Date Posted: 9/02/03 20:50:27 Author:John 'Gary' Cooper Subject: Handley Page Hastings Aircraft
Anyone want to share their experiences with others about The Queen of The Skies, from servicing crews to Air Movements personnel to Aircrew to passengers who flew in them.
I was stationed at RAF Mauripur Staging Post 1954-56.My main function on Air Movements was raising the weight and balance sheets for the various Hastings passing thru.UAH to Aussie;USH to Changi and UKH to Kai Tak.There would be an arrival pretty well every day sometimes just one;other days four or five.Never had any major problems but if a UAH had one then the load would be transferred to another Hastings or parts cannabalised from it if no spares weren't in stores
as a UAH had priority over any other Hastings.Sometimes we had a problem with overweight;a Hastings arriving from Negombo full all up weight would need extra fuel for the next hop to Habbaniya due to head winds.The pilot by now feet up in the officers mess would be told and he would tell us to "lose"a few things so the balance sheet would be made up with no water and a few other things.The pilot would sign the sheet at 80,000 pounds when in fact it was 82,000;the duty Air Movements would sign too but he hadn't a clue what he was signing anyway
Happy days
cheers
jhy
PS have a look at the Mauripur Article on the UKMAMS+OBA website.
I was at Edinburgh Field from July to December, 1957, in "Antler" H.Q. The Hastings were used on the Maralinga Shuttle each day, they used to bring men down for R.and R. on a Friday, take wet suppies up and return on a Monday with the empties. I remember one being damaged with a fork lift whilst loading.
There were tales of them being flown with the pax door off, was this true?
The Pakistani Health Authorities at Mauripur insisted that every aircraft arriving from the west had to have the interior sprayed with an evil DDT mixture before anybody was allowed to disembark;this meant every Hastings coming in from Habbaniya had to be done.I used to avoid going aboard to welcome the passengers arriving because of this and leave it to the duty officer.Air Traffic Control would advise us of any aircraft arriving with high ranking officers aboard and on one occasion we had a UAH(Australia bound) coming in with a host of Winco's and Colonels upwards on board so I couldn't resist going out to meet it along with the duty officer and the health officer with his trolley load of DDT and pump.Once aboard with the doors shut behind us the dreaded evil mixture was duly sprayed all over the them.I cried they cried but what a laugh.
Happy Days!!!
Yes John, happened to us in Feb 1958, passing through Karachi, before we were allowed off some guy came onboard our Hermes G-ALDC and used the Flit Spray Can on us all BEFORE we got off. 18 years of age was I and couldn't believe the effrontery!
Hi John, I note that you flew (to U.K.) in '58 on one of the Lancashire Aircraft and Skyways Hermes, delightful old girls, I flew back from Singapore (tour ex) from Changi to Stanstead on Hermes G-ALDL via Bangkok, Negombo, Karachi, Bahrain, then to Brindisi, however, it was the time when President Kassim had been deposed by that mongrel of Iraq, Saddam Hussein. Our innocent Hermes was turned back three time if I recall, on reaching Iraqi's borders and we had to return to Bahrein which was about as friendly as El Adam was, I recall it was the third time, we made it, and the Iraqi bully boys ceased to buzz our unarmed airliner and we flew on toward Ankara, which was also undergoing some 'political changes'. Landing there at some ungodly hour for refuel, and aircraft re provisioning. We flew from there to Brindisi (or maybe it was the other way around but what did impress me was the skipper of G-DL didn't mess about, it was straight down the taxiway, clearence onto the 'active, open up the taps to the firewall and we were off, no mag checks and I was fair .....ng my self as we hurtled down the tarmac, we reached Stanstead some 8 hours or so later, and so it was in those somewhat primitive days of flying. G-DL ended her days in 1962 non operational at Stanstead where she was scrapped. Her sister ship was operated by BOAC and did the spectacular 'desert crash which cost the life of the navigator (who'd got them lost anyway) however, everyone else survived the that prang..
(At least this screen is open to me John!)
Cheers for now, Terry 'O'
At least Terry the Hermes was quiet in comparison to the Haystack! Actually I was flying out to the Far but via Airwork your route almost but in reverse, did you know that it was the Army that insisted on the Hastings having a tail wheel for easier loading than with a nosewheel, try telling that one to the Air Movement bods in those days. Shall have to get you back on Activeboard somehow Terry........
Hi
I have been reseaching flights by Skyways out of stansted, & inparticular their Hermes G-ALDV which crashed just outside the airport on 1/4/1958 whilst on a test flight killing the crew of three, Do you know of any pics, of this A/C. or maybe have one of Skyways other A/C Please?
Yes, it happened on our Canal Zone-based Valettas, too. 'Welcome!' Ever since then I've been a supporter of England when they play cricket out there, and hope to get our own back. They also (1950's) made you declare all the jewelry you were bringing into the country - even your wedding rings! But you could make a profit on Gin!!!!!
This has come in today and is surely worth sharing with you:
Just found your excellent Hastings site, terrific! I served on FEC's 1960-62 as a 'flying spanner' on TG507 and WJ333, both modified to VIP standard.
I was very interested to read of Hastings engines cutting out. One morning I arrived late to work as TG 507 was taxying out for a post service air test. We heard the engines being checked out at the end of the runway, a slight delay, then power for take-off, we thought, a few seconds later, silence! We waited for the crash, nothing. Then we were told by the tower to go and tow her back to dispersal. After much investigation, it was discovered that the Graviner system had been incorrectly set during the service, and the vibration of the engines had set it off, killing all four engines! Fortunately there had been a mag. drop, and the pilot had tried to 'burn' it off, we estimated that had the mag. drop not been there, the aircraft would have just got airbourne before the engines cut. To add to the drama, as there were insuficient 'ballast boxes availeable, half the squadron ground crew were on board.
regards Pete
I can't recall the specific Hercules engine on a RAF kite, Hastings, Bristol Freighter, or Valetta where if the engine was coughing & spluttering we would do a full plug change and if that didn't cure it when ground running said engine we would turn off both magneto switches simultaneously, huge BANG. But it seemed to work, I guess always out of ear shot of engineering officers and the ilk as this was strictly against the rules!
No need to SHOUT! I've only been flying in one of these for 8 hours and what about the Khasi, that was something different. Time for a smoke methinks. Today these fliers don't know how we all roughed it.
Sometime in the mid 1960's a Hastings hit the sea off Cyprus. Both inboard sets of props were damaged (ie peeled back like a banana skin)but thankfully she made it to Akrotiri on two engines. I have a photo of the bent props in situ and also the pilots name who shall forever and a day remain anonymous with me. What I am looking for is more info on this subject, we have narrowed the index number down to TG521 or TG524, a date would also help as varying dates have ben suggested over a period of 8 years. I'm sure there is someone out there that knows someone who knows someone that..........!
Was very interested to read your account of the Gan incident, which I cannot add to. However, I was with ASF, 103 MU, Akrotiri, from June '63 to June '66 and recall very well the arrival of this aircraft for changing of two inboard engines. My recollection is that this aircraft was in fact en route from Luqa, Malta to Akrotiri when this extremely irresponsible incident occurred.
I remember that the cyclic gear to both inboard engines had been completely stripped following the contact of the props with the water and extensive checks were needed to ensure that the engine mountings had not been compromised. It was soon airborne again.
I said irresponsible action by the crew, especially the pilot, who was believed to be relieving his boredom by emulating a much smaller aircraft by demonstrating his wave-hopping abilities. The obvious stupidity and total disregard for the safety of his crew and passengers, is rather obvious to more adult observers. As I recall, he did not in fact receive any such adulation or inappropriate airmanship award, but a posting and permanent grounding. However, dependent upon the influence of those he may have known and the integrity of the supposedly responsible Air Officers at HQNEAF at the time, he may well have found his way back into flying and probably promotion.
From Mike G posted by J Cooper, thanks Mike!
I remember this story - I was a signaller on 36 sqn Hastings from late 1965 to mid 1967. My first operational flights were on a detachment to RAF Nicosia where I heard the tale - the story, at the time, went along the lines of a captain telling his co-pilot that he'd 'show him how to fly low over the water '!! If I remember rightly, the inboard props were just 9" lower than the outboards ! Don't remember any names.
'Splashdown in the Med TG613' 22nd July 1953 read about this on the main header of website
Russell Wright the son of Flight Lietenant J C Wright has made contact to inform me that his father (the pilot of TG613) was awarded the Air Force Cross (AFC) in the New Years Honours Awards of 1954.
There is another entry in his log regarding WJ 336 "Extremely good airmanship in landing Hastings WJ336 on three engines with a piece of cowling embedded in the tail plane. Necessitating an approach speed of 150kts at a poorly illuminated airfield at dusk on 7th Sept 1952"
I wonder what happened to the engine erk after this episode?
16/06/1952 TG603 NO ACCIDENT RECORD CARD EXISTS. I have sinced received information that this aircraft was 'Blown Off the Runway' at RAF Luqa, Malta and that there were no survivors, understand that Elevator Bolts could have sheared off
Have read your page with interest, I recount my experience as a passenger on Hastings TG502 whilst on the ground at Ottawa, Canada in the winter of 1966/7.
At the time, I was a Senior Technician in the RAF, based at Boscombe Down. We were support crew to a Vulcan (XH 606) doing cold weather trials at CEPE Cold Lake, in Northern Alberta. The general procedure was for the Vulcan to fly ahead and the ground crew to follow in a Hastings, which was either TG500 or TG502, which were both used as support aircraft at Boscombe Down at the time.
This aircraft had made the trip to Cold lake, many times without incident, and an overnight stay at Ottawa was part of their usual itinerary, were the aircraft was left outside for the night. After boarding the aircraft for take off from Ottawa, the usual crew checks were being carried, out before start up, when the captain emerged and asked for the rear door to be opened and the boarding ladder lowered. After a few minutes, he called for everyone to disembark, which we all did. It was quite cold, about minus 20, but not unusually so for the time of year. Since all passengers were either engineers or technicians we gathered around to be shown the problem. The captain explained that he had been unable to move the elevators when checking the controls from the cockpit, which was a mandatory pre-flight check, hence is sudden disembarkation to find the reason. We all observed that the normal gap between the elevator and its surrounding tailplane was none-existent, and therefore the elevator and tailplane were seized together. A Special Incident Report (SIR) was raised and the aircraft towed in to the heated hanger.
Within 10 minutes, the previously, none-existent gap had opened to over 8mm, and the elevators were free. Since several airframe men on board had experience of rectification modifications to the Elevator Horns which had caused at least one previous crash of a Hastings, they were none too happy to leave things as they were! The last rib of the tailplane was therefore moved about 10mm away from the elevator, and the now spare metal trimmed flush, leaving a gap that could easily accommodate a hand thickness. Thoughts were voiced about this happening at 7000 feet, which was our normal cruising altitude and the resulting inability to control our altitude by normal means! We carried on to Cold Lake, via Winnipeg, without incident and the same aircraft made the same trip many times later. Why it happened this one time, no one seems to know. It was concluded that freak weather conditions had caused it, but I always thought that the air at 7000 feet was always colder than at sea level, were Ottawa, on the St Lawrence Seaway is located!.
Hope you found this interesting. Has anyone heard of a similar occurence?
TG577 crashed at Abingdon in 1965 with the loss of all on board, this is still the RAF's worst peactime UK accident. The elevator failed shortly after take off, although the Hastings gave valuable service one area that caused concern was the failure of the elevator bolts which resulted in several accidents, all fatal.
I recall this statement from one such Flight Engineer being put into practice before each flight and on more than two occasions I recall faults being found.
"As a new Flight Engineer at Colerne (36 Squadron) I flew to Malta with the crew of TG577. I remember very well being told by the Engineer on the crew to always put your shoulder under the elevator and check for movement. He was very insistent on doing this during the trip. I cannot think that he would not have noticed if anything was amiss before the last flight. Whatever did happen was not detectable on a pre-flight, his way of checking was to put a lot of pressure and movement directly under the brackets"
Alan Pickering ex AQM 24 & 36 Squadrons RAF Colerne mid 1960's is looking for Frank Hughes from that period, if anyone knows of Frank's whereabouts please let me know
I don't know what you might consider an 'interesting story' about that old work horse but in the 4 years I worked on them they certainly clocked up some air miles doing a variety of jobs from troop transport....I was at Lyneham during the Suez crisis and saw troop movements at that time,to CaseVac jobs airlifting sick and wounded, and I did a short spell on Mobile Servicing Flight at Edinburgh Field, Adelaide, sending supplies up to Maralinga where they were testing the H bomb.
At Edinburgh Field we were resposible for keeping two Hastings aircraft fully servicable at all times to keep the supplies flowing to Maralinga.
I once spent all night , with other trades of course, doing an engine change, the old Hercules engine, so it was ready for the early morning daily trip.
We had a good relationship with the aircrew who kept us supplied with refreshments, mainly liquid if my memory serves me right and we all did a good job for 6 months in 1958.
We flew back to Lyneham in the Hastings stopping at Darwin, Changi, Negombo, Karachi, Habanniya, El Adem and home. Took me a total of 6 days to get back and God wasn't the inside of a Hastings loud and noisy. I had flown out in a Comet and it had taken 26 hours what a difference!!
Later in 1963 when I was on 43 Squadron with Hunters, the squadron did a trip to Athens to 'show the flag' as it were, and all the ground crew and kit etc went out by...yes you guessed it , the good old Hastings.
I was at Colerne same time on 24. Frank and I went thru OCU at TIs; together. Last I saw of him was on an S&R programme on the beeb about 25 years ago. Think he had his galloping hrses. Pretty sure it was a semi documentary. These Irishmen can be a handful on a night out in Limassol,bermuda,Gander or ANYWHERE. Quite a lad.
Just a reminder that I have been asked to present a talk to be held on Friday 3rd September 2004 at 1930hrs on the Handley Page Hastings aircraft at the Martlesham Heath Community Centre (Behind the Tesco superstore) near Ipswich.
Refreshments will be served, entry is £2 per head for non RAF Martlesham Heath members and £1 per head for members.
The talk, for approximately 2 hours, will focus on specific Hastings aircraft notably TG579 which crashed into the sea off RAF Gan on a storm laden night on March 1st 1960 in which I was a passenger on board returning to the UK after TOUREX in the Far East.
For some unknown reason the RAF decided to hide this accident under the Governments 40 year rule, reduced later to the 30 year rule. Since some of you heard what the aircraft (TG579) was said to be carrying in the way of cargo at a Katunayake/Gan reunion at Duxford Museum in June 2003 then you can understand why the RAF/MoD has been so reticent in discussing this incident with me. Some of you are also aware a team of Joint Services divers spent time in the Maldives in February 2004 looking for a ditched Hastings, this they failed to achieve and hope to return on an expedition in 2005 in order that a location may be fixed and a dive undertaken.
Further reading can be obtained from visiting the websites shown, for some unknown reason the RAF Martlesham Heath link does not appear to be working (coincidental maybe as my websites were also hacked at the same time!)
Splashdown on the Equator
The crash of Hastings TG579 of 48 Squadron at RAF Gan
http://splashdown2.tripod.com/index.html
I was also part of the team sent from Dishforth to Middleton St George to refit equipment for the return to Dishforth. I thought the repairs that had been carried out at M St G were because a wing had been damaged by hitting a bowser. I don’t recall any mention of “proving good faith and confidence” by flying back with her perhaps because we were all immortal in those days!
It was freezing cold and bleak at Middleton St George that January and we couldn’t wait to get back to the warmth of Dishforth. So as soon as enough work had been done to be airworthy I think we were told you can either fly back now or go with the lorry later. Everyone flew.
I also recall mention being made that it had been suggested to the pilot not to fly higher that a few hundred feet nor attempt to retract the undercarriage for the flight back of about 30 miles.
I live not too far from Colerne and have a deep interest in the airfield, particularly the Hastings era of which sadly I was too young to remember.
I would love to have a look in the cockpit and nav/air sig positions of a Hastings, but that is a bit difficult, does any one have any pics that they could email me of the crew area?
my email address is glennboult@aol.com
Thanks
I'm searching for any photos of the hastings of No.70 sqdn based in RAF Nicosia from 1962 to the closing of that station and sqdns ops in mid 64.I wonder whatever happened to WD 500, the C in C's "joyrider"( as we called it),my hands are still aching from the polishing of the fuselegae with wd brasso wadding.
Pleased to learn of your interest in the Hastings era at Colerne. I flew as a pilot on 24 Sqn from 1958 to 1963 and have fond memories of Colerne and the Bath area. I'm not able to help you out with cockpit photo's, but understand that the Hastings at the Newark museum is opened up for visitors. I must pay a visit myself some time and show great grandchildren what a proper airplane looked like!
Pity you couldn't join us all on 12th June we looked inside TG517 at Newark, quite good condition except the leaks in the cockpit, I think the two blue buckets in the two front seats are optional extras!
I arrived at RAF Fayid (Canal Zone) in Jan 1953 just in time to see the funeral line-up of several Service menbers after the crash of a HP Hastings post-airtest(?). I understand that personnel consisted of RAF and 16th Independent Para Brigade. Any info on a/c number (TG6xx?) and incident?
Ken Gibbs was a Flight Engineer on an Avro Lincoln bomber aircraft flying around the Canal Zone, Egypt on the morning that Hastings TG602 crashed on 12/01/1953. 'We had passed TG602 several times as we were flying West of Shallufa to take photographs of an aircraft that had crashed, debris was spread over a wide area but unfortunately our photographer had failed to remove the cover on the camera lens.'
'Witnesses on the ground stated that they had seen the aircraft doing a tight turn and then parts of the aircraft started to fall off and it crashed into the ground at an angle of approx. 45 degrees. On the previous day we had visited the NAAFI Club at Ismailia with some older regular aircrew friends, we met the Hastings crew who were known to the older Lincoln crew members, the crew with a second crew and some passengers were on the Hastings that crashed'.
Sadly nine died in this accident, thought to be caused by elevator failure.
Re: Handley Page Hastings Aircraft -- paul jesseau, 8/02/07 21:31:33