mikanmart
14-07-05, 23:55
In the 50's , we in all the Armed Forces used to get away with a lot of things which would be frowned upon now .
So , there was I , in Hong Kong ,28 sqdn at RAF Sek Kong , next to a Tank park , and 48 Ghurka Brigade , and across the runway from an Artillery Reg. who had 25 pounders .
My brother Bill was a Sapper with A troop ,54 field Sqdn , 24 Field Reg. at Tai Lam Chung , about 1/2 way to Kowloon from Sek Kong .We had friends in high places .
As I was destined to be a pilot (another story) the aircrew used to take me flying quite a lot . This was in a Vampire T11 trainer , a nice little jet , noisy too .
One day , pilot says to me "where do you want to go". "Ah" says I "Can we go and beat up my brother's camp at Tai Lam Chung ?" "Yus , mate " he said , being a posh ossifer "show me the way " So , having strapped the Vampire to our bums , we took off---not me at controls of course . I pointed the aircraft in the general direction of Tai Lam Chung(TLC) ,and in less than two minutes we were overhead at 6000 feet . Pilot weighs up situation , does a lower run by to make sure ,and flies out to sea . He let the Vampire down to about 250 feet , and we shot in toward TLC , behind which was a hill .
We shot over the road very low , and screamed up the hill and half rolled off the top of the loop . Too low to do a full loop . Flew a bit toward Kowloon and came back up the road over the camp at 90 degrees to the original path , then a lazy arc round and back over with wings banked , and me waving down the wing like mad .Reverse course and go back over TLC in a fast roll , and straight up to 28000 feet . Super .Really enjoyed it .
Got back to Sek Kong , and told hairy stories to me mates .
CO talks to me later on , and says "Are you going down to see your brother today , if so , let me know what's said , will you?" Well , course I was going , had to see the reaction.
There was a reception awaiting me at TLC . The Engineers' CO told me to be careful of the RSM and thanks for the flying display. I signed in at g'room , and saunter of to Bill's billet . Not half way there , and this bloke with a cheese cutter hat howls at me for a minute or two , but doesn't get anywhere . I got to the billet , and was told that the RSM had his head under the bonnet of a Bedford 15cwt when we shot across , and he jumped and banged his head on the bonnet . He was in the process of rollocking someone over a dirty engine .Funny , I never bought another drink at TLC .
Apparently , the RSM wasn't very nice , and had tried to get the pilot charged , silly sod . There were no low flying restrictions outside HK and Kowloon cities , so he had to lump it . The engineer OC thought it was funny too , and kept this bloke off my brother's back .Can't do that nowadays .
MIKE M
So , there was I , in Hong Kong ,28 sqdn at RAF Sek Kong , next to a Tank park , and 48 Ghurka Brigade , and across the runway from an Artillery Reg. who had 25 pounders .
My brother Bill was a Sapper with A troop ,54 field Sqdn , 24 Field Reg. at Tai Lam Chung , about 1/2 way to Kowloon from Sek Kong .We had friends in high places .
As I was destined to be a pilot (another story) the aircrew used to take me flying quite a lot . This was in a Vampire T11 trainer , a nice little jet , noisy too .
One day , pilot says to me "where do you want to go". "Ah" says I "Can we go and beat up my brother's camp at Tai Lam Chung ?" "Yus , mate " he said , being a posh ossifer "show me the way " So , having strapped the Vampire to our bums , we took off---not me at controls of course . I pointed the aircraft in the general direction of Tai Lam Chung(TLC) ,and in less than two minutes we were overhead at 6000 feet . Pilot weighs up situation , does a lower run by to make sure ,and flies out to sea . He let the Vampire down to about 250 feet , and we shot in toward TLC , behind which was a hill .
We shot over the road very low , and screamed up the hill and half rolled off the top of the loop . Too low to do a full loop . Flew a bit toward Kowloon and came back up the road over the camp at 90 degrees to the original path , then a lazy arc round and back over with wings banked , and me waving down the wing like mad .Reverse course and go back over TLC in a fast roll , and straight up to 28000 feet . Super .Really enjoyed it .
Got back to Sek Kong , and told hairy stories to me mates .
CO talks to me later on , and says "Are you going down to see your brother today , if so , let me know what's said , will you?" Well , course I was going , had to see the reaction.
There was a reception awaiting me at TLC . The Engineers' CO told me to be careful of the RSM and thanks for the flying display. I signed in at g'room , and saunter of to Bill's billet . Not half way there , and this bloke with a cheese cutter hat howls at me for a minute or two , but doesn't get anywhere . I got to the billet , and was told that the RSM had his head under the bonnet of a Bedford 15cwt when we shot across , and he jumped and banged his head on the bonnet . He was in the process of rollocking someone over a dirty engine .Funny , I never bought another drink at TLC .
Apparently , the RSM wasn't very nice , and had tried to get the pilot charged , silly sod . There were no low flying restrictions outside HK and Kowloon cities , so he had to lump it . The engineer OC thought it was funny too , and kept this bloke off my brother's back .Can't do that nowadays .
MIKE M