO RAF Stanley said (at the start) “If there is anybody NOT working 15/18 hrs per day, every day, then he’s on the next Herc back to ASI.
HTH
Resmoroh

And further to this one. I can’t remember whether I was at Stanley or Ascension when this happened – the date (if it arrives!) will tell. But you should know that the Crew, when they eventually got back to ASI, fell out of the a/c, debriefed, and went to bed for about 24-hrs.
Meanwhile, here was a fully serviceable Herc sitting on the pan at ASI. They refuelled it, found a ‘spare’ crew and put it back on the road. The pax (self-loading freight) having just done a 24-hr trip were given a greasy-spoon fry-up and put back on the same a/c they’d just come off!!!) Passenger Comfort Appreciation indeces, for C-130 Airbridges, were – at that time – fairly rudimentary!! The Cabin Service was not of the highest order. Indeed, the main subject of conversation (provided one could have one!) was “Who managed to breed chickens with 4 legs” (and ‘Road Runners’ into the bargain!)! I went up/down ASI/Stanley several times in company with an NCO who had the magic security codes bag strapped to his wrist. I only did my trips every month or so – he did the trip every fortnight!! “How do you cope with it” I asked. “I just imagine I’m a parcel”, he answered!!!
There needs to be an Airbridge S**t-Shooters Club!! Could be quite entertaining!
HTH
Resmoroh