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View Full Version : UK1 X7413 DH Dominie 1948 PHTGreenColl.jpg

Joseph Testagrose
January 17th 13, 01:23 PM
展奄rdo[_2_]
January 23rd 13, 04:40 PM
On 17/01/2013 13:23, Joseph Testagrose wrote:

With a Handley Page Hastings in the background!

--
Moving Things in Still Pictures!
Ramsman
January 24th 13, 08:24 AM
On 23/01/2013 16:40, 展奄rdo wrote:
> On 17/01/2013 13:23, Joseph Testagrose wrote:
>
> With a Handley Page Hastings in the background!
>

And is that the Reid & Sigrist Desford on the right?

--
Peter
展奄rdo[_2_]
January 24th 13, 10:04 PM
On 24/01/2013 08:24, Ramsman wrote:
> On 23/01/2013 16:40, 展奄rdo wrote:
>> On 17/01/2013 13:23, Joseph Testagrose wrote:
>>
>> With a Handley Page Hastings in the background!
>>
>
> And is that the Reid & Sigrist Desford on the right?
>

More like the RS4 Bobsleigh but they're not types I know much about,
unlike the Hastings which I did have the doubtful privilege of flying in
far too often for comfort, hence my instant recognition of it.

Ri奄rdo

--
Moving Things in Still Pictures!
Ramsman
January 25th 13, 08:19 AM
On 24/01/2013 22:04, 展奄rdo wrote:
> On 24/01/2013 08:24, Ramsman wrote:
>> On 23/01/2013 16:40, 展奄rdo wrote:
>>> On 17/01/2013 13:23, Joseph Testagrose wrote:
>>>
>>> With a Handley Page Hastings in the background!
>>>
>>
>> And is that the Reid & Sigrist Desford on the right?
>>
>
> More like the RS4 Bobsleigh but they're not types I know much about,
> unlike the Hastings which I did have the doubtful privilege of flying in
> far too often for comfort, hence my instant recognition of it.
>
> Ri奄rdo
>

Yes, you're right. It was laziness on my part, just thinking of it as
the Desford.. It was the same airframe, though, converted to test prone
pilot operation. Now in the Snibston Discovery Park at Coalville in
Leicestershire, but not on public display at the moment.

My only encounter with the Hastings was seeing several at RAF Colerne in
the 60s with tails partly removed because of a fatigue problem. Only
three left in the UK now, at Cosford, Duxford and Colerne.

--
Peter
展奄rdo[_2_]
January 25th 13, 10:28 AM
On 25/01/2013 08:19, Ramsman wrote:
> On 24/01/2013 22:04, 展奄rdo wrote:
>> On 24/01/2013 08:24, Ramsman wrote:
>>> On 23/01/2013 16:40, 展奄rdo wrote:
>>>> On 17/01/2013 13:23, Joseph Testagrose wrote:
>>>>
>>>> With a Handley Page Hastings in the background!
>>>>
>>>
>>> And is that the Reid & Sigrist Desford on the right?
>>>
>>
>> More like the RS4 Bobsleigh but they're not types I know much about,
>> unlike the Hastings which I did have the doubtful privilege of flying in
>> far too often for comfort, hence my instant recognition of it.
>>
>> Ri奄rdo
>>
>
> Yes, you're right. It was laziness on my part, just thinking of it as
> the Desford.. It was the same airframe, though, converted to test prone
> pilot operation. Now in the Snibston Discovery Park at Coalville in
> Leicestershire, but not on public display at the moment.
>
> My only encounter with the Hastings was seeing several at RAF Colerne in
> the 60s with tails partly removed because of a fatigue problem. Only
> three left in the UK now, at Cosford, Duxford and Colerne.
>

One of my most memorable flight in the Hastings was on a parachuting
exercise. It had inward facing rows of metal fold-up seating, and when
carrying "the works" your weapons pack had your rifle on the same side
as your seating when you stood up to face your exit door, the rifle
(SLR) protruding above and below the pack.

The metal seating was folded up - I think they were in banks of threes -
and we were hooked up with the red light on, awaiting the green one.
Once that flicks on you leave that aircraft extremely rapidly. "Green
ON" and I moved forward but as I did, but, unbeknown to me, a bank of
seating had fallen open and my SLR got caught up against bringing me to
a sudden halt, with the guys behind all pushing hard. I suddenly managed
to free myself and ran down the aircraft - as fast as I could with at
least a hundredweight of kit on, did a sharp right turn - and tripped as
I went out the door. It was an amazing moment to register aircraft and
ground revolving around me - or perhaps it was me doing the revolving -
before my canopy deployed and my twenty odd second descent began in
earnest. The dropping height would have been between 600 and 800 feet.

Once on the ground the dropping zone officer broadcast with his
megaphone "Will the lunatic doing somersaults please report to me for a
quiet word." No matter how hard I tried, he seemed inclined to
disbelieve that I hadn't done to "show off"!

You mention the fatigue problem and I was serving when this occurred:

http://www.aaahs.org.uk/crash1965.html

My brother was also serving in the same unit and, to my eternal shame,
neither of us rang our parents when that disaster happened. I said it
was his turn to ring home, he said it was mine and, given the queues at
every available telephone box that call was never made. Mother was not
amused when one of us finally did make contact.

--
Moving Things in Still Pictures!
J Ward
January 25th 13, 01:22 PM
On Fri, 25 Jan 2013 10:28:39 +0000, 展奄rdo >
wrote:

On 25/01/2013 08:19, Ramsman wrote:
> On 24/01/2013 22:04, 展奄rdo wrote:
>> On 24/01/2013 08:24, Ramsman wrote:
>>> On 23/01/2013 16:40, 展奄rdo wrote:
>>>> On 17/01/2013 13:23, Joseph Testagrose wrote:
>>>>
>>>> With a Handley Page Hastings in the background!
>>>>
>>>
>>> And is that the Reid & Sigrist Desford on the right?
>>>
>>
>> More like the RS4 Bobsleigh but they're not types I know much about,
>> unlike the Hastings which I did have the doubtful privilege of flying in
>> far too often for comfort, hence my instant recognition of it.
>>
>> Ri奄rdo
>>
>
> Yes, you're right. It was laziness on my part, just thinking of it as
> the Desford.. It was the same airframe, though, converted to test prone
> pilot operation. Now in the Snibston Discovery Park at Coalville in
> Leicestershire, but not on public display at the moment.
>
> My only encounter with the Hastings was seeing several at RAF Colerne in
> the 60s with tails partly removed because of a fatigue problem. Only
> three left in the UK now, at Cosford, Duxford and Colerne.
>

One of my most memorable flight in the Hastings was on a parachuting
exercise. It had inward facing rows of metal fold-up seating, and when
carrying "the works" your weapons pack had your rifle on the same side
as your seating when you stood up to face your exit door, the rifle
(SLR) protruding above and below the pack.

The metal seating was folded up - I think they were in banks of threes
-
and we were hooked up with the red light on, awaiting the green one.
Once that flicks on you leave that aircraft extremely rapidly. "Green
ON" and I moved forward but as I did, but, unbeknown to me, a bank of
seating had fallen open and my SLR got caught up against bringing me
to
a sudden halt, with the guys behind all pushing hard. I suddenly
managed
to free myself and ran down the aircraft - as fast as I could with at
least a hundredweight of kit on, did a sharp right turn - and tripped
as
I went out the door. It was an amazing moment to register aircraft and
ground revolving around me - or perhaps it was me doing the revolving
-
before my canopy deployed and my twenty odd second descent began in
earnest. The dropping height would have been between 600 and 800 feet.

Once on the ground the dropping zone officer broadcast with his
megaphone "Will the lunatic doing somersaults please report to me for
a
quiet word." No matter how hard I tried, he seemed inclined to
disbelieve that I hadn't done to "show off"!

You mention the fatigue problem and I was serving when this occurred:

http://www.aaahs.org.uk/crash1965.html

My brother was also serving in the same unit and, to my eternal shame,
neither of us rang our parents when that disaster happened. I said it
was his turn to ring home, he said it was mine and, given the queues
at
every available telephone box that call was never made. Mother was not
amused when one of us finally did make contact.
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