by Nick Anderson | Feb 1, 2024 | Plane Tales
Podcast (pt): Download
Two of the Saratoga’s F14 Tomcats were tasked to defend the carrier against a simulated attack during Exercise Display Determination 87. The leader of this small formation included a senior pilot and skipper of a newly arrived Junior Grade Lieutenant Timothy Dorsey. Many years later, Dorsey would be nominated for promotion to a one-star Rear Admiral, an appointment that required Congressional approval. What stood in his way was an incident that occurred during that fateful day in 1987.
USS Saratoga
Timothy Dorsey
F14 Tomcats on deck
An F4 tanking
HUD film of the engagement
US Navy wings
Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to the US Navy, US Air Force and the US Gov.
by Nick Anderson | Feb 1, 2024 | Plane Tales
Podcast (pt): Download
Part 2 of my interview with my mate Matt, steely eyed rocket man extraordinaire.
Goonhilly
Gyros and spacecraft in Telstar
The interior of Telstar
The magnitude of space junk around the world
The first live TV pictures transmitted via satellite
Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to NASA, I Alison, Rama, NASA, US Gov, the BBC and Andrew Bulko
by Nick Anderson | Feb 1, 2024 | Plane Tales
Podcast (pt): Download
At first glance he looks to be a rather scruffy and unkempt elderly chap but behind the heavy glasses there are two twinkling eyes that reveal more than you can imagine. Indeed, appearances can be deceiving as this retired RAF Technician could have well been a steely eyed missile man as he controlled military satellites around during the Cold War. Meet my mate Matt!
Sputnik
RAF Oakhanger
Inmarsat equipment on board a ship
Not every launch was a success
Telstar
Voyager
Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to Nigel Chadwick, NRAO/AUI, Saber1983, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Dale Griffin USGS, then Science Museum and NSAS.
by Nick Anderson | Feb 1, 2024 | Plane Tales
Podcast (pt): Download
In the tale, the Applegate Memorandum, I described the difficult birth that McDonnell Douglas had with the DC-10 when it’s safety record was permanently marred by a cargo door design flaw that plagued its introduction. Sadly, this wasn’t the only issue that was going to discredit the aircraft in the eye of its passengers and they would ultimately condemn the world’s first 3 engined wide body as a dangerous failure. Although the aircraft’s problems with its cargo doors could be firmly laid at the feet of McDonnell Douglas, the next disaster that the aircraft would have to cope with was not of the manufacture’s making, but of some operators who took it upon themselves to shorten engineering procedures.
Then incident aircraft N110AA
Cutaway showing the configuration of the wing mounted engines
The DC10 cockpit
The last moments of American Airlines Flight 191
The aftermath
Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to the Dale Coleman, Jyra Sapphire, Jon Proctor, the Bureau of Aircraft Accident Archives, the NTSB, the US Gov and American Airlines.
by Nick Anderson | Jan 30, 2024 | Plane Tales
Podcast (pt): Download
I left you last time after we had returned with our Hornets from New Zealand having had a very productive and interesting few weeks working with the Kiwi A4 Skyhawks. We soon settled back into our Squadron HQ at RAAF Williamtown and started to work up some Maritime Strike tactics against the ships of the Australian Navy. These were early days for the Australian Hornets and the anti ship missiles that were to be purchased had yet to be properly integrated into the aircraft’s weapons system… and so continues the Tales from the Old Pilot’s Log Books.
The Hornets mix it with the Navy!
It was the P3 Orion’s job to find the ships and broadcast their positions
The RAAF had yet to equip their F18s with anti ship missiles but that didn’t stop us training
We flew affiliation sorties against the RAAF Caribous so I got the chance to observe from the other side of the engagement
Called in from leave to fly an engine air test I did so with my holiday beard still attached!
The rake of the Hornet seat didn’t suit my back leading to a nagging problem
On our way to Malaysia we staged through Bali
At RMAF Butterworth we stayed in the beautiful old RAF Mess
And could frequently be found in the Hong Kong Bar
Back home in Australia I started to suffer from vertigo and wondered if the dream had come to an end
