Derek Bradshaw Posted December 23, 2007 Share Posted December 23, 2007 (edited) There seems to be no shortage of EE Lightning posts on these forums, so, as it's Christmas, I thought that I'd 'pull up a sandbag' tale for you all. Back in '81, whilst I was serving as a Survival Equipment Fitter at RAF Binbrook, I was attached to 5 Sqn (Lightnings) as a Flying Clothing specialist. After badgering the aircrew for sometime for a 'trip' in a Lightning, they finally relented and put me on the list for one. In due course, my name came to the top of the list, and I carried out everything required to undertake such a trip (medical, safety briefings, etc). This was about November '81 at this stage. On the day, I was strapped into the aircraft (a Ligtning T.5 of 5 Sqn), and awaited the pilot (Flt Lt Dick 'Chatts' Chatterton). He promptly jumped in, tried to start the aircraft about five times (I think that you were officially only allowed about three attempts), but it wouldn't start. He then just as promptly vacated the aircraft and jumped into another single seat Lightning and took off, leaving me still strapped into the T-Bird! Anyhow, the flight was rescheduled, and once more, I found myself strapped into a 5 Sqn Lightning T.5 (XS457, 'T') during late Feb/early March 1982 - it had snowed at Binbrook, but the runway had been cleared. This time, everything went well (I'm not particularly tall, and I remember the canopy closing on top of my helmet - and the warning from the pilot to keep my knee clear of the r/t switch on the throttle due to the bulkiness of the immersion suits we had to wear - that's how small a Lightning cockpit is!), and a pairs take off with another 5 Sqn F.3 ensued (the Lightnings accelerate very quickly with full reheat - it is very similar to the feeling you have in a high performance sports car or motorcycle). We carried out a 45 minute radar acquisition sortie at medium and low levels over the North Sea before returning to Binbrook. It was a flight of a lifetime for me. The weather was murky and overcast, with occasional hazy sunshine trying to break through (pretty typical Binbrook weather really), but I still loved every minute of it. One thing I do recall is how it felt when the 'burners' were lit. We were about 150ft above sea level, and we needed to climb to about 15,000ft to carry out the medium altitude phase of the radar run (basically, 'head in' the scope, looking for the other Lightning). Chatts said 'we'll just plug in the reheat and in not too many seconds, we should be at 15,000ft!'. I braced myself for a 'kick in the pants'...nothing more seemed to happen other than a high pitch up angle and all of the cockpit dials really whizzing around fast!. The acceleration was very smooth and linier (it took about 10 seconds). I also recall, as we passed over the fish docks in Grimsby, that the undercarriage was lowered, and when it locks, it locks with a real thump and trim change. The landing was firm, but controlled (no worse than on of the heavier landings experienced in a normal airliner), and the drag produced by the braking parachute was very noticeable. Not long afterwards (that Summer), I was posted onto the Red Arrows (RAFAT) at RAF Kemble - but that's another story. So, below is a montage of pictures from that day (my apologies for the small size and quality of these pictures). The bottom picture of a LTF Lightning T.5 on it's belly was not my aircraft flight! - it was a training flight in which the QFI inadvertantly caught the cokpit undercarriage up selection lever in the cuff of his immersion suit when he selected the flaps up. He tried to 'fly it off the ground' in reheat when he realised what was hppening, but it was too late by then. Enjoy Derek Edited December 28, 2007 by Derek Bradshaw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdxtnt Posted December 23, 2007 Share Posted December 23, 2007 You jammy bugger Derek Must have been a great experience. Would set you back a few grand if you did it in South Africa now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobs_Buckles Posted December 23, 2007 Share Posted December 23, 2007 It must of took your breath away... pardon the movie pun. I couldn't of got into that cockpit if I tried, way too fat round the bellybum. + not enough weathering on those dials for my liking Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dswoofie Posted December 23, 2007 Share Posted December 23, 2007 Very cool, must have been a hell of an experience... I've never even seen one fly! Karl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fmk.6john Posted December 23, 2007 Share Posted December 23, 2007 Envy comes in many forms Derek, yours is one of them!!!. Just might have to pop round one night for a chit chat, did you keep the gloves and or a momento from the flight?. Regards, John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamEM Posted December 23, 2007 Share Posted December 23, 2007 Very cool, must have been a hell of an experience... I've never even seen one fly! Karl. You have, it looks like Thunderbird 1 in horizontal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Bradshaw Posted December 23, 2007 Author Share Posted December 23, 2007 Thanks for the complements guys. GrahamEM: I like your Lightning description. Fmk.6John: I did manage to keep the flying gloves, but they wore out with use - however, I did manage to replace them with others over the years Everyone else: I understand how it must feel for you never having seen a Lightning fly, let alone fly in one. All I can say is that however impressive the Lightning may appear on videos, it is nothing like as awesome as seeing the real thing first hand - try 'feeling' the thrust from those engines, and the noise of the air screeching and crackling with static - stuff that really makes you hairs on the back of your neck stand on end! Cheers Derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bexwh773 Posted December 23, 2007 Share Posted December 23, 2007 Derek, Thank you for sharing your past with us, I have seen Lightnings fly, but never had the pleasure of getting a ride in one, you are one lucky gent. The closest Ive got to anything like that is 15 mins hands on AEF in a Chippy at Chivenor and taking 20 of my cadets in the back of a Chinook below tree tops round Sennybridge Training Areas........... Hmmm donuts, or there was this time in Germany where we hovered over a soft top Beetle watching a lilly white bottom going 10 to the dozen Bex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fmk.6john Posted December 24, 2007 Share Posted December 24, 2007 Derek Your meeting with XS457 was a damn site better than mine, she is reduced to only the cockpit section and kept at Grainthorpe along with some old friends, I'm not sure about the future of here but lets just hope that it is a bright one. Regards, John. P.S. Yes before anyone comments I am failing very miserably at holding my belly in . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bexwh773 Posted December 24, 2007 Share Posted December 24, 2007 DerekYour meeting with XS457 was a damn site better than mine, she is reduced to only the cockpit section and kept at Grainthorpe along with some old friends, I'm not sure about the future of here but lets just hope that it is a bright one. Regards, John. P.S. Yes before anyone comments I am failing very miserably at holding my belly in . Oh John, thats a nice pic of you, but a very sad sight, ok she lives to a point better than a drinks can, but still a sad sight................ at least WH773 is in one piece............ er ok sort of Bex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fmk.6john Posted December 24, 2007 Share Posted December 24, 2007 Bex It's a bit of a sad site at Grainthorpe, when I was there, there was an F.6 a T.5 and two nose sections and two fuselages, also an F104 and a Draken but they are sat in a back field without any cover and apperently no resources for preservation. I hope that one day they will get the treatment they deserve (there is a disheartening story behind the F.6), for now they are looked after by well meaning people and not reduced to drinks cans so lets be thankfull for that. John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamEM Posted December 24, 2007 Share Posted December 24, 2007 Is there a Lightening that is still capable of flying ? i think the RAF should keep one of each aircraft made in funding for airshows and the like, the longer they remain out of service the more expensive they become to get airborne again as we have seen with XH558. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fmk.6john Posted December 24, 2007 Share Posted December 24, 2007 Graham there are four flying in Cape Town, South Africa, courtesy of Thunder City. John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nev Posted December 24, 2007 Share Posted December 24, 2007 Great stuff Derek '81? Did you know Tony Barnes then? He was my old man's bessie from his time in the RAF. I'm pretty sure he was at Binbrook around that time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tompot Posted December 24, 2007 Share Posted December 24, 2007 Very cool, must have been a hell of an experience... I've never even seen one fly! Karl. You poor, poor boy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Bradshaw Posted December 24, 2007 Author Share Posted December 24, 2007 (edited) Thanks for the replies Gents (and Lady), Nice picture of my old friend there John. Sad to see these great airctaft end up in such a state, however, the fact that they are still here at all is something I suppose. I wish that the good people at the Newark cockpit fest could get their hands on these cockpits - I'm sure that they would then finally get the TLC they deserve. I love the story of the hovering Chinook over the Beetle Bex (that is one helicopter I would have loved to have flown in!). Flying in Chppies was always fun - I flew in several of them when I was an Air Cadet in the early to mid-70's, these days, it's the same thing, but in Grob Tutors. The Lightning is one aircraft that can never be ignored in flight - it simply demands attention. The only current aircraft I have seen that approaches the Lightning's vertical rate of climb - from a rolling start - is the F-15 Eagle. In terms of shear loudness, the only current aircraft I have seen that can match a Lightning for volume is the Eurofighter Typhoon. Nev: I didn't know Tony Barnes - he may have worked in the Officers Mess. There were over 2,000 personnel at RAF Binbrook at that time, so I only personally new a very small number of them. Derek Edited December 24, 2007 by Derek Bradshaw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hacker Posted December 24, 2007 Share Posted December 24, 2007 l have no memory and the lane got replaced by a four lane expressway lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nev Posted December 26, 2007 Share Posted December 26, 2007 Nev: I didn't know Tony Barnes - he may have worked in the Officers Mess. There were over 2,000 personnel at RAF Binbrook at that time, so I only personally new a very small number of them. Nah, he was a Sergeant, Airframe Electrician just like my dad. He's a self-employed civvie contractor now, working on Harriers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Bradshaw Posted December 27, 2007 Author Share Posted December 27, 2007 Ah, a 'Leckie'...I didn't meet many of those, although they were certainly kept busy (along with the 'Fairies') on Lightnings alright, as they often went U/S with electrical and avionics related problems! Cheers Derek Nah, he was a Sergeant, Airframe Electrician just like my dad. He's a self-employed civvie contractor now, working on Harriers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelSLH70 Posted December 28, 2007 Share Posted December 28, 2007 Does this make anyone feel like saving up for a trip to Cape Town, drinks not included for a period of twenty-four hours? PS: My regards- In the form of a high-pressure stream of duck's urine- aimed right at the CAA. We're taxpayers-You work for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOUSTON Posted December 28, 2007 Share Posted December 28, 2007 Does this make anyone feel like saving up for a trip to Cape Town, drinks not included for a period of twenty-four hours?PS: My regards- In the form of a high-pressure stream of duck's urine- aimed right at the CAA. We're taxpayers-You work for us. I'm Game if you are....I have family in Cape Town.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bexwh773 Posted December 28, 2007 Share Posted December 28, 2007 I'm Game if you are....I have family in Cape Town.... If i get saving can we go halves on a trip? Please, Pretty Please with a trip to Thunder City on Top????? Bex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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