hunterxf382hunterxf382hunterxf382UK Serials website has some info on each – I’ve left ZD670 out of it for now as you have an ongoing enquiry 😉
Harrier ZD670.
Harrier XV738. to 9074M, to N4320W, Arlington, Washington
Harrier XZ967. stored Arlington, Washington, USA
Harrier ZD668. to G-CBCU, pres. Chino, USA
Phantom XT853. To Scampton for G.I. as 9071M, scr. 25/08/1995
Jet Provost XM367. scr. 04/1995 at Bruntingthorpe
Jet Provost XN 594. to 8077M, sold, privately owned France
Canberra XH136. to 8782M, b/u 01/1993, (N) pres. Spanhoe Lodge
Canberra WH775. to 8128M, 8868M, to Welshpool, Powys, Wales 08/10/1995
Hunter XK149. to 8714M, Aero Group, Tulsa, Oklahoma
hunterxf382Thankyou to those that thought my reply summed up the role differences as observed from experience… 😮
Thought I would add to it by sharing some of the experiences, all of which are somewhat historical by now and not likely to be incriminating to anyone anyway:
1) First time sitting in a patrol car on a shout under “Blues and Twos” (blue lights and two tone sirens for those not familiar with terminology), and my mind racing as we sped along a very busy urban high street heading towards a running suspect – me thinking this was surreal and somewhat like a live episode of “The Bill” (which all Police watched of course…lol). Couldn’t believe I was involved in it all and doing it as a volunteer / hobby 😮
2) Nearing the end of a long and rather quiet full night shift paired up with a regular in our trusty Maestro patrol car, and getting a call to attend a sudden death. All dealt with accordingly, seeing a dead body as if it was a normal occurence. Then only a couple of hours later being at my paid job and enjoying the normal break snack of a bacon butty chatting to my colleagues about my experiences as if nothing unusual had happened to me. Their faces were a picture as they scoffed their butties listening to that one 😀
3) Becoming a Section Officer within the Specials (promotion even in volunteer roles) and having to fully organise special operations as advised by the unit’s Inspector – no regulars with us, just a team of my volunteer colleagues. Usually involved targeting kerb crawlers on our patch, and dealing with all the paperwork such as nice letters to their home address warning them of their activities (wish I had been a fly-on-the-wall when spouses saw the mail) 😉
4) Chasing a suspect on foot after leaping from patrol car, through woods and streams etc. Calling in Air Support and basically acting as the eyes on the ground via radio link as half the West Mids forces descended on the area following up my frantic calls giving location etc – jeeze they were letting me do this as “Special” 😀
5) Feeling part of what was a great team as I was attached to one unit, and worked their shifts around my paid job – if they were on nights, so was I, etc etc. I really did some long hours, far in excess of the minimm requirement, and was regarded as ‘one of them’ but only after I put in the hours and showed what I could do….. That gave me a great deal of satisfaction and motivated me a lot!
It did help that I was ex-forces, as I suspect I had the right mentality and common sense approach etc. I obeyed orders (which had been a big part of my previous forces life and something I personally missed in civvy life up until then). I’m not looking back with rose-tinted specs, it really was a great job to do as long as you, the individual wanted to put something into it. Those that didn’t just dropped off eventually. I made some good friends too – the team spirit was very strong, and I suspect still is – including PCSO’s I might add.
All the comments comparing the two roles lead back to one important thing – if you really want to do something that CAN be worthwhile, and are willing to go the extra mile, then it pays dividends, or in the case of PCSO’s – a wage. My views on the frustrating powers of normal PCSO’s are relevant, as there is a disparity across the country with different forces, as pointed out in another comment already. The general public will however only see each role in general terms. Most will appreciate that Specials are more empowered nationally, and that PCSO’s are not. Getting across at the scene that a particular force’s PCSO has actually got more power is always going to be difficult – and really doesn’t help their overall image? The government really needs to sort that disparity out if they wish to continue down this path. The distinction between Specials and PCSO’s is also going to be a difficult one to get right if more and more appear on the street, if the public are going to understand what that approaching high-viz wearing “Police” person is going to be able to do – I can see the confusion myself already.
Apologies for the ramble – there’s so much more about my experiences I could write about – some quite sad, some rather more humourous – such is the huge variety of the work of course 🙂
hunterxf382Thankyou to those that thought my reply summed up the role differences as observed from experience… 😮
Thought I would add to it by sharing some of the experiences, all of which are somewhat historical by now and not likely to be incriminating to anyone anyway:
1) First time sitting in a patrol car on a shout under “Blues and Twos” (blue lights and two tone sirens for those not familiar with terminology), and my mind racing as we sped along a very busy urban high street heading towards a running suspect – me thinking this was surreal and somewhat like a live episode of “The Bill” (which all Police watched of course…lol). Couldn’t believe I was involved in it all and doing it as a volunteer / hobby 😮
2) Nearing the end of a long and rather quiet full night shift paired up with a regular in our trusty Maestro patrol car, and getting a call to attend a sudden death. All dealt with accordingly, seeing a dead body as if it was a normal occurence. Then only a couple of hours later being at my paid job and enjoying the normal break snack of a bacon butty chatting to my colleagues about my experiences as if nothing unusual had happened to me. Their faces were a picture as they scoffed their butties listening to that one 😀
3) Becoming a Section Officer within the Specials (promotion even in volunteer roles) and having to fully organise special operations as advised by the unit’s Inspector – no regulars with us, just a team of my volunteer colleagues. Usually involved targeting kerb crawlers on our patch, and dealing with all the paperwork such as nice letters to their home address warning them of their activities (wish I had been a fly-on-the-wall when spouses saw the mail) 😉
4) Chasing a suspect on foot after leaping from patrol car, through woods and streams etc. Calling in Air Support and basically acting as the eyes on the ground via radio link as half the West Mids forces descended on the area following up my frantic calls giving location etc – jeeze they were letting me do this as “Special” 😀
5) Feeling part of what was a great team as I was attached to one unit, and worked their shifts around my paid job – if they were on nights, so was I, etc etc. I really did some long hours, far in excess of the minimm requirement, and was regarded as ‘one of them’ but only after I put in the hours and showed what I could do….. That gave me a great deal of satisfaction and motivated me a lot!
It did help that I was ex-forces, as I suspect I had the right mentality and common sense approach etc. I obeyed orders (which had been a big part of my previous forces life and something I personally missed in civvy life up until then). I’m not looking back with rose-tinted specs, it really was a great job to do as long as you, the individual wanted to put something into it. Those that didn’t just dropped off eventually. I made some good friends too – the team spirit was very strong, and I suspect still is – including PCSO’s I might add.
All the comments comparing the two roles lead back to one important thing – if you really want to do something that CAN be worthwhile, and are willing to go the extra mile, then it pays dividends, or in the case of PCSO’s – a wage. My views on the frustrating powers of normal PCSO’s are relevant, as there is a disparity across the country with different forces, as pointed out in another comment already. The general public will however only see each role in general terms. Most will appreciate that Specials are more empowered nationally, and that PCSO’s are not. Getting across at the scene that a particular force’s PCSO has actually got more power is always going to be difficult – and really doesn’t help their overall image? The government really needs to sort that disparity out if they wish to continue down this path. The distinction between Specials and PCSO’s is also going to be a difficult one to get right if more and more appear on the street, if the public are going to understand what that approaching high-viz wearing “Police” person is going to be able to do – I can see the confusion myself already.
Apologies for the ramble – there’s so much more about my experiences I could write about – some quite sad, some rather more humourous – such is the huge variety of the work of course 🙂
hunterxf382My opinion on this…………
I’m an ex-Special, so I can speak from experience back in the 90’s before the PCSO’s came into being….
Having left the RAF, I became part of the local community and felt there was something lacking in my life after many years serving within a close-knit forces community. I joined the Specials to ‘do my bit’ within my own area, which happened to be in a well-known part of Birmingham with problems ranging from Prostitution, Drug Dealers, and Inter-racial tensions to name a few. I soon settled into the discipline of being back in a uniform, and despite some initial reservations about the opinions of regular officers about us, I soon settled into working with one dedicated unit and put in more hours than some of them 😮
I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge, and was put in some situations that raised a few eyebrows amongst my colleagues, but I just carried on with the role as I am the sort to be loyal and trustworthy when part of a team – whether paid or not!
I was even looked upon for assistance in my paid job if needed, as I was working for a well-known Motoring Retailer and we had a few shoplifters who had the shock of their lives when caught suddenly by someone they least suspected 😉
I looked upon the tasks as an insight into the work of my paid regular colleagues, and tried to apply to join up full-time. Sadly my timing was unfortunate as there was major re-structuring taking place and recruiting was slowed down as a result. I continued to serve until my paid work shifts started to impact on my free time, and was sad to have to leave when my circumstances changed.
Would I do it again (whether as a result of recent events or not) – YES
Times have changed, and there is some repayment for travel expenses etc these days, something which didn’t exist in my day. I jumped at chances to work with Police units that were thought impossible amongst some, working undercover, Traffic division, and with the Vice unit. Couldn’t get on Air Support, but I did try…..
I saw the new PCSO role come into being, and had reservations right away when I saw their restricted powers. I couldn’t work like that – it just seemed too restrictive and frustrating, so never gave it another thought….
However, I now work in Public Transport (Trams) here in the West Midlands, where we work closely with British Transport Police, and they have their own PCSO’s who have much more power than normal ones! They work in close co-operation with transport operators, and are seen in a different light to normal PCSO’s, more like Specialist Officers who supplement the few regular BTP Officers that each area has.
Big difference there, and I’m actually in favour of these BTP PCSO’s much more than the normal PCSO’s.
Would I do this role? YES – given the extra powers they have, and the greater variety of their work.
I can see how people will feel about the normal PCSO’s restrictive role, and I’ve certainly seen a few about that don’t look like they could really be bothered, which annoys me. BUT – it is unfair to tar every one of them with the same brush – as it is equally unfair to target ALL Specials as “muppets” thankyou…..
hunterxf382My opinion on this…………
I’m an ex-Special, so I can speak from experience back in the 90’s before the PCSO’s came into being….
Having left the RAF, I became part of the local community and felt there was something lacking in my life after many years serving within a close-knit forces community. I joined the Specials to ‘do my bit’ within my own area, which happened to be in a well-known part of Birmingham with problems ranging from Prostitution, Drug Dealers, and Inter-racial tensions to name a few. I soon settled into the discipline of being back in a uniform, and despite some initial reservations about the opinions of regular officers about us, I soon settled into working with one dedicated unit and put in more hours than some of them 😮
I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge, and was put in some situations that raised a few eyebrows amongst my colleagues, but I just carried on with the role as I am the sort to be loyal and trustworthy when part of a team – whether paid or not!
I was even looked upon for assistance in my paid job if needed, as I was working for a well-known Motoring Retailer and we had a few shoplifters who had the shock of their lives when caught suddenly by someone they least suspected 😉
I looked upon the tasks as an insight into the work of my paid regular colleagues, and tried to apply to join up full-time. Sadly my timing was unfortunate as there was major re-structuring taking place and recruiting was slowed down as a result. I continued to serve until my paid work shifts started to impact on my free time, and was sad to have to leave when my circumstances changed.
Would I do it again (whether as a result of recent events or not) – YES
Times have changed, and there is some repayment for travel expenses etc these days, something which didn’t exist in my day. I jumped at chances to work with Police units that were thought impossible amongst some, working undercover, Traffic division, and with the Vice unit. Couldn’t get on Air Support, but I did try…..
I saw the new PCSO role come into being, and had reservations right away when I saw their restricted powers. I couldn’t work like that – it just seemed too restrictive and frustrating, so never gave it another thought….
However, I now work in Public Transport (Trams) here in the West Midlands, where we work closely with British Transport Police, and they have their own PCSO’s who have much more power than normal ones! They work in close co-operation with transport operators, and are seen in a different light to normal PCSO’s, more like Specialist Officers who supplement the few regular BTP Officers that each area has.
Big difference there, and I’m actually in favour of these BTP PCSO’s much more than the normal PCSO’s.
Would I do this role? YES – given the extra powers they have, and the greater variety of their work.
I can see how people will feel about the normal PCSO’s restrictive role, and I’ve certainly seen a few about that don’t look like they could really be bothered, which annoys me. BUT – it is unfair to tar every one of them with the same brush – as it is equally unfair to target ALL Specials as “muppets” thankyou…..
hunterxf382Not sure but it can’t be long as I have seen a picture of her on FACEBOOK in her new colours just minus outer wings for some reason
Outer wings were removed to fit in paintshop – and sprayed seperately. It was the easiest way of getting the job done and I’m told it won’t be long now before it’s back in the air again 😉
hunterxf382Such a shame really i was really looking forward to a buccaneer display.Hope they get the work done soon.
One thing HHA have always been clear on – if they got contract work for the Bucc, it would NOT be available for display work…..
hunterxf382Not been on this forum for the last 48hrs as I’ve been at home here in Wolverhampton watching the demise of the local area piece by piece online….
ALL our surrounding area has been subject to this fiasco – Wolverhampton itself, West Bromwich, Birmingham etc…. Latest online updates indicate that there has now been a death in the Birmingham area during mob clashes where 3 males were reported to have been run over by a vehicle. The local media coverage has been showing scenes that are unbelievable, and where we are it feels like we’re stuck in a war zone to be honest.
I work in public transport, which has been suspended from operating in ALL city areas of Wolverhampton and Birmingham on Police advice as our own staff safety was in question! My partner starts a new job in the morning, which I feel the need to escort her to for her safety now – thanks to the totally unpredictable nature of the outbreaks which have trashed our neighbourhood. Worse for her, as she moved up here from Croydon to escape the general state of that area (and which is now so heartbreaking to watch on the news as she sees her old areas destroyed by fires).
When will it all end I wonder? I’m both ex-RAF and ex-Police, and feel sooo racked off and willing to bear arms to defend our neighbourhood – such is the deep-felt hatred for these scum who are just out for a thrill and some free kit 😡
Our 18yr old twins are sitting here disgusted at the attitude of so many of their peers too, from both areas they have now lived in…..
Rant over folks 😡
hunterxf382Not been on this forum for the last 48hrs as I’ve been at home here in Wolverhampton watching the demise of the local area piece by piece online….
ALL our surrounding area has been subject to this fiasco – Wolverhampton itself, West Bromwich, Birmingham etc…. Latest online updates indicate that there has now been a death in the Birmingham area during mob clashes where 3 males were reported to have been run over by a vehicle. The local media coverage has been showing scenes that are unbelievable, and where we are it feels like we’re stuck in a war zone to be honest.
I work in public transport, which has been suspended from operating in ALL city areas of Wolverhampton and Birmingham on Police advice as our own staff safety was in question! My partner starts a new job in the morning, which I feel the need to escort her to for her safety now – thanks to the totally unpredictable nature of the outbreaks which have trashed our neighbourhood. Worse for her, as she moved up here from Croydon to escape the general state of that area (and which is now so heartbreaking to watch on the news as she sees her old areas destroyed by fires).
When will it all end I wonder? I’m both ex-RAF and ex-Police, and feel sooo racked off and willing to bear arms to defend our neighbourhood – such is the deep-felt hatred for these scum who are just out for a thrill and some free kit 😡
Our 18yr old twins are sitting here disgusted at the attitude of so many of their peers too, from both areas they have now lived in…..
Rant over folks 😡
hunterxf382Nice pics….. all I can find via google is that the Spitfire Memorial Building was opened on 13th June 1981 so sometime after that date….
And that poor Javelin got scrapped in 1990.
http://www.culture24.org.uk/am17424 gives a bit of history of the collection
hunterxf382Interesting angle on the Sky fuselage band on the Spitfire. 😮
Ken
Well there was a war on you know…. (sorry – couldn’t resist) 😉
Fascinating set of photos nevertheless
hunterxf382Blimey, they’ve seized a Nimrod, what were the criminals using that for? Wonder what else has been taken, a Bucc or three perhaps?
:D:D:D :diablo: Can you imagine the outcry if a certain large tin triangle had still been in residence and seized too?……lol
hunterxf382One over-run is enough – having two….. I would be asking questions over the state of the runway surface having seen the results so far :eek::eek::eek:
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