Going flying in the morning

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 7:08 pm

Erm yes, it probably was, on the way out to sea.

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 7:36 pm

Oh and I have supersonic pants now, I had to give everything else back....

DaveG · Post by **DaveG** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 8:50 pm

Fantastic mate!

D

renmure · Post by **renmure** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 10:48 pm

Sounds fantastic Rich.

Out of interest, and cause I am a nosey git... what is the general background/profile of the guys who fly these planes? How do you go from school to the pilot seat?

Jim
Maverick wannabe faction

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 10:56 pm

All you need IIRC is 3 GCSEs and a whole lot of natural hand/eye co-ordination and a big helping of luck....boobs help....

You have to pass a whole host of pshycometric tests and stuff as well as passing some pretty rigourous interviews.
I did a few of them years ago but I was rubbish

The interviews are extreme to say the least, more of an interrogation!

There are pretty tight age limits and they are rather picky, but have a go anyway!

Rich

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 10:58 pm

Sell your relatives/siblings/children for a trip.

It is one of the most incredible things I have ever done!

Gareth · Post by **Gareth** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 11:27 pm

Very jealous

Skyenet · Post by **Skyenet** » Sat Aug 12, 2006 1:34 am

RICHARDHUMBLE wrote:I would take pics but they would be intensely bollocks Someone will get pic of me in full goon suit though I'm sure....

Goon suited up for a flight over the Irish Sea for a PR photo trip to a Submarine with Lord Mountbatten. Two days later I was rushed to photograph the area where he was murdered in his boat and while there was redirected to the horrific massacre at Warrenpoint. The Ups and downs of life in the forces

Rich

Glad you enjoyed the flight. I once managed to get a trip in Fleet Air Arm Phantom from Yeolvilton taking part in a sortie with RAF jets over the English channel. It was amazing but I couldn't hold back on using the sick bag, and that was after filling my oxygen mask which I couldn't get off quick enough. I also remember going through hours of breifings, medicals and training before the flight. Flight of a lifetime

Iain

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Sat Aug 12, 2006 7:28 am

Now a flight in a mighty mighty 'Toom (As in Fan-toom

Twin Man, Twin Fan, Pointy Grey Daggers of Death) must have been something else....

For those who don't know, the 'toom was an agricultural beast where the Spams didn't really undertand what they had built, so we bought it and binned the crappy Yank engines and installed over complicated, yet stonking, Rolls Royce Spey engines. The same ones that powered Thrust SSC.... Sort of the TVR of the skys, yet built like a flying tank...

The back seater had a letterbox each side to look out of, his forward view reduced to a periscope type affair! Not suprised you were ill! The view in the F3 is amazing. Cock all out the front but from shoulder to shoulder over the top and along way forward and back. It's what helped me form bagging up.

I am reliably informed a correctly loaded 'toom could conceal nearly 10,000 contraband cigarettes and a couple of gallons of spirits....

Found this the other day for your amusement...:

http://www.ejectorseats.co.uk/rafanasaurus.html

Victor Meldrew · Post by **Victor Meldrew** » Sat Aug 12, 2006 9:25 am

RICHARDHUMBLE wrote:Oh and I have supersonic pants now, I had to give everything else back....

well thats something for flea bay then....

Gareth · Post by **Gareth** » Sat Aug 12, 2006 10:23 am

Am I right in saying. 1.05 mach is about 798 mph?

tut · Post by **tut** » Sat Aug 12, 2006 1:21 pm

Rich

Think that I missed which Aircraft you went up in, but presume that it was one of your Tornado F3's.

Never had the good fortune to get in one of those, after my time, but as well as flying Helicopters in Oman, I was duel qualified, so flew Strikemasters in the first few years, then Hunters towards the end of the war. Nothing like the F3 in performance of course, but we used them as FGA's (Fighter Ground Attack) aircraft, not fighters, so they were ideal for that.

Still one of the most beautiful A/C of all time, and they flew like a dream.

Our Huey 205's were unarmed, and we lost quite a few to groundfire and SAM's, so it was great to strap into a jet and go and spray the Adoo with gun fire, cannon, and a few bombs.

Coincidently, one of my close friends from my Oman days was a young RAF officer, Flt Lt Jock Stirrup, now Air Chief Marshall Sir Jock Stirrup, Chief of Defence Staff, and in fact your boss.

Maybe we should give him a call from the BBQ next weekend<BG>

tut

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Sun Aug 13, 2006 12:03 am

Please do, would be a spectacle to say the least!

The Tonkas are bomber at heart. They are still the fastet accelorating a/c at low level but not exactly what you would call agile...

Rich

Pants on e-bay faction.

GregR · Post by **GregR** » Sun Aug 13, 2006 12:17 pm

RICHARDHUMBLE wrote:
There are pretty tight age limits and they are rather picky, but have a go anyway!

Rich

IIRC, can't enter RAF training as a pilot if over 23

Derek · Post by **Derek** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 12:07 pm

One of guys at work found this when looking for some unusual corporate hospitality.

http://www.flyajetfighter.com/details.html

SE Group Buy perhaps?