To the Paint Shop...

[TSR2]

Hi Peter.

Have you ever flown multi prop engined aircraft?

Like the Vanguard Garry?

[DaveB]

Forgive the old boy.. he has a lot on his plate at the moment

ATB
DaveB

[petermcleland]

Hi Peter.

Have you ever flown multi prop engined aircraft?

Yes Garry, I spent about 18 months as a COMMS pilot on 275 S&R Helicopter squadron...I had two Anson 19s...TX193 and VL357 and also a Meteor T7 VZ637. I was on that job after the Duncan Sandys Defence White Paper of 1957. I was on 275 from June 1957 till December 1958 and did 274 hours on the Ansons.

[petermcleland]

Well I was thinking of the Vanguard as a Turbojet...but it did have 4x14 foot diameter props which needed ADLS to keep it safe in the event of a failure on take-off. The Anson was a Taildragger so you could groundloop it even while taxying!

I also flew three flights in the DH Dove to get my civilian Instrument Rating (took me three goes to pass!). However, the Dove was a tricycle and easy to taxy. The Meteor 7 was twin jet tricycle, incredibly easy and pleasant to taxy but an absolute bastard to fly at circuit speeds on one engine.

[Garry Russell]

Thanks Peter

You've had quite a bit of variety in you career then...variety that doesn't seem so likely nowadays.

Probably seemed unspectacularly normal back then, but looking back....

A bit of a change though, plodding along in straight lines flying an Anson after the fast jet flying

BTW...June 1957 was when I was born

When I said props I was thinking of piston props rather than the TP Vanguard...with the peculiarities of piston prop multi engine handling

[petermcleland]

Thanks Peter

You've had quite a bit of variety in you career then...variety that doesn't seem so likely nowadays.

Probably seemed unspectacularly normal back then, but looking back....

A bit of a change though, plodding along in straight lines flying an Anson after the fast jet flying

BTW...Jun 1957 was when I was born

I enjoyed the Anson Garry...Another big difference was the fact that I had a Navigator!...His name was Eric Coker and he knew the UK like the back of his hand. He had a big thing called a Nav Bag which he didn't bother to open. We flew all over the UK in many directions between Thornaby, Horsham St. Faith, Dishforth, Leconfield, Ouston, Leuchars, Coltishall, Chivenor, Aldergrove, Middleton St. George, Wittering, Weston Super Mare, Marham, Bovingdon, Wittering, South Cerney, Turnhouse, Woodvale, Blackbush, St. Athans, Jurby, Acklington, Colerne, Driffield, Binbrook, Silloth, Thorney Island, Leeming, Strubby, Church Fenton, Kirton Lindsey, Andover, Benbecula, Mildenhall and Ternhill. Those are all the places I landed at for 275 S&R squadron.

[Garry Russell]

Hi Peter

What a list!! ...many of those are no longer extant and other not longer military.

I guess there are some fields there you may never have been too had you not been on Comms.

I can see how the complete change would have been refreshing a true example of the phrase "a change is as good as a rest", and all experience to boot!!

Thanks

[petermcleland]

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set= ... 188&type=3

[TSR2]

Now that is a beautiful sight

Thanks for keeping us in the loop Peter

[DaveG]

Crank up the volume



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujt7ERhr ... tube_gdata