A BIG Hello from Smeesh..

History of airfields being my main interest liked the look of this Forum so decided to join.. Worked on airfield's since I was 17 which all started in the RAF Fire Rescue back in 1978. Based at Machrihanish (twice),Marham, Stanley and Ascension, numerous detachments at home. Only did a short spell in the RAF then joined the Defence Fire Service at West Freugh Research and Development. Another 18 months later started at Prestwick Airport for the BAA Fire and Rescue and have now been at Glasgow International for the last 27 years. So there you have it Gentlemen and Ladies of course...

SMEESH..........

Welcome aboard Smeesh, Mach and West Freugh I bet you saw some interesting visitors there, I know RAE Llanbedr sent there Devon and the PA 31 Navajo Chieftain up there at West Freugh around that time.

Regards Ian

Hello Ian
..and thankyou for your kind Welcome. Must admit the only visitors we got when I worked their was a Squadron of A10 Tankbusters. Impressive bits of kit watching them do that mad side to side flying dance all at once. We did have a DC3 based at West Freugh which was in the Berlin Airlift. Used for Sonar Bouy exercise on the Bomb Range at Luce Bay. We also had a Buccaneer used again for Research and Development.. Used to get Tornadoes galore which was the new multi roll fast jet at that time.. Best thing about the DC3 it ran on Avgas and had to get the fuel filters regularly changed so we used to get a lot of fuel for the Fire Ground which mysteriousely found its way into the fuel tanks of our private cars... Wigtonshire is a lovely area and still a regular visitor...

Smeesh.....

Hi Smeesh,

West Freugh's Buccaneer...

Around 1976/7 I was lucky enough to fly into West Freugh on the RAe BAC 1-11 (XX919 IIRC?) out of Farnborough when they flew a spare tailcone-half/airbrake up to W-F for the green/yellow Bucc.... I was in the Air Cadets at the time, and we had a Sqn day trip arranged to vist RAe Farnborough.

Someone knew we were due on site that day, and thoughtfully held the 1-11s departure until our coach arrived, whereupon we were hustled off the coach and straight into the 1-11 which was sitting there already fully fired up and ready to go. I think we were taxying down to the runway before we'd even strapped ourselves in. The Bucc tailcone was simply strapped to the floor in the middle of the cabin.

Memories of the flight include the impressive way the dexion-type test-gear and racking in the cabin vibrated and rattled during takeoff and landing, and of what felt like an endless period of "sub 1-G" (but was probably only 10 seconds or so) as the pilots gently bunted over from climb to descent somewhere over the Isle of Mann - not quite weightlessness, but I remember us all being very impressed with the odd 'stomach in the chest' sensation.

When we landed at "secret" (but dull, grey and wet) W Freugh an hour or so later a number of us managed to sneak crafty clandestine photos out of the windows, though I seem to remember none of us "caught" anything very exciting on film. A number of us were detailled to carefully manhandle the Bucc airbrake into the hangar, and I remember it was a bit of a juggling act getting it down the 1-11s in-built airstairs at the back of the cabin.

Also sitting in the hangar alongside the Bucc was a twin-stick Meteor... was that still based there in your day?

Very quickly (after maybe 15mins) we were herded back onto the 1-11 and flown straight back down to Farnborough - I seem to remember we were back in time for lunch.... made quite an impression on us youngsters to think we'd been to Scotland and back all before lunchtime, and I don't think my parents believed I'd been to Scotland and back until I showed them the photos when the film was developed a few weeks later

Paul F