TIGHTCHOKE Posted November 2, 2016 Report Share Posted November 2, 2016 Grandalf when were you with heavylift? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandalf Posted November 2, 2016 Report Share Posted November 2, 2016 Riggers' blood. Was opening the ramp and door when there was an almighty bang closely followed by screaming and troopers' language. Thought for a second or two it was a 'left right left, clang' job until I realised the system was idiot proof which suited me. Went out to see a sooty and sparky absolutely covered in the stuff and a wall of red running down the fuselage. Turned out someone up in Bahrain had topped up the reservoir to the wrong level for the door/ramp configuration. Not content with doing it once when the aircraft got back to Bahrain he did it again but this time instead of relieving, it blew the reservoir apart. Memory is losing it now, but am I right in thinking that they were designed to carry one of our armoured vehicles but they had to strengthen the floor which raised it and then you couldn't get the vehicle in. We could get a Chinook helicopter in with only the blades folded so that is a lot of height. Had to take the ramp lid off - easily done - and let the tyres on the chopper down. RAF had never thought of that apparently. They were taking the rotors off. When Heavylift purchased them we threw out the stub deck - 7 tonnes of useless first class seating - and several tonnes of redundant wiring. All useful payload or fuel weight. Although it was designed to carry medium tanks to Germany in any weather (Cat III autoland) they fitted in with monstrous fuel tanks which, in the civilian market, made it a superb long range freighter - Proved during the Falklands War when we became an auxiliary squadron of the RAF. On one we removed the staircase to the upper deck and cockpit so that we could fit the NASA Shuttle Pallet payloads. Another good earner for the company. Superb aircraft that I flew for eight years all over the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog1408 Posted November 2, 2016 Report Share Posted November 2, 2016 Saturation diver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wymberley Posted November 2, 2016 Report Share Posted November 2, 2016 Thanks, right era too perhaps. Do you recall either a mess or maybe some base accommodation known as Merifield House/Hotel/Mess, or similar? The first thing that came to mind was the Red Sea Hotel on the edge of Maalla. Will never forget it. Was guard commander and was giving chai to the army lads that had pulled up for a breather in their comms Land Rover when over the radio came the panic when the poor Northumberland lads caught it in Crater. The above was a transit hotel for us 'erks and I'm now sure come to think of it that Merrifield House was the same but for visiting aircrew. I can't remember where it was located though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bala Posted November 2, 2016 Report Share Posted November 2, 2016 Saturation diver. Fair play to you Seadog, i hypo ventilate with a snorkel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderbird Posted November 2, 2016 Report Share Posted November 2, 2016 (edited) Merrifield House was the same but for visiting aircrew. I can't remember where it was located though. That does make sense. Group Captain John Merifield commanded the base sometime in the late 50s (Edit, it was 1958). He was my mother's cousin. He was killed at Upavon in 1961 in an accident just before joining the Air Staff. I know a retired pilot who can recall there being some kind of building at Khormaskar which I assume may have been named after him, posthumously perhaps. Edited November 2, 2016 by Thunderbird Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wymberley Posted November 2, 2016 Report Share Posted November 2, 2016 That does make sense. Group Captain John Merifield commanded the base sometime in the late 50s (Edit, it was 1958). He was my mother's cousin. He was killed at Upavon in 1961 in an accident just before joining the Air Staff. I know a retired pilot who can recall there being some kind of building at Khormaskar which I assume may have been named after him, posthumously perhaps. There could just be a spelling problem here. I believe the correct spelling might be 'Merryfield'. There was a RAF Merryfield near Ilminster. I believe the hotel was on Khormaksar station itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderbird Posted November 2, 2016 Report Share Posted November 2, 2016 (edited) There could just be a spelling problem here. I believe the correct spelling might be 'Merryfield'. There was a RAF Merryfield near Ilminster. I believe the hotel was on Khormaksar station itself. If there was a Merifield House/Hotel on Khormaskar base then that would be dead right. The spelling I've used is definitely correct. As I say Gp Cpt. JRH Merifield commanded RAF Khormaskar in 1958. No connection with RAF Merryfield. He had an interesting career, he photographed the V-weapon bases at Peenemunde, broke the speed record over the Atlantic in 1945, and flew F86 Sabres in combat on attachment to the USAF in Korea. Edited November 2, 2016 by Thunderbird Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandalf Posted November 3, 2016 Report Share Posted November 3, 2016 Three of the Belfast in Heavylift colours and one of the CL44 Guppy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandalf Posted November 3, 2016 Report Share Posted November 3, 2016 And the AOP IX that started it all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deershooter Posted November 3, 2016 Report Share Posted November 3, 2016 1982-1986 Apprentice under wear fitter ( Diesel Fitter ) 1987 -1991 Service Engineer ( Ford Power Products ) 1991- 2013 director( generation and power distribution ) 1984 -2000 Lincolnshire Police S.A.S (Part time ) 2013 retired Deershooter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPARKIE Posted November 4, 2016 Report Share Posted November 4, 2016 (edited) 10 years a motor vehicle technician and ten years working for Rolls-Royce on these babies. Trent 900 Edited November 4, 2016 by SPARKIE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dougy Posted November 4, 2016 Report Share Posted November 4, 2016 10 years a motor vehicle technician and ten years working for Rolls-Royce on these babies. Trent 900 t900.jpg Come on Sparkie, the truth please,,,,, What he really does is clean that tooling trolley. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Me matt Posted November 6, 2016 Report Share Posted November 6, 2016 Retired porn star, found it to hard to get to grips with :-/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty99 Posted November 6, 2016 Report Share Posted November 6, 2016 IT Director now retired, swapped sitting behind a desk for sitting / standing behind a rifle / shotgun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegingeritalian Posted November 7, 2016 Report Share Posted November 7, 2016 Done a few jobs but currently a probationer response Bobby. Sadly a malicious complaint may see me looking for another career....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
storm in a teacup Posted November 7, 2016 Report Share Posted November 7, 2016 Done a few jobs but currently a probationer response Bobby. Sadly a malicious complaint may see me looking for another career....... It only gets worse, but hang in, eventually it's like water off a ducks back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegingeritalian Posted November 7, 2016 Report Share Posted November 7, 2016 It only gets worse, but hang in, eventually it's like water off a ducks back! So I've been told but you can't help but think the worst. Shame as despite all the misgivings it's one of the best jobs I've had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuddster Posted November 7, 2016 Report Share Posted November 7, 2016 if your're not getting complained about it means you're not working. f Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKPoacher Posted November 7, 2016 Report Share Posted November 7, 2016 if your're not getting complained about it means you're not working. f That's what the D&C officer told me too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
storm in a teacup Posted November 7, 2016 Report Share Posted November 7, 2016 So I've been told but you can't help but think the worst. Shame as despite all the misgivings it's one of the best jobs I've had. Its true if your not getting complaints then your not working. Enjoy your probation it's probably the most fun you will have in the job. Everyone thinks about jacking after some idiot has put a stupid complaint in. Give it a bit of time and then have a good look back at all the people you have helped and the lives that you have touched. Talk to your mentor that's what they are for, you are not alone! It's worth it! Sorry to go off topic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuddster Posted November 7, 2016 Report Share Posted November 7, 2016 That's what the D&C officer told me too your pm reads so true. 3.7.19 and counting...... f. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahamch Posted November 7, 2016 Report Share Posted November 7, 2016 accountant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKPoacher Posted November 7, 2016 Report Share Posted November 7, 2016 your pm reads so true. 3.7.19 and counting...... f. You and everybody else. Its like the Count of Monte Christo chalking a cross on his cell wall every day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegingeritalian Posted November 7, 2016 Report Share Posted November 7, 2016 your pm reads so true. 3.7.19 and counting...... f. You and everybody else. Its like the Count of Monte Christo chalking a cross on his cell wall every day Ha ha it's like listening to my shift in the parade room; clearly I missed the heyday! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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