I’d be somewhat naive if I thought I could start this thread if without the Lightning accident getting mentioned somewhere within its posts.

It’s not for me to comment on the crash itself. From my own perspective something bad happened, lessons were learned and things improved. Bad things happen every day, I know as I was in an awful car accident a few years ago. Not caused by me but it didn’t stop me getting back behind the wheel when I was finally able to. Not quite the same analogy perhaps but I guess what I’m saying is that I cannot put my life on hold and live in a padded room just because something somewhere in the world went wrong. If that was the case I would never have got in the car to go to the airport let along climb on board the 747 that took me to Cape Town.

To me the Buccaneer flight was never a gamble. It was a personal choice and one I will always look back fondly upon.

Thanks to all for keeping this thread positive!

Regards, Plazz

I asked because I work as part of a 3 man crew myself. I thought the Bucc was quite a complex aircraft and was interested in what the rear-seater could do physically, that the front seater couldn’t. Did you have to operate any rear-seat only controls, and did you assist CRM by use of challenge and response checks with the front?

The only rear seat controls are the radio and transponder settings. Challenge and response checks were frequent with regards to fuel state etc. and when required for aileron droop/tail plane flap and BLC positions/values.

If you don’t mind me asking, what aircraft do you crew?

Regards, Plazz

What crew duties were you tasked with Plazz?

All the duties that you would expect from a two crew aircraft!
e.g. Everything on the FRC (Flight Reference Cards):
Pre-start checks, Post start checks, Emergency drills and Escape system checks etc.

During the sortie such things as radio frequencies, transponder settings, oxygen flow rates, aileron droop/tail plane operation and BLC system checks etc.

Fortunately, having spent the last ten years restoring and operating our own Buccaneers (from both the back and the front seats) the whole operation during the sortie was quite normal and intuitive.

Just curious though, why do you ask?