A Bit More Ait-to-Air

[Chris Sykes]

Nice pics Tonks!!! Good to see 29 sqn are about in their toys

[DaveB]

Lovely shots Mr T One question though.. who the heck is flying while you're taking shots or do you get the receivers to pose briefly before you dash back to the flightdeck :o

ATB

DaveB :tab:

[DaveB]

I'd guessed you were on 'Training' missions but I'm sure there will be more than one person out there in webland who wanted to ask ;-)

Incidentally.. reading the VC10 blurb in this months Aeroplane mag, the distinguished ex-RAF pilot who describes the tanking procedure wrote that aircraft always join from the LH side (port side.. his words).. contrary to what DM and I saw a few years back. It's not important which side they join from as far as I'm concerned but I know that all the aircraft we fuelled joined from the Right

ATB

DaveB :tab:

[Sl4yer]

I'm sure that, during the lecture on ZK the other week, Tonks told us that they normally join from the left, fuel up and then move to the right.

Was I paying attention? :think:

Photobucket is very slow to load the pics at the moment...

James

[DaveB]

I couldn't say mate but I have photographic evidence (and Tonks was there too!) that all the F3's we fuelled came up on the Right.. steadied to the tankers speed.. then both dropped, one moving to the LH drogue.. the other moving to the RH drogue. Both then moved to the LH side for departure. The chap writing the 'fuelling bit' in Aeroplane described being in a K3 and our flight was on a C1K but I can't see that causing a massive procedural change as all the fighters want is fuel and they'll take it the same way each time.. not join on the Right if they take from a C1K and from the Left if it's a K3 or K4.

I'm sure that if Tonks says they join from the left.. then the left it is. However.. I can show shots of F3's joining from the right and leaving on the left It matters not either way really. Just interested to know why the lot we fuelled all came opposite to the norm if that is the case ;-)

ATB

DaveB :tab:

[Sl4yer]

Good. Everybody's happy!

And thanks for the pics Tonks.

James

[DaveB]

Phew! Thank goodness for that

Do you still run the race tracks in the same direction or has that changed too??

ATB

DaveB :tab:

[Garry Russell]

Best be careful Dave

They maybe driving on the other side of the road now...........

At least you know the the grey matter is still intact

for now

Garry

[DaveB]

Well mate, they used to be all left-handers so it made sense to join from 'outside' the race track if that makes sense :o As they now appear to be joining from the LH side, it would make equal sense for the track to run a RH cct.. logic being you wouldn't want a/c dossing about 'inside' the track (my logic anyway) I dunno though.. this entire flying lark still remains largely a mystery to me

ATB

DaveB :tab:

[DaveB]

Ahh.. excellent!!

Tks for that mate ;-) I guess all those years of turning the AP control to the left for the turn onto the reciprocal will take some getting out of your system As long as the receivers know which way you're going to turn, I don't suppose it matters one jot though they'll still follow you wherever you go ;-) Be interesting to try a figure of 8 orbit one day.. keeping your headset turned down low of course!!

ATB

DaveB :tab: