VC10 retires...all British 4 engine legacy - Page 2

**herky** · #11 09-30-2013, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnM

Whoa! With all those civil operators Kev mentions, are they SURE this was the last VC10 flight? Or was it just the last RAF VC10 flight?

I remember traveling from Cyprus to Gan by VC10. I never did know who it was that got off there, but we landed at Tehran ... They shut down the starboard engines during a Brass Band, Red Carpet and drawn swords reception for who ever it was.

As they all marched off and rolled up the carpet, the crew tried to start up the engines again to continue our flight ... but they were having none of it. They did manage to taxi round the corner out of the way using the port engines though.

A plane load of British squaddies stranded in Tehran for two days whilst they flew out two new engines and a crew of fitters from somewhere. As we were all travelling base to base, no one had bothered to bring passports. Chaos ensued, but after a few hours, we were taken (under armed escort) to the Hotel International and given free run of the place, but there were armed guards at all entrances. No, it didn't take long for us to find it ... Yes ... they DID have a bar, and a good posh one at that. Of course, we had no Persian currency (That sorta dates the story, eh?), so I'm not quite sure whose tab we were drinking on, but did we really care?

Next morning, after breakfast, strolling round the lobby, we noticed that there were no guards on the door ... so we stepped out for look see. Three Taxis screamed to a halt, "Where you go, boys?" One of the Guys shouted back "Take us to the Casbah, Ali". ... and they did! We had a great day out in the little back alley markets, and when we resurfaced, there at the curb were three Cadillac convertibles , waiting patiently to take us back to the hotel.

The following morning we resumed our flight to Gan where we indulged in the best Sub-Aqua Diving ever. Great fun, and a grand ol' bird remembered.

Johnny.

PS: Anyone fancy re-colouring Gary's model into RAF colours for me then?

done singapore to brize norton via gan a few times.got stuck in gan with acker bilk and his jazzmen on board.

**Kevin WS** · #12 10-01-2013, 01:05 AM

Johnny - The civil aircraft to fly was Ghana Airways - withdrawn 1980. For an RAF version you are thinking of a Transport Command etc type scheme and not that horrid later version?

Johnny/Herky - thanks for the memories. Those indeed were the days to be in the Armed Forces, or an Armed Forces brat - "Join the Army and See the World".

Also found some pics of the Beverley the other day - will scan and post these on the Beverley thread (somewhere here!).

**herky** · #13 10-01-2013, 02:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin WS

Johnny - The civil aircraft to fly was Ghana Airways - withdrawn 1980. For an RAF version you are thinking of a Transport Command etc type scheme and not that horrid later version?

Johnny/Herky - thanks for the memories. Those indeed were the days to be in the Armed Forces, or an Armed Forces brat - "Join the Army and See the World".

Also found some pics of the Beverley the other day - will scan and post these on the Beverley thread (somewhere here!).

yeap was a forces brat.dad was 28 years royal marines.in singapore every two years for a two year tour from 1955.through malayan emnmergency,borneo,as well as when the naval base was r&r port for us carriers groups heading for tokin station. and yup have flown in a blackburn beverly or as they were better known 40,000 rivets flying in close formation

**herky** · #14 10-01-2013, 02:23 AM

the vc10 still holds the record for fastest sub sonic flight london to new york.the only civilian aircraft to beat it was concorde.

**JohnM** · #15 10-01-2013, 09:21 AM

Don't want to hi-jack the thread, but here's a pic of me falling out of a Bev ...

I'm just exiting the door. I remember taking off in a Bev many times. I only ever landed in one once ... not an experience I'd like to repeat. They just flew the thing down to 0 feet ... shut the throttles ... and hauled on the brakes.

Herkybirds had reverse thrust props, but they still couldn't beat the short landings of the Bev. Then again, the Bev didn't really land ... it just crashed.

Johnny.

**Kevin WS** · #16 10-01-2013, 09:37 AM

I do not think that is a hijack - its a wonderful picture!

Also, a rare picture too - for some reason there are so few pictures surviving of Beverley's, let alone action photos!

Picture taken from???? I see it has the old type fippy static dischargers on the wing.....

**JohnM** · #17 10-01-2013, 09:57 AM

Just feed Blackburn Beverley into Google images, Kev. Loads of pictures.

Can't remember what the photographer was in. Just remember it was a Yellow low wing monoplane. Might of been a Harvard trainer or something similar.

Johnny.

**Kevin WS** · #18 10-01-2013, 09:59 AM

But not too many action shots like yours!

**JohnM** · #19 10-01-2013, 01:07 PM

That depends on what you call ACTION Kev. This was my 5th jump on a Basic Para course at RAF Abingdon in 1962.

First two were from a balloon. Next two from a Hastings. Three from a Bev and the qualifying eighth from an Argosy. It was a month later that the real ACTION started ... in Aden. Followed by many many more theatres during the next thirty years.

Johnny.

**Kevin WS** · #20 10-01-2013, 03:49 PM

Well, for memories sake, here are two shots of Beverley's taken at Kormaksar, more or less around the time you were there playing tourist in the Crater (ahem, least said about that the better). Notice they both have different camouflage patterns - freehand stuff with long ladders and a head for heights!

Look at all the Argosy's!!!!