OT: Dixie's BBMF stuff

[lesley]

the ships btw is Hms Northumberland and Hms Brocklesby(My son Serves on it)

[wdolson]

ORIGINAL: Dixie

Thanks for the info, it's always interesting to hear the veterans stories from a more personal source, for some reason they're more interesting (alive/colourful/less sterile?) than most that make it into books.

I'd encourage anyone who wants to share (relevant) pics/stories to do it in here.

Like most vets, he doesn't like to talk about it too much. I can tell there are demons in there, but he's unwilling to talk about it. I have tried to get him to write it down, but he doesn't want to.

I did find a short clip a few months back that was shot be some guys in his unit on Attu:

http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675058436_United-States-B-25-bomber_board-a-plane_get-down-from-a-jeep_flight-crew

He recognized some of the guys in this clip.

You said you get airsick in the Lancaster. The exhaust probably isn't helping. I have a messed up inner ear and I've always been prone to motion sickness. When flying I've found I do quite well if I take Dramamine.

When I got a ride in a P-51 I didn't have any Dramamine (it was also before I was taking it regularly to fly). When the pilot started up the engine exhaust fumes came back into the cockpit and I immediately felt queasy. It went downhill from there. It was still great.

Bill

[sandman455]

ORIGINAL: Dixie
*It might be style, but apparently my 'thing' is getting massively airsick in the Lancaster. Whether it's the exhaust fumes, the vibrations or a combination of the two I don't know. I lasted nearly an hour before losing my lunch today. Still totally worth it.

Absolutely stunning pictures - thank you for sharing!


I made it all the way to the S-3 without getting sick in a navy aircraft which include ACM in T-2's and TA-4's. My first S3 flight was in the right front and for some odd reason I started feeling ill. I made the horrible mistake of admitting some queasiness. After that the instructor pilot took great care in describing how when we landing he was heading straight for the snack bar to get one of those juicy, extra greasy burgers with lots of greasy fries.

I still made it to the tarmac (puking in my mouth, refusing to open and just swallowing it all back down) only to puke my guts out by the wheel well. He was totally impressed with my efforts - the glorious SOB. After that I never hesitated to do the same to anyone hehe. The scene in Hunt for Red October with the E-2 crewman torturing Ryan is spot on.

And less you think anyone is immune - I saw the XO/pilot of an S-3 squadron (5000+ hours) puking when he was PIC. He made the mistake of giving the stick to a midshipman on a fam/good deal hop. The kid was having the time of his life zigzagging through the top of a cloud layer somewhere in the Indian Ocean. The negative/positive G's were annoying to us sitting in the back, but we said nothing since I was giving a NATOPS check ride to the Airwing ASW officer and we were use to being abused in the dark. The XO was clearly not. He finally had enough and took the stick away, only to give it back, while he borrowed a puke bag from the midshipman.

[Dixie]

ORIGINAL: lesley

I was on Bournemouth beach for some of those flypasts,apparently everything small is a spitfire if you believe everyone stood near me. Shame the Vulcan was ill, it's allways impressive.

Which days were you there to see the flypast? I was at the show last year, but on the memorabilia/PR trailer in the RAF 'village' near the Oceanarium. This year was an easier one from my point of view, aeroplane work is more complicated but much shorter hours and the chance of a sit down as well! We (the ground crew) did get down to the RAF bit a couple of times on Thursday/Friday.


P.S. What does your son do with the RN? If he'd tried harder he could have joined the RAF! [:'(][;)]

[Dixie]

ORIGINAL: wdolson


Like most vets, he doesn't like to talk about it too much. I can tell there are demons in there, but he's unwilling to talk about it. I have tried to get him to write it down, but he doesn't want to.

I did find a short clip a few months back that was shot be some guys in his unit on Attu:

http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675058436_United-States-B-25-bomber_board-a-plane_get-down-from-a-jeep_flight-crew

He recognized some of the guys in this clip.

You said you get airsick in the Lancaster. The exhaust probably isn't helping. I have a messed up inner ear and I've always been prone to motion sickness. When flying I've found I do quite well if I take Dramamine.

When I got a ride in a P-51 I didn't have any Dramamine (it was also before I was taking it regularly to fly). When the pilot started up the engine exhaust fumes came back into the cockpit and I immediately felt queasy. It went downhill from there. It was still great.

Bill

I can understand that, it's a shame from our viewpoint so many years later that the memories are being lost to us. Like many he obviously has his reasons and I can respect that.

Most of the veterans I speak to are willing to share at least some of their experiences, but that's because they choose to come to us usually. Often the best way to hear reminiscing about their experiences is to just listen when a group of them get together.



As for the airsickness, I've been fine in the rear turret although it's a bit cramped. In the mid-upper I've been sick after about an hour. The nose was annoying because I lasted a good two hours and then lost it as we were on finals for home [8|]

[lesley]

"Dixie" P.S. What does your son do with the RN? If he'd tried harder he could have joined the RAF!

I think he'd prolly agree with you,but hey it was a hell of a step up from working for Subway making bad food.

we went all three days as it's nice to see the boy,i didn't bother too much with the PR/Trailers when such good stuff was in the air:)

[Dixie]

I'm back! It's October, it's cold and the flying season is over. Which means one thing:


Winter Maintenance! It's that time of year when we pull our aeroplanes apart and do all the stuff that keeps them flying for another year. I'm on the Dakota this year, it's not my first choice (because it's a bus with wings, and buses are not cool) but it's still better than working on a 'normal' aeroplane.

Here she is outside the hangar this morning, we had to drag her out to get one of the Spitfires outside for an engine run. The engine cowlings are off as are a few other panels in various locations.

[Dixie]

And a view from the rear, showing a few more of the removed panels. Since this pic was taken the rear door has come off as well.

[Dixie]

A close up of the cockpit and her mission scoreboard, with the two flags we found whilst doing some actual work.

[Dixie]

We've also had one of our Spitfires repainted for next year's D-Day 70th anniversary. MK356 is now wearing the colours of 'Johnny' Plagis, a Rhodesian/Greek ace. She was the Spit that we had to engine run today.

[Dixie]

And here she is, in the middle of the run when I was sat taking the Dak's flight deck seating to pieces.

[Dixie]

And this is what she looks like. The D-Day stripes are half width, something that several squadrons in 10 Group had.

[Dixie]

My favourite, LF363. She's undergoing a major servicing, a first for us and hopefully the first of many. The usual servicing is a primary with an annual thrown in for good measure. She's had her fabric stripped off, undercarriage removed, engine and engine bearers out, flying controls removed, oil system removed and control cables removed. IIRC she's also had her hydraulic system, radiator and the cooling system removed.

[Dixie]

Side view, showing how much spruce went into her construsction as well as the steel framework which carries the Hurricane's weight. Seen like this, the Great War era construction techniques can be seen and it's obvious how outdated the construction is compared to the semi-monocoque Spitfire.

It also partly explains why the Hurricane is harder to push around on the ground. [;)]

[Jellicoe]

Thank you for those fabulous shots of the Lancaster. Particularly interested to see the inside shots. My grandfather was the navigator bomb aimer with 50 squadron until he bailed out over Hannover in October 1943. The official record says he was shot down by flak although he always said it was a nightfighter. Either way 2 of his colleagues didn't make it. He said that as he was bailing out he was sitting in the hatchway and then remembered that he was supposed to go head first and the next thing he remembers was being on the end of his chute. He walked for a day before being captured and sent to Stalag Luft III for the remainder of the war during which he was part of camp counter intelligence and decoy for the guards whilst they were digging the great escape tunnels as he was a fluent German speaker. He wasn't the escaping type however which was lucky given what happened to those who went out. As the Russians approached they were force marched in sub zero temperatures from southern Poland to Denmark where he was liberated. He never spoke about the last bit which I only found out about through later reading.

[Dixie]

No worries [:)] I aim to please. Unless it's hard work [;)]

I grew up on the former site of RAF Skellingthorpe and my junior school hosted several 50 & 61 Sqn reunions so I managed to speak to a few of the veterans back when I was a wee lad. Looking back on it, it almost seems like a wasted opportunity given I was so young. OTOH, the BBMF was the reason I joined the RAF having grown up surrounded by the former bomber bases and having contact with the veterans.

I love the Lanc, even if she had made me airsick several times I told my parents I was going to fly on her way back when I was about 3-4 years old. Now look at me, flying on her, cleaning her, fixing her and chucking up on her as well! [:D]

ORIGINAL: Jellicoe

Thank you for those fabulous shots of the Lancaster. Particularly interested to see the inside shots. My grandfather was the navigator bomb aimer with 50 squadron until he bailed out over Hannover in October 1943. The official record says he was shot down by flak although he always said it was a nightfighter. Either way 2 of his colleagues didn't make it. He said that as he was bailing out he was sitting in the hatchway and then remembered that he was supposed to go head first and the next thing he remembers was being on the end of his chute. He walked for a day before being captured and sent to Stalag Luft III for the remainder of the war during which he was part of camp counter intelligence and decoy for the guards whilst they were digging the great escape tunnels as he was a fluent German speaker. He wasn't the escaping type however which was lucky given what happened to those who went out. As the Russians approached they were force marched in sub zero temperatures from southern Poland to Denmark where he was liberated. He never spoke about the last bit which I only found out about through later reading.

[Dixie]

I just got back from a long weekend away in Jersey with work. Probably the best trip I've had so far, despite the long hours and other issues. Because I got to see (and fly on) both flying Avro Lancasters in the same week. I took over 800 pictures amongst all the work [8D]


Somewhere over the Channel.

[Dixie]

On the way to Bournemouth

[Dixie]

Flying with another Lancaster in line astern less than 50 metres away is an amazing sight! This is over Goodwood

[JeffroK]

How much do you pay to work at the BBMF????

(Pommy taxpayers money at work, no wonder the Scots want out[:'(])