Several memories...
... spring to mind. Here are 2:
1. I was an RAF Cadet on Summer Camp at RAF Finningley in S.Yorks during the 1960s. We were enjoying our annual air experience flights in Chipmunk trainers, and our waiting room was an out-building. Suddenly there was an almighty bang, and we all rushed to the windows, only to watch a Vulcan literally blow itself apart. The undercarriage collapsed, the cockpit section hit the ground, and the aircrew scarpered across the airfield faster than a whippet with sulphuric acid applied to its testicles!
One year later we were at RAF White Waltham. There on the table, in the air experience waiting room, was a Restricted document that described what had gone wrong with the Vulcan we had seen destroyed. It turned out that something like 19 different faults occurred simultaneously, and that had it only been 18, all would have been well, due to fail-safe double redundancies being built in. The actual number of faults was almost certainly not 19, but you get my drift?
2. I was on duty as a medic (RAMC) at RAF Greenham Common when it was still a USAF base, and a military airshow was being held there. On the Monday following the weekend displays, the aircraft departed and each pilot was determined to show off to the maximum.
The Vulcan took off, circuited the airfield, and stood on its tail with full re-heat right over the top of our field hospital. The ceiling came down. Awesome power, and awesome mess!
Biting the hand that feeds IT
