Tears as last Harrier jets leave Ark Royal

This topic has 24 replies, 14 voices, and was last updated 30 November 2010 at 23:44 by John Stevenson 1.

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25 November 2010 at 00:45 #59288
ady
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@ady
P.1127 takes its final bow.

A formation of Harrier
jump jets has made its final journey from HMS Ark Royal – the last such
flight from a UK aircraft carrier for about 10 years.

The four GR9 jets marked the end of an era when they roared off the deck near North Shields, North Tyneside.

Both the Ark Royal and the Harriers are being scrapped under cost-saving plans.

The
Harriers, heading to RAF Cottesmore in Rutland, will be decommissioned
in 2011 and replaced by the F35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft.

The Ark Royal was sailing across the North Sea to Hamburg in Germany.

Lt Cdr James Blackmore, who was the last Harrier pilot to leave, said he was immensely proud.

‘Emotional moment’

“It
is amazing. I watched a Harrier hovering over Chatham dockyard when I
was eight years old and I am now fortunate enough to be flying the
Harrier today,” he said.

“It’s an amazing aircraft, superb to fly and just very enjoyable.”

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

HMS Ark Royal is like the girlfriend you hate and you only realise you loved her when she has binned you”

End Quote
PO Andrew Collins

The
crew of the 22,000-tonne Ark Royal, which has seen active service in
the Balkans and 2003 invasion of Iraq, lined the decks to watch the
historic departure.

Captain Jerry Kyd said there was a tear in his eye when the last Harrier left.

“It was an emotional moment and also one of real pride as we look back over 25 years service to Queen and country,” he said.

“No naval officer wants to see any ship decommissioned early and she is a fine vessel and she has a fine history.

“She is at the peak of her efficiency but one understands that very difficult decisions have to be made across government.”

One senior officer described the decision to scrap both the jets and carrier as “madness”.

Petty
Officer Andrew Collins, 26, from Glasgow, said: “HMS Ark Royal is like
the girlfriend you hate and you only realise you loved her when she has
binned you.”

And Petty Officer David Terracciano, 31, from Portsmouth, added he was “gutted”.

The Ark Royal – the Royal Navy’s flagship – will eventually head back to her Portsmouth base on 3 December.

It
will be replaced by the Queen Elizabeth class of aircraft carrier at
the end of the decade, which will carry F35 Joint Strike Fighter
aircraft.

A group of former Royal Navy admirals have
suggested scrapping the Harrier force and HMS Ark Royal could leave the
Falklands open to attack – a claim denied by ministers who insist the
UK will still be able to defend the islands.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11830094
Advert

25 November 2010 at 00:45 #5305
ady
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@ady
25 November 2010 at 00:50 #59289
ady
Participant
@ady
The gear I have:

A Drummond from 1944, probbly destined for the Royal Navy, and a Pultra from the 1960s Engish Electric Thunderbird missile program.

Most of the old Brit gear wouldn’t have existed without the military pushing the boat out.

Edited By ady on 25/11/2010 00:51:24
25 November 2010 at 01:28 #59291
ady
Participant
@ady
oh yeh

p.1121 got canned by the tories as well.

http://prototypes.free.fr/p1127/image/p1121_01.jpg

Who needs communists to wreck a country, when you have the tory party to do the job for them.

P.1121 is my poster child.

The last vestiges of the P.XXXX era people produced Concorde in the 1960s…and we aint done diddly since then.

All we do now is squawk like girlies, ‘cos our country is run by girlies.

Edited By ady on 25/11/2010 01:47:24
25 November 2010 at 06:17 #59297
Fred Miller
Participant
@fredmiller19582
Thanks Ady for your thread. It’s a sorry thing to hear of the end of the Harriers, Done my apprentiship at Hawkers at Kingstone and then at the Richmond rd. factory 1954-1961. in the 1960-61 time I worked with the experimental section on a Ward 7 combination turret lathe, making parts for the P1127. After sailing to Australia I followed the life of the Harriers the best I could.

I like your political comments it is much the same here “bloody conservatives”.

Fred.
25 November 2010 at 08:48 #59301
Anonymous
Ah, but who cancelled the TSR2?

Regards,

Andrew
25 November 2010 at 09:25 #59303
Steve Garnett
Participant
@stevegarnett62550
Well, the communists don’t figure in this, and neither do the Liberals, but honours are spread between the rest pretty evenly.

But you should be careful with Concorde comments – what happened there was a classic labour misunderstanding of how this country really worked by a labour government minister (A.W-B). He refused to put any money back into Beagle, simply on the grounds that he wanted to funnel all available funding into Concorde, and single-handedly trashed the remains of Britain’s light plane industry – which up to that point had sold more planes than the Concorde operation had. Come to that, if they just sold one plane, it would have been more than that operation ever did!

So ady, please don’t just blame the Tories.

Because, as I’ve mentioned before, it’s an article of faith amongst the whole of the chattering classes (politicians, etc) that any form of engineering is essentially to be frowned upon, and is something best not talked about – or encouraged. It was ever thus, in fact – right back to the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution.
25 November 2010 at 09:42 #59306
David Clark 13
Participant
@davidclark13
Hi There

Beagle is still making spares for planes.

I worked for them for a while a few years ago.

At least they survived.

regards David
25 November 2010 at 09:50 #59307
Ian S C
Participant
@iansc
Sounds like your lots’ as mad as ours, anyone want an Aermacchi trainer or a A-4K Skyhawk, there are 17 of each at RNZAF Woodbourne,awaiting buyers, been there since the combat side of the air force was disbanded.

there is one Harrier in a museum just a few miles away.

I can remember when the last Ark Royal was decommisioned, there wern’t going to be any more aircraft carriers in the RN.

Are the USMC still using Harriers?Ian S C
25 November 2010 at 10:44 #59316
KWIL
Participant
@kwil
The real problem is that the Credit Card has been overused and the money has run out, again.
25 November 2010 at 11:05 #59318
V8Eng
Participant
@v8eng
Kwil.

It’s not just countries that have this problem, it usually happens to me after a visit to one of the ME exhibitions.

Edited By V8Eng on 25/11/2010 11:10:55
25 November 2010 at 16:11 #59340
Ramon Wilson
Participant
@ramonwilson3
Most cryptic V8Eng but how true.

Near fifty years ago, in Sept 1962, as a young seventeen year old I saw the P1127 complete with big yellow P in a circle on its fuselage perform in front of a large gathering of ‘Brass’ assembled around the control tower veranda at RAF Abingdon . It’s been quite an ‘institution’ since, so how sad to see it’s demise at the hands of those who profess to have our country’s Defence needs at their heart.

I try very hard not to do politics in modelling but having seen the headlines on one particular paper today and the comments from various high ranking military sources I feel this is a bad day for us – just like as someone has already mentioned – the scrapping of TSR-2, though different circumstances I agree

Enough – back to the workshop and focus on the real world (well mine that is)

Ramon
25 November 2010 at 16:42 #59344
Tony Pratt 1
Participant
@tonypratt1
The Conservatives have been left an almighty mess by someone else and it needs to be cleaned up. But I still can’t understand where we are getting £10 billion to give to the Irish when there “simply wasn’t £80 million” to lend to Sheffield forgemasters, politicians are so short sighted unless they are looking to get themselves on the gravy train!

Tony
25 November 2010 at 18:26 #59352
Steve Garnett
Participant
@stevegarnett62550
Posted by David Clark 1 on 25/11/2010 09:42:43:

Hi There

Beagle is still making spares for planes.

I worked for them for a while a few years ago.

At least they survived.

Well somebody must have reformed the company then, because at the time the government, who had bought the company from Pressed Steel and initially helped, put it into receivership and the assets were sold. The company had been renamed as Beagle Aircraft (1969) Limited at that stage, but the receiver could attract no buyers.
25 November 2010 at 19:19 #59353
David Clark 13
Participant
@davidclark13
Hi There

Google Beagle Christchurch.

regards David
25 November 2010 at 21:07 #59361
Sub Mandrel
Participant
@submandrel
R.I.P. Harrier?

I bet they keep a few with the green godesses just in case things get sticky in Los Islas Malvinas again.

Was it really 25 years ago?!

Neil
25 November 2010 at 21:17 #59364
ady
Participant
@ady
I bet they keep a few with the green godesses

All the green godesses have been flogged off, most went to Africa.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Goddess

Local authorities have to make their own arrangements now, which I presume means rent or hire fire engines from someone.
26 November 2010 at 12:17 #59419
Terryd
Participant
@terryd72465
While we’re on the subject,

Don’t forget the APT which I used to watch in fascination as it sped past on the test track from Holwell to Old Dalby. That helped to destroy the rail manufacturing industry at the same time as steelmaking, mining and engineering, all in the same decade.

Now we have to buy the Pendolino from the Italians and carriages from Romania plus other locos from Canada.

T
28 November 2010 at 23:21 #59541
Gordon A
Participant
@gordona
I once heard a story about the APT. Apparently it would make passengers feel sick, but only in daylight !

According to the story, the tilt mechanism was so good that during daylight the train could be seen to be tilting by those on board, but there was no tilt sensation from the balance receptors in the inner ear, hence a feeling of nausea. This of course did not happen in the dark. Believe it if you will !

I still however believe that we are (or were) a great nation of innovation….just cr*p at turning it to our advantage!
29 November 2010 at 07:15 #59547
Terryd
Participant
@terryd72465
Posted by Gordon A on 28/11/2010 23:21:46:

I once heard a story about the APT. Apparently it would make passengers feel sick, but only in daylight !

According to the story, the tilt mechanism was so good that during daylight the train could be seen to be tilting by those on board, but there was no tilt sensation from the balance receptors in the inner ear, hence a feeling of nausea. This of course did not happen in the dark. Believe it if you will !

Hi Gordon,

That’s a nice apocryphal story but unfortunately is not quite accurate, it’s the result of ‘Chinese Whispers’. What actually happened was basically a public relations disaster. On the inaugural publicity journey, the train was filled with dignitaries and press members. The first stage of the journey was a success but on the return, the tilting mechanism failed leading to a very uncomfortable ride as the bogies were not designed for conventional use.

As the train no longer tilted, the ride around bends was very uncomfortable and food and drinks slid off tables etc. Many of the esteemed passengers did indeed feel ill after this but whether it was the ride, which was a bit rough with the tilt mechanism disabled or the copious amount of food and especially alcoholic beverage served, is debatable but the British press, being what it is, christened the train ‘Queasy Rider’.

In practice, when in service the train was quite successful but like many British innovations, needed more development but cash was not available. The press also continued to try to poke fun at the train, but a passenger of the rain from Glasgow to London, in his reminiscences said that on arrival in london:

“A number of passengers were interviewed by
the media who seemed concerned about our state of health. They
were most disappointed when everyone said they had enjoyed the
run and were not suffering from ‘sea-sickness’.” (Ian Johnson, 7/12/81).

The capitalisation for the development of the APT was £47 million whereas the TGV in France cost £1000 million in development, approximately in parallel with the APT.

As you so rightly say Gordon, “……we are (or were) a great nation of innovation….just cr*p at turning it to our advantage!”.

In the UK the bean counters usually win.

Terry
29 November 2010 at 11:05 #59561
Ian S C
Participant
@iansc
Just look at the early 30s when Douglas was putting out the DC-2/ DC-3, and Handley-Page were building there biplanes. British industry asked the airlines what the wanted, and the built a few planes for a particular route. The Americans built the aircraft and got the airlines to buy them, they had a hard job keeping up with sales, Its still nice to hear the R-1830s of a DC-3 that flies in my area of the country. Ian S C
30 November 2010 at 13:01 #59637
V8Eng
Participant
@v8eng
I’ve often wondered if Concord might still be flying, and a worldwide sucess had it been built and marketed by somebody like Boeing.
30 November 2010 at 14:47 #59646
Ian S C
Participant
@iansc
Maybe Boeing knew something in not building a SST (they did look at it), they would have had to make money out of it, where as Concord had the goverment behind it(two governments). It lasted longer than the Russian one! Ian S C
30 November 2010 at 14:50 #59647
Terryd
Participant
@terryd72465
Posted by ady on 25/11/2010 21:17:52:

I bet they keep a few with the green godesses

All the green godesses have been flogged off, most went to Africa.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Goddess

Local authorities have to make their own arrangements now, which I presume means rent or hire fire engines from someone.

Hi Ady,

Probably from Les Pompiers Francais the way our industries are going. I just hope the ferries aren’t on strike at the same time!

T

Edited By Terryd on 30/11/2010 14:51:06
30 November 2010 at 23:44 #59683
John Stevenson 1
Participant
@johnstevenson1
Posted by ady on 25/11/2010 21:17:52:

I bet they keep a few with the green godesses

All the green godesses have been flogged off, most went to Africa.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Goddess

Local authorities have to make their own arrangements now, which I presume means rent or hire fire engines from someone.

Saw a warehouse fire in Nottingham last month on the news and the fire crew were using a large commercial Simons platform rented in for the job.

Makes a lot of sense not owning everything and being responsible for the maintenance. Something with a reach this large would put a big demand on the fire service as regards training and logistics.

All the local crane hire people are on a roster to attend any major incident at East Midlands Airport.

John S.
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