"As a kid" Quiz

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24 years 2 months

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"Eeee.. when I were a lad"

Right something to test your knowledge ladies and gentlemen!

I have more or less been living in the same town for all of my life. Yeah boring... Anyway. Twas born in '76. I'm 27 (Moggy's old enough to be my father :D) and thus was born into the latter section of the Cold War. Living in mid-Warwickshire cetainly in the first 5-10 years saw an active sky of military jets overhead. In fact, I think we're were near a designated low-level airway. I could identify even then the odd one or two types but the airborne heritage then must have been far greater. So now, I can't appreciate it fully due to my age then.

This time period was back when tactics defined fast, low-level flying in pairs. Nearby obviously we would have had an American based contigent of aircraft.

My young sensitive ears became accustomed to the roar and boom of turbojets. Dad didn't. One week in three he worked nights and had to sleep until 2pm after getting home at 6am.

Despite the regualr noises, one thing that did scare me **** less was a banshee wail of a certian type of jet unknown to me at the time. Slightly older I managed to look up at aged 5 and something, braced myself to see this jet and recall associated this noise with what I saw. Always a straight wing jet in orange and silver.

Technology changed and so did the American deployment in Britain. Still at aged 14/15 (89-90ish) a certain attack aircraft still remained with us, disturbing our peace in lessons. One incident involved this aircraft and a very hot summer's day with all windows open. Very funny seeing the teacher, Mr Lancaster, getting naffed off with the incessant noise and the pair used our town as a marking point in which they did their infamous 90 deg knife-edge turns.

So, the quiz is this. Using an educated guess based on commonality of air forces operating in my area, what would I have seen:

- as a toddler, e.g. 76-80 ?

- likewise the "banshee" jet?

- thence until aged 15?

BR

P.S. Not a bad idea? Reminds us our of aviation heritage. Comparitively these days no military traffic at all. I believe tactics have changed to higher flight altitudes. And NIMBYs still complain about commercial noise. How they forget ey?

Original post

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I have to say that his mother was a lovely girl back in the late 1970s

;)

Moggy

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I would guess the pair that disturbed your teacher was either F111 out of Heyford or A10s up from Bent waters.

Moggy

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Daddy! :D

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My boy!

(I was starting to worry who'd provide for me in my old age. Now I can relax :) )

Moggy

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About that inheritance...would you like to move out and pass the estate to me now, thus avoiding the death duties? ;)

Yup A10s stopped the lesson.

Any more?

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Straight wing jet in orange and silver - JP (Single speed variable noise machine)?

Moggy

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24 years 2 months

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Could be given the number of those around... Just trying to run through my mind a Canberra or JP tear-arsing at low-level. To the silhouette book, batman!

Saw something similar looking later on in life, which was a T3something american trainer. Possibility? More rare I assume though.

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20 years 3 months

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What about the aggressors at Alconbury (527 TFTAS)? Admittedly they were F-5Es which haven't got straight wings. A-10s were based there as well. Could have been anything out of Lakenheath or Mildenhall as well, I guess, as they had F-111s at the 'heath and prior to that Phantoms and F-100s.

As for the banshee wail, could that have been your mother looking for and missing your "absent" father??!!!!

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Reading your first post I thought "T-33"?

(Will reply properly later to this thread, boss on the prowl!)

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24 years 2 months

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Okay change it to (red or orange) with (white or silver). This bit is vague mind! The noise was something that really stuck out compared to the rest of the jets flying at the time.

Up to '90 or so, we would have had regular Jags, Harriers and Tornados. In the latter period concerned F111s out of Heyford tended to stay south. Could still see them winging around if you drove down the Fosse toward Ettington/Halford.

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Hiya Ashley! I'll have to have a listen to the T-Bird when it's flying again. Any time this year? Allison J-33 engine presumably?

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I'd have guessed Canberras for the straight wing jets, either RAE/A&AEE out of Pershore or FRADU out of Yeovilton. Both had variations of the old gray/silver and Dayglo schemes - RAE didn't adopt the Rasberry Ripple scheme until 1976 and FRADU kept their Canberras in grey/orange with some having the Yellow/black undersides.

http://www.fradu-hunters.co.uk/canberra/.

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Originally posted by BlueRobin
Okay change it to (red or orange) with (white or silver). This bit is vague mind! The noise was something that really stuck out compared to the rest of the jets flying at the time.

Could be a JP then - Red and light grey/white which could look silver. And that little Viper did tend to be on "Loud" most of the time..

A10s for the others, I'd be sure - I recall watching them do those knife edge turns over the Fens in the 70s..

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A-10s were a pain in the proverbial. My parents had a static caravan on the old Leiston Mustang base and I'm sure they used our 'van as a turning point. Couldn't have been much louder if they were in the 'van with me.