Post by michael on Jan 30, 2019 11:25:45 GMT
In my time I was lucky to get a few flights
23.3.88 ZD703 BAe125 CC3 RAF (c/s RRR737) 30 min trip with 2 Touch and Go and 1 Go Around
9.9.88 ZF521 PA-31 Navajo RAE (c/s RAE10) 22 min flight Bedford to Blackbushe (My transport to Farnborough 1988)
9.9.88 ZF521 PA-31 Navajo RAE (c/s RAE11) 20 min flight Blackbushe to Bedford
21.12.88 ZD703 BAe125 CC3 RAF (c/s RRR737) 1hr15min flight Bedford to Kinloss
21.12.88 ZD703 BAe125 CC3 RAF (c/s RRR737) 1hr10min flight Kinloss to Bedford
The date may seem familiar to many,and was a Christmas draw for 4 ATC staff as a thank you from 32 sqn for the many training ops we got.The flight collecting equipment for the the RAF Northolt Christmas party that night.The return flight did collect 2 RAF staff on Christmas travel warrants saving along train journey.It was the only time I have done a bit of cabin crew duties making tea and coffee for everyone while someone gave out standard lunch boxes.At the end of the flight the cabin was as tidy as we could but the crew said leave it was not going to be tidied tonight due to the Christmas Party. Of course the date was none other than the horrific destruction of PA103 over Lockerbie,and ZD703 was the aircraft that transported PM M.Thatcher to Carlisle early next morning (I can only imagine the ground crew opening up the cabin to the less than tidy cabin). It has always been an eerie feeling know I was in the same position a few hours before "Maid of the Seas" was ripped apart.
10.7.90 XX105 BAC 1-11 RAE (c/s RRS04) 26 min local area trip. This was exactly one month after the incident when Cpt Tim Lancaster was nearly sucked out the window of his BA BAC 1-11. I remember going on board and entering the flight deck as I knew the Flt Lt that was in the captain seat, reaching across him to push the window ,only to be told he had already done the same thing as it was XX105 flight for a couple of weeks.
3.9.90 ZF522 PA-31 Navajo RAE (c/s RAE20) 26 min flight Bedford to Blackbushe (My transport to Farnborough 1990)
ZF522 PA-31 Navajo RAE (c/s RAE20) 24 min flight Blackbushe to Bedford
27.9.90 N49UR Challenger 601-3A 20 min flight crew training touch and go's
It was very disconcerting listening to the Crystal Decanter and glasses shaking on our runway !!
24.1.91 XV101 VC-10 RAF (c/s RRR889) 1hr45min low level flight multiple approaches
28.1.91 ZE704 Tristar RAF (c/s RRR814) 1hr10min low level flight multiple approaches