Civil Airliners - or Now for Something Completely Different
- Thread starter oldravendale
- Start date
Steph Dale
Western Thunderer
Snap! What do I win? 
Steph
Steph
Peter Cross
Western Thunderer
And without fluff, best I can do after a few minutes, it's a white aircraft in a white sky so the profile is almost lost, obviously a good camo scheme that day then. This is the last B1 variant to fly and the engine being tested is a Concord engine on test. The Vulcan was by this time fully operational. XA903 was also used to test the Blue Steel missile and the nose section still exists and is under restoration.
View attachment 102300
Addendum, bugga, beaten by the Dave from Yorkshire
Thanks to you both. Looks much better.
Focalplane
Western Thunderer
Political correctness of the day, the plane was called Concorde.
With an “e”.
Paul
With an “e”.
Paul
Focalplane
Western Thunderer
Mick, it was a big deal back then and auto correct software doesn’t know that. But for the sake of future generations. . .
Deano747
Western Thunderer
Still only one 'Queen of the Skies!' Dave, (I'm guessing....?) I think you might recognise it from what is left of the colour scheme as previously G-BDXK, Ex BA 747-236B, before it became TF-ARG. .....and still no rudder fine steering!!
Being intercepted by two RAF Tornados, for the exercise, going in to the Falklands Dec 2005.
(From my personal photos)
Regards, Rob
Being intercepted by two RAF Tornados, for the exercise, going in to the Falklands Dec 2005.
(From my personal photos)
Regards, Rob
Attachments
SimonT
Western Thunderer
A view of the Vicker's Fun Bus that not many got to see. I spent 5 years teaching folk to do this, 6 courses a year, eight sorties a course, three hours on task for each sortie. ARGHHH!
The Hecules tanker aircraft were fitted with a cupola instead of the forward escape hatch at the rear of the flight deck. Whoever took this photo was stood up there. Yes, the drogue did bash the cupola on occasion!
I was also the second and last person to do this behind a Tristar. Now that girl had a huge bottom.
Simon
The Hecules tanker aircraft were fitted with a cupola instead of the forward escape hatch at the rear of the flight deck. Whoever took this photo was stood up there. Yes, the drogue did bash the cupola on occasion!
I was also the second and last person to do this behind a Tristar. Now that girl had a huge bottom.
Simon
Peter Insole
Western Thunderer
One of the last jobs I did at the Marshall's of Cambridge ADO was doing technical illustrations for the proposed conversion of the RAF VC10 to tanker role.
Not such happy memories, but time is a great healer. I sometimes wonder if I had been brave (or foolish enough?) to stay put with the company, instead of roaring off to seek fame and fortune in the Big Smoke, I might now at least of had a pension to look forward to...??!!
Pete.
Not such happy memories, but time is a great healer. I sometimes wonder if I had been brave (or foolish enough?) to stay put with the company, instead of roaring off to seek fame and fortune in the Big Smoke, I might now at least of had a pension to look forward to...??!!
Pete.
Deano747
Western Thunderer
Likewise, I was with VS till then but managed to find work on the 747 (European Aviation, more old BA 200's and ex BA employees, probably known by both of us?!), and still flying it now, but on the 400 and -8.
5 years to retirement!!
Regards, Rob.
Focalplane
Western Thunderer
Back in August 2000 I flew Continental from London Gatwick to Houston Intercontinental on a brand new 777. The flight path took us further north than usual and, after lunch when everyone else was watching a movie with the blinds down, I went to one of the doors and saw this scene. I grabbed my camera (a Nikon 5, the best camera I ever owned):
The opportunity was one of those special "comings together". Perfect time of year and day, clear skies, northern flight path and a window with no scratches!
As the planes got older I used to look out and never had the same opportunity again. My next job was with a company that had an office in Calgary and Air Canada's 330s looked like their windows were cleaned with sandpaper!
I know different people judge airlines based on their own experiences. Gordon Bethune's Continental will always be remembered as top of my list and these photos are one reason why.
Paul
The opportunity was one of those special "comings together". Perfect time of year and day, clear skies, northern flight path and a window with no scratches!
As the planes got older I used to look out and never had the same opportunity again. My next job was with a company that had an office in Calgary and Air Canada's 330s looked like their windows were cleaned with sandpaper!
I know different people judge airlines based on their own experiences. Gordon Bethune's Continental will always be remembered as top of my list and these photos are one reason why.
Paul
Jordan
Mid-Western Thunderer
Reminds me of the account in the book "Vulcan 607" of the frantic preperations the RAF Vulcans had to go through for the Black Buck missions to the Falklands, 1982.
What was interesting was the different experience of trying to refuel a Vulcan, with the probe on the nose, & a Victor, with the probe up over the cockpit, & much easier to see.
There was a ribald suggestion given for pilots who struggled to get the probe inserted cleanly into the basket, as to what might be added around the basket to help them, but I won't repeat it here...
Eastsidepilot
Western Thunderer
..............There was a ribald suggestion given for pilots who struggled to get the probe inserted cleanly into the basket, as to what might be added around the basket to help them, but I won't repeat it here...
...oldest joke in the book....but they all feel the same in the darkCol.
SimonT
Western Thunderer
Strangely, the last thing you do is look at the probe. Both the Vulcan and Victor had a probe on the centreline with the driver sat to the left of the probe. If you try to steer the probe into the drogue there will be a very large sideways movement to the right at the last moment that runs a very good chance of putting the probe through the spokes of the drogue. This shags the drogue and it's no fuel for you sir, or anyone else. If the spokes contact is massive the motor that is trying to 'just not pull the hose in' will run away (not enough drag) and can go in at massive speed. This can be 'interesting' for the tanker crew.
What the dirver should do is fly a set of features on the tanker and essentially make them get bigger. The underside of the VC10 has some black and white lines that aid other VC10s to make contact. The Hercules tankers had black lines with red edging offset to make a vertical line for the Hercules driver behind to fly up and horizontal lines that made a line up the line of the hose to give the up, down Bernie the Bolt thing. To make things easier at night the drogue has a ring of lumenescant lights on the canvas that are illuminated by a flood light on the receiver aircraft. Refueling using NVGs has been tried but is bloody scary as there is no depth to the image on the goggles so judging speed is er, 'interesting'.
Simon
Eastsidepilot
Western Thunderer
Deano747
Western Thunderer
A friend of mine used to 'drive' the VC10 tankers; always said it was the best plane he'd ever flown; till he came on the 747!!!
Regards, Rob.