Stolen C-130 from RAF Mildenhall (Old story)

[Airwolfhound]

Interesting reading :-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-43800089

[Amp]

This story did the rounds a couple of weeks ago. Glad to see the BBC keeping up!

[Airwolfhound]

Ah fair enough, I did trawl down the forum board but couldn't spot anything, hence putting it up

[Ewart]

It was on Fighter Control that this story did the rounds.

Although the Beeb's report mentions the 'pilot' managed to patch his radio into the telephone network and make an international call to the USA. Was that even possible?

[Brevet Cable]

The 'Fighter Control' forum existed in 1969......!!

It's reared it's head a number of times over the years.

The recent incarnation surfaced some time before 12th March on the 'Deeper Dorset' website ( before FC, the BBC, The Times & various other forums all picked up on it on 13th March )

....the 'pilot' managed to patch his radio into the telephone network and make an international call to the USA. Was that even possible?

Possibly the M.A.R.S. system : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_Auxiliary_Radio_System

[Tommy]

I've heard this story before, and it's quite an interesting one. It triggers a bit of curiosity.

If anyone reads any of the excellent "Boys" books, one of the excerpts in Lightning Boys is from an RAF QRA pilot who was on duty that night, and had to allow a USAF to scramble to intercept, rather than him. Sadly I don't have it with me, so can't recall it verbatim, but it was a pretty fascinating read.

[T_J]

C-130 found.

It's taken 10 years, but professional diver Grahame Knott has finally found a US Air Force plane that crashed into the Channel in 1969.

..... the plan is for the Deeper Dorset team to dive down to the wreck site in spring, when the underwater visibility in the Channel will have improved, and to video the wreck from all angles. This will enable a computerised, 3D-image of the crash site to be constructed, and studied by air accident investigators.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-46624382

[Spiny Norman]

I've heard this story before, and it's quite an interesting one. It triggers a bit of curiosity.

If anyone reads any of the excellent "Boys" books, one of the excerpts in Lightning Boys is from an RAF QRA pilot who was on duty that night, and had to allow a USAF to scramble to intercept, rather than him. Sadly I don't have it with me, so can't recall it verbatim, but it was a pretty fascinating read.

Yes, Rick Groombridge was on QRA at Wattisham. Was relieved by USAF exchange pilot who was rumoured to have taken off then returned with one missile (which was replaced at missile section before taxying back to QRA hangar). End of Chapter 7 in Lightning Boys.