WL747I’ve got the 7th edition (1959), tenth edition (1961) and the 16th edition (1967). Cover sleeves are a bit tatty, and I think mine were used by the last ROC bunker in Aberdeen. Two of them are stamped ROC 29 Group. Can’t really remember how I came to have them, a jumble sale to raise funds for my local ATC unit if IIRC.
WL747Are there any repairs or maintenance that could be usefully done to the nose wheel and leg whilst the weight is off it? Within the realms of health and safety of course.
If its any consolation I had loads of airfix kits that did the same thing so I feel your pain 🙂
MH
I don’t think it would be a bright idea to work on an aircraft in that attitude without being on proper stands. You never know when it might move, and the results don’t bear thinking about!
Maybe like airfix models, perhaps industrial quantities of Blu Tack and air rifle pellets will do the job – always worked for me in the past! 😉
Kind Regards,
Scotty
WL747wow health and safety to the extreme over there..
When you’ve worked on installations over water where scaffolding has collapsed, you’d understand the legislation Peter. Although a bit expensive, proper scaffolding or a cherry picker would definitely be the best answer.
Although some things can be over the top, H&S does actually help more people go home in one piece other than a trip to the hospital A&E dept or worse still, the morgue. It’s worth remembering that HSE is there not to stop people doing a job, but helps them do a job safely. Yes, it’s a hassle at times, but I work in an industry where if HSE wasn’t regulated, there’d be all sorts of pressure to cut corners, and another Piper Alpha would happen in no short order….
I’ve also seen the results of dodgy scaffolding, and the person in question didn’t go home again…..
WL747What about the Jags that were stored at Cosford? Are they still ‘reserve’ or have they moved on?
Surely something from that lot would suffice?
Kind Regards,
Scotty
WL747I would say the only reasonable chance of seeing a Shack fly again, is with the SAAF MR.3, even this fine machine seems to have become a ground runner which kind of shows what a massive task it is to keep em flying.
Not sure what the latest is with it, but there is a thread about it somewhere here, and Mo will know for sure.
I heard that it was due to a lack of certified pilots that is keeping 1722 on the ground. If that was the case, wouldn’t the same be true of WR963?
To be honest, as much as I love the Shackleton, I don’t think keeping one flying is really that viable given the large amount of money needed to make one airworthy, and the even larger amount to keep her airworthy. Things like the engines are more troublesome than the Vulcans, and that ever problematic translation unit for the props. It was the cause of many engine fires due to engine overspeeds IIRC, one or two which caused the loss of the aircraft. XF710 at Culloden springs to mind….
I’m not an expert, and I would never ever knock somebodies efforts to get one in the air if they had a solid plan and concrete backing, but you’re going to need a lot of energy to over come the certification / design authority problem, spares problems, possible crew problems, and then the money problems… Getting a Shack in the air within the UK is going to take a bottomless pit of the green stuff….
Not individually insurmountable, but without the support the Vulcan got, I fear not likely to happen. I don’t think the Old Grey Lady captures the minds of the public in the same way as Concorde or the Vulcan do….
Sorry for the downer, but just being realistic…. As much as I miss the sound of the Growler over my house, I can’t see it happening again…
Kind Regards,
Scotty
WL747I stumbled across some aircraft aluminium on the rocky raised beach near Garmouth a few years ago. Some bits were very small and scattered, one or two bits larger and one bit had the evidence of lettering painted on. Havent read any accounts of crashes here but I’ve wondered ever since. There was a fascinating book on the history of the many airfields in this area which I think was titled “A steep turn to the stars” by a local author.
Just in case anybody is interested, the book ‘A Steep Turn To The Stars’ was written by Jim Hughes. It’s pretty hard to get nowadays, some copies on Amazon reaching £50+, but if you search for the Tain Museum ‘Tain through Time’ they have copies at the original price of around £14.
Kind Regards
Scotty
WL747Some images recently uploaded to Worldairpics taken at St Mawgan IAD 1987 in perfect weather.
http://www.worldairpics.com/results.php?page=1&q=St_Mawgan_International_Air_Day_1987&fields=airshow
Steve
Ahhh, Brymon Airways Dash 7 G-BRYA. Remember used to see that quite a lot of that at Aberdeen – plus it gave me my first electric shock at work of my career…. 😉
WL747Moggy,
While you may quote BS on that statement, that is precisely one of the reasons that National Trust properties and other privately owned stately homes do not allow photography. Only recently a National Trust Of Scotland property had items stolen, and although there is no proof photography played a part, there have been other instances where photography of items to be stolen to order has happened.
People mooching about active airfields with no proper accreditation I can’t imagine a good idea either. The Shack nose got robbed blind at Duxford…
Furthermore, I do understand for photographic copyright on private ground you are obliged to ask the land owners permission. Using the NT as an example, many organisations rely on the sale of images be it for calendars , postcards, etc. Plus, again they may want to control their public exposure for the more nefarious ‘on line shopper’.
WL747Cheers Ant.H
I’m not likely to get a chance to visit soon but would love to eventually see the IHM, but G-TIGE is not one I fancy spending much time looking at. I’ve flown in her once, and that was enough. Is she still in her Bristows colours?
In all fairness, i’m from Dyce (the village the airport at Aberdeen was built beside) and I’be seen TIGE and her siblings for many years. All the Bristows AS332’s mostly had registrations TiGx. I seem to remember TIGH and TIGK coming to sticky ends. Bond AS332’s were all G-PUMx (A to N AFAIR) and the British Airways ones I can’t remember, they used mostly S61’s, and I think they only got Pumas after becoming BIH. Might be wrong.
Anyway, will be good to see NAM’s one, especially along side a Chinook
WL747Great news about the RAF Puma. Wish NAM every success in this project.
However I would personally be quite happy not to see a civil Puma preserved as they are probably the worst chopper I have ever flown in. Uncomfortable, especially when on a three hour flight wearing an immersion suit and the cabin is packed. Tiny seats, and you’ve quite often got somebody’s knees perilously close to your wedding tackle when in the opposing seats. Add to their pretty miserable survivability rate in an accident, they aren’t the most popular chopper in the UK. Indeed, I believe no operators are using them in the North Sea at the moment, as pretty much most of the offshore workforce refuse to fly in them given their tendency for gearbox failure. Flying coffins.
Now, the S-61 and S-92 are much more civilised. Miss the old ‘61….
WL747Didn’t they ‘borrow’ the 109s getting shot down from the original Battle Of Britain film? They seem very similar.
WL747My mistake. I didn’t realise the second Turnhouse runway was already closed and had been for some time. Certainly when we pulled the Electra down it to raise money for a charity, I recall there being a lot more of it left, and the flying club used both runways. Apologies to all those whom I may have confused. It wasn’t an April Fool, but just a senior moment.
The main Edinburgh airport runway is safe.
Kind Regards,
Scotty
WL747Am I right in understanding the conversion hasn’t yet taken place?
Fearn control tower was subject of an episode of ‘Restoration Man’ and was successfully converted. I believe they painted the exterior black.
WL747Just seen a photo of the poor bird on a Facebook modelling group I’m a member of. WR985 looks worse than ever. I suppose the easy access to the site and urban exploration haven’t helped. A year on from the last post, is there any update to what’s happening to her?
There’s not going to be a lot left soon….
WL747Merlin wants to be a growler…
Hear Hear Rich,
I am sure I’m not the only one on this forum shaking my head at Merlin’s comments. He’s had a very strange way of showing support. His line is very negative and I wonder if he realises his comments are potentially damaging made so publicly should anybody misinterpret them.
You either support something or you don’t. If you don’t, then have the decency to not slag it off so publicly. If it wasn’t for the Woods family, ‘963 could have gone the same way as the Cyprus pair. Or the St Mawgan one. Find out when they are there and go and join in rather than carp from the sidelines in what seems a very selfish tone. And remember that they are volunteers with lives of their own and sometimes things change.
Keep going Rich, others have faith.
Scotty
Sign In
