FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1960
1960 - 1386.PDF
262 FLIGHT, 19 External checks before the sortie from Alconbury, with the Douglas RB-66B linked to the ground power unit - - • —* . . ....... ...... PHOTO-RECONNAISSANCE SORTIE —in an RB-66 of the 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing BY HUMPHREY WYNN MY aircraft was silver, apart from its identification lettersand number and a black star insignia on its tail fin, a starsprouting red, yellow, black and green plumes like a comet. This insignia includes the colours of the 30th Sqn of the10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing of the US 3rd Air Force, the squadron with whom I was to fly on a night PR training sortie.The Douglas RB-66B, with its pronounced anhedral, looked pur- poseful in a drooping sort of way, like a boxer with shouldershunched; its narrow-track undercarriage seemed only too ready to be tucked away into the fuselage for flight. This was to be my first trip in a post-war American militaryaircraft, and the opponunity had arisen from a visit I paid to RAF Alconbury earlier this year (Flight, January 29) to see somethingof the work of the 10th Wing, which operates from there and from Bruntingthorpe and Chelveston airfields. I had had a decompres-sion test at RAF Bassingbourn, and the sortie was to be of approximately 2jhr duration, to the Jurby target area, off the Isleof Man coast. (The other range used by the Wing is off the Lincolnshire coast, near Holbeach.) My pilot was Capt Titus C.Thomas and his navigator on this flight Capt Bob Yirka. Capt Thomas had been a member of this year's winning 4th ATAFteam in the AAFCE "Royal Flush V" photographic reconnais- sance competition, as had Yirka; he has flown 700hr on RB-66s.I reckoned, therefore, that I was in good hands and that we should carry out a successful mission. In the event, through an unserviceability discovered only whenwe were almost in the target area, results were negative. But that comes later in the story, and did not—at least from my ownpoint of view—detract from the interest of the flight. We were due to take off about nine-thirty; and earlier in theevening, when the beginnings of sunset were softening the sharp outlines of hangars and of RB-66s dispersed around the airfield,I dressed for the flight: a red bone-dome with integrated intercom and oxygen equipment (unlike the RAF's separate bone-dome andhelmet), flying-suit, high-laced boots, wind-cheater jacket, para- chute strapped to my back, SARAH round my middle, and JayneMansfield lifejacket (so called because its bulges are bigger than those on a Mae West) round my ribs and tucked under thearmpits. Capt Thomas then gave me a general briefing on the flight-plan: a climb-out eastwards over Wyton, then turning onto a north-westerly course (climbing to 26,500ft) to a point calledDean's Cross on the Cumberland coast, a short leg to the Mull of Galloway, then descending southwards to about 3,000ft for arun-in on the target. The return flight would be made on a south-easterly course over Burtonwood to a penetration descent(via Molesworth) on the Alconbury GCA. While Thomas and Yirka did their pre-flight checks around theaircraft I adjusted my equipment so that it felt comfortable and made sure I had access to such in-flight necessities as my notebook.Biro and handkerchief. I was a little uncertain as to what effect the rapid changes in pressure on ascents and descents would haveon my unaccustomed ears, but found that the pressurization (to about 10,000ft) was so effective as to obviate any discomfort. Crew access to the RB-66 is by a hatch behind the nosewheel,steps on it leading up to the gunner's seat on the left (which I was to occupy), the navigator's position on the right and the pilot'scockpit in the nose. Capt Yirka assisted me with strapping-in and briefly explained ejection-seat procedure, control of oxygen supplyand R/T switches. On my left I had a small window through which I could see the port wing and Allison J71-A-13 podbeneath it, looking almost like a twin-engined mock-up for the DC"8- On my left, below the window, was a panel containing theoxygen and R/T switches. I could select to listen either to the aircraft intercom (transmission being controlled by a pedal switchoperated by my left foot) or to the air-ground broadcasts. In front of me was an instrument panel with basic flight information(height and airspeed) and controls and sighting equipment for the aircraft's rearward-firing guns.With the engines running and temperatures and pressures checked, Capt Thomas called "Ready to go" to the crew crueloutside, who replied, "Ground power disconnecting." The hatch slammed to and we moved slowly forward, to rumble round theperi-track of a darkening Alconbury. Before take-off, Thomas Pre-flight briefing by Capt Thomas (centre), with Capt Yirka—wear^ SARAH equipment round his waist—on the right of the rostrum "ADL on the baseball cap (presented to Wynn) stands for "Alconbury, Bruntingthorpe, C/iefveston," the airfields used by the 10th W/19
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
