I have my doubts that modern military missiles would even be able to acquire and hit a light plane. Are they not designed to go after turbine engine heat sources?

Depends what sort of missile it is. Rest assured that you can bring down a light a/c with an AAM. Or don’t rest assured, depending on your viewpoint…:) You could take it out with cannon as well but I doubt the people on the ground below would appreciate being sprayed with cannon shells. I don’t suppose they would like the wreckage of a light aircraft dropping on their bonce though either.

My objection would be the safety of the information they retained. Knowing how blindingly stupid those in government data protection are I doubt it would stay ‘private’ for long.

I’m also of the opinion that ‘If you’ve nothing to hide you’ve nothing to fear’ should be ‘If you’ve nothing to hide, why do they want to look?’

As far as I remember as a private citizen I’m still innocent until proven guilty.

The other thing that I’ve never been able to quite understand is why do the goverment want all of this data? (I’m talking on a wider front now than mobile investigation). What do they do with it other than create jobs for more paper shufflers and empire creators…hang on I think I just answered my own question.

We’ll still have ILS and PAR. Have you noticed that NDB’s are disappearing slowly? I think VORs have a forecast shelf past 2015 (I’ve heard around 2020) as long as they can still find the bits. I can’t think of a single person I know who’ll be regretting the demise of NDB. I have my renewal in March 2014, too much to ask for them to be gone by then I suppose.

I’ll raise a glass to the hundred and thirty three, especially to the fifty six who gave their all.

Not that far off IMO, although I would like options to be kept open and not do another Duncan Sandys white paper.

Perhaps next you can do a guide to accurate NDB holds and arrivals? 🙂

No one does real life accurate hand flown NDB holds and arrivals…..:), ‘about right’ is as close as you’ll get. Roll on the day when we get rid of the damn things.

As we all know they didn’t but there was certainly a feasibility study done sometime between 85-88, because I was involved in it and that’s when I was there. F6 is correct in what he says about the trials of other weapons. By the way I think you’re getting mixed up with continuous wave and IR missiles, they don’t transmit. Leading edge heating is…..kinetic heating!

Apologies to you too as I thought you were yet another Wikipedia expert, respect if you did fly or nav the ‘Toom. I was a Flight Systems guy on the OCU between 74-78 when Dave Shaw ran the ship, instructor’s names I remember are Nick Ireland (spoke to Nick about three years ago), Merv Paine, Dave Roome, Arthur Vine…don’t know if you knew Arthur but he must have been 50 odd at the time and a WWII veteran I think on Typhoons or Tempests, his son flew Shackletons while Arthur flew a supersonic fighter which was a cause of some mirth. The USAF (and Marine Corp) guys gave me the lowdown on the performance viz a viz the RAF and US ones although I will concede that there may have been some national pride involved.

The story about bunting with the SUU on is true, I was a little amazed myself. It was off Cyprus. Weren’t they a drag monster on the centreline or something?

EE NEVER thought of putting Sidewinder or Sparrow on the Lightning. The Aim 9 would not work on the Lightning due to problems with Obscuration. The well known photo of a Lightning fitted with Sidewinder was taken at RAF Valley and was meant as a joke!
Red Top was probably the first air to air missile with a head on capability that didn’t require CW (continuous wave ) illumination of the target. Its seeker head actually used the friction of the wing leading edge for acquisition head on not the reheat plume. Fire streak was good at Low level due to the fact that it did not suffer from a phenomena known as gravity drop- ie at trigger press the rocket fired off the rail and was in flight where as the Aim 9 tended to leave the rail and drop slightly before guidance .

Don’t know where you get your gen from Salad but lets just agree to disagree. I spent three years as a RT/Firestreak guidance specialist, I’m not going to argue the toss, we’ll just leave it at that.