GOVT exodus on Friday afternoons

[NURSE]

Have wittnessed on more than 1 occasion aircraft (plural)from 32 sqn on the ground at certain NI airports to fly all the Ministers and Senior civil servants and probably senior officers back to the Mainland for the weekend.

1.How much does this cost? and Do they pay for it?

2. In this tme of defence savings would it not be better for a Herc to fly them all or them have to pay and go by easy jet like the rest of us.

[MOSTAFA]

Careful Nursey, you know it makes sense. What I want to know is woud you buy a second hand car from any cabinet minister?

[Lord Trenchards Brat]

Nurse

Im afraid RHIP. :*

Its the same with all platforms, there are "operational" and "training" landaways, conveniently planned for most weekends. Part of the previlege of flying for HMG.

Not that Im jealous:{

[OFBSLF]

A number of years ago, the US Air Force sent a fellow that I know to graduate school in CA. Chuck was a pilot stationed at an east coast base at the time. He wanted to vist the university prior to starting, and his squadron leader happened to have relatives in the area. So, his squadron leader decided that he and Chuck needed to do some long-range navigation training in their F16s :D

[BEagle]

A few years ago we were asked to drop into Waddo to pick up a Gp Capt and an AVM from a Cranwell conference on our way back from an AR training trip. Fair enough, it was on our way and gave us the chance of a training approach.

Our jet threw an engine shortly after take-off, so we dumped the gas and came back. No precautionary shutdown this, a real rumble, shudder, eng fail light on job. It had seized solid by the time we landed...

After signing the remains in to the engineers, we'd expected to stack - and for the Gp Capt and AVM to drive back from Cranwell to Brize in the Gp Capt's car. But no, another Vickers FunBus was ordered to be prepp'd (which really cheered the groundcrew up on a Friday afternoon - especially as they had an engine change to sort out on our other jet) and after an hour and a bit we were on our way to Waddo to land, taxy round, pick up the pair of them and launch off back to Brize......

Total time from chocks-to-chocks was 1:50 and we got back at 1840 on a Friday night. We naively assumed that the Gp Capt had some crucially urgent wheel-type business to attend to - but no, he just waltzed off to Happy Hour to meet the usual Koala club.


A worthwhile use of our time and resources, Blackadder?

[L J R]

I am aware of a VIP jet that had to go back across a large country just to pick up the politicians briefcase key that he had accidentally left in Canberra..

Cost of new briefcase should he had to break in to it to get his papers (even if it were to be louis vitton - unlikely though - $ 2,000). Cost of BAC-111 Perth to Canberra & return 5 hours @ $ 5,000 Per Hr.... circa 1982..

These things happen all to often.

.

[BEagle]

Not to mention the Canberra which flew from Bassingbourne to Merryfield during the Suez crisis; the pilot then 'borrowed' an MT wagon and nipped out through the Ashill exit......to get a jerrycan's worth of off-the-ration petrol from the garage at Ashcross. Allegedly....

[Zoom]

Many years ago a number of very senior Army wheels were visiting the USA on a course/jolly, with the wives in tow as indulgees. When it came time to RTB the wives, who had assumed that they had the same privileges as their hubbies, were bumped off the VC10 in favour of ... yes ... the RAF Football Team (9 SACs, a corporal and a Plt Off or similar). The phone line to my boss in MoD was absolutely red hot, but he calmly stated that the footballers had priority as duty passengers, and that as the wives were Cat 5 indulgees (or whatever the term was) they would have to pay for commercial flights back, which they did.

[Lord Trenchards Brat]

Would love to divulge far more but the pension looms.
BEagle hopefully has enough anecdotes to last until HRH dispenses with my company :E :E :E

Zoomhe calmly stated that the footballers had priority as duty passengers, and that as the wives were Cat 5 indulgees (or whatever the term was) they would have to pay for commercial flights back, which they did.

As I previously stated RHIP:ok:

[Flap40]

I once worked at an aeroclub where we took delivery of a nice new noticeboard from the CAA. It was delivered by the CAA in their HS125.:mad:

[OFBSLF]

Chuck's "training flight" went well from the east coast to the west. But the return was a bit more dramatic. IIRC, their takeoff was about 6 AM. Chuck's boss rolled first, with Chuck brakes-off just about the time Chuck's boss rotated .... and flew through a flock of seagulls. Chuck joined up and saw blood and feathers around the intake of bossman's F16. Not good.

The bossman wanted to land to have the engine inspected, but the F16 was over max landing weight and the only way to jettison fuel would have been to jettison a drop tank. I'm told that would have been frowned upon while flying over west coast US suburbia.

So, bossman circled the air base low, in a high-drag configuration, at high throttle setting, waiting for an arresting cable to be rigged. This was at 6AM over some very pricey suburbs. The neighbors weren't happy. Bossman landed safely and Chuck followed shortly after.

Chuck and his boss flew commercial back to the east coast, leaving the F16s to get inspected.

[Out Of Trim]

Reminds me of a certain Canadian CF104 pilot based in Germany circa 1980/81 who's Wife (I think) lived/worked in London.

Said Starfighter would arrive at RAF Manston on a Friday afternoon after hitting a few ranges en route. Said pilot would then hop in to an old set of wheels permanently parked at Manston and nip off to see the wife.

He then reappeared on Monday morning to fly back to Germany..

Nice executive transport if you can get it! :cool:

[Pontius Navigator]

Same used to happen at Waddo in late 60s. This time a Canadian T-bird so the Canadian pilot could spend his weekend at Cranners.

It was a necessary sortie as he had to qualify for his flying pay.

The RAF used to do that in the 50s too until the bean counters realised it was cheaper to let aircrew currency lapse and give them refresher flights than it was to provide Annies etc to keep current.

Long live the Annie

[BEagle]

We even had a School of Refresher Flying....

Something else which has now been lost for ever :mad: :mad: