Latvian Cargo Aircraft Pilots – Cause and Effect

Cause

//

Effect

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rR6JoINqS0U

Think Defence

Think Defence hopes to start sensible conversations about UK defence issues, no agenda or no campaign but there might be one or two posts on containers, bridges and mexeflotes!

This Post Has 26 Comments

  1. Topman

    I like it :)

  2. All Politicians are the Same

    Straight to warning 5 :)

  3. Topman

    No messing about apats , nothing like getting someone’s attention is there? :)

    Btw nice to see you back.

  4. Mark

    The something nostalgic about raf fighters patrolling over Kent protecting the capital.

    Gd to see you back Apas RT has been pining without you

  5. WiseApe

    Indeed welcome back APATS. There’s a bloke wants to see our carriers melted down for horse shoes that will be delighted by your return.

    About the Typhoon pilot. Anyone else disappointed he doesn’t sound a tad more intimidating?

  6. mike

    @ wiseape

    Protocol, need to speak clearly and firmly.
    I even think its actually ATC that is speaking here.

    Not to mention, the number of times it happens with civvie aircraft, rather mundane really :)

  7. Topman

    You know just because they have a mask it doesn’t make them sound like darth vader ;)

    No it was one of the pilots, yeah fairly routine but not that often they read that bit out in fairness!

  8. wf

    @Topman: we need a mask mounted “Darth enhancer” immediately. Something to scare Ivan shitless when he wanders too close :-)

  9. Jackstaff

    @wf,

    Nothing would beat James Earl Jones (or Benedict Cumberbatch, to give a proper British flair?) saying “I find your lack of comms… disturbing.” :)

    @APATS,

    Wotcher! T’other night he was clearly into the sauce, thought not far, and I feared we were on the edge of a “Jerry Maguire” moment… Thankfully recce training kicked in. I’ll be donning my tin hat as retiring to the bunker now….

    Boss,
    I believe that may be Seth MacFarlane’s da in the vid.

  10. Think Defence

    Jackstaff, it is, Series 9 Episode 13 :)

  11. Tim W

    From the Telegraph. Can someone explain what the Voyager will have been doing and why? Thanks

    “RAF Typhoon fighters were scrambled to intercept two Russian Bear bombers on Wednesday amid warnings of an “unusual” spike in sightings of Moscow’s aircraft over Europe.
    A pair of jets from RAF Lossiemouth escorted the bombers through British airspace to prevent them posing a threat to civilian aircraft while an RAF Voyager aircraft helped them refuel in mid-air.”

  12. Think Defence

    Tim, welcome to TD. Fighters tend to be able to go high and fast, bit not long.

    So the Voyager would be there to ensure the Typhoons had enough fuel to operate within enough safety margin etc, fairly standard stuff I expect for the high North intercepts

  13. Jackstaff

    @Boss,

    Angry Santa and the zombie elves? Classic, that is. Right up there with the Bad One himself…

  14. The Other Chris

    A British accent advising you that they are authorised by Her Majesty’s Governement to kill you isn’t intimidating to non-Brits?

    At least Jaguar disagrees:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFqaFu2maDg

  15. Engineer Tom

    New requirment for Typhoon pilots: must sound like a British Hollywood villian, nice.

  16. wf

    @Engineer Tom: we don’t need all RAF to be stage school alumni, thanks :-)

  17. NG

    TD do you know how often the RAF taps into our kc-135 wing at Mildenhall. They can’t refuel you’re fighters but what about the RAF’s RC-135’s, and C-17, and in the future maybe the P-8?

  18. ChrisW

    I’d vote for Roger Allam in Cabin Pressure character rather than Cumberbatch, I think. Can’t they get the aircraft’s computer to say it? Hang on, I’ve just downloaded Kathy Clugston onto my TomTom – they wouldn’t mess with her!

    I notice that they can’t tell an An-26 from Tu-95 in the Telegraph, by the way. I’m not surprised.

  19. Fedaykin

    @NG

    If the drogue adaptor is fitted the Mildenhall KC-135 can refuel RAF fighters, don’t know how often that happens.

    The RAF C.17 don’t use the refueling receptacle and they neither maintain them or train for boom refueling, RAF C.17 have the extra fuel tank that mitigates the issue.

    RAF E3D Sentry AEW.1 do refuel using the boom receptacle and train to use the boom and probe methods of refueling. RAF E3D crews actually prefer using the boom as it is quicker and easier for them then the probe.

    A reciprocal agreement has been signed to allow the RAF to use USAF boom equiped tankers for the RC-135.

  20. Waylander

    There is a great video on YouTube of the two QRA Typhoons taking off,
    unfortunately the link does not seem to be working.
    To see the vid just Google “RAF Typhoons Latvian cargo plane YouTube”
    and turn up the volume!

  21. NG

    thank you fedaykin was not aware they had put drogue system on the 135 i thought it as only on the kc-10 still

  22. Fedaykin

    @NG

    Fighter crews call it the “Iron Maiden” and it has a fearsome reputation reputation for ripping probe tips off. This is due to its solid steel refueling basket rather then the more common flexible type.

    Curiously during the Falklands war USAF KC-135 equipped with the “Iron Maiden” were used to refuel RAF QRA fighters back in the UK as part of NATO tasking whilst the Victor tankers were supporting the task force. This is probably the reason why in a few crew rooms during the 80’s and 90’s some USAF tanker crews would swear blind that they were involved in the Falklands campaign, often being twisted over time into stories of supporting Black buck etc…. totally untrue but amusing nevertheless. Apparently the “Iron Maiden” was particularly hard on the probe tips of the RAF Lightning fleet.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMcLNCAeo0s

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