The only airworthy Shack

[vanjast]

.. at the SAAF's museum does it's regular ground run.
My camera audio is not that good.. but shyt those engines, when they synchronised, made the ground under my feet shake - what a fooking buzz it was.. 50m from that thing at full tilt.
This is a small sample of 15 minutes or so at max...!!??
Propellerheads.. enjoy with loud speakers:D

https://www.dropbox.com/s/wripw7c1095l9qa/Shackleton1722.mp4 (63MB)

[Jimbuna]

very nice...never seen a Shackleton in such good condition never mind actually working :cool:

[vanjast]

Hi Jim..

These guys are very serious about their 'property'.. even I 'overstepped' the mark with some requests from the museum.
You're dealing with 'hard tac', so long as you're with that.. they're an excellent bunch of guys. One learns very quickly :arrgh!:
I've worked in the SAAF on the following

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/35_Squadron_SAAF (then DF Malan military / now Cape Town International)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/27_Squadron_SAAF (then DF Malan military / now Cape Town International)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7_Squadron_SAAF (then DF Malan military / now Cape Town International)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/22_Squadron_SAAF (SAAF AFB Ysterplaat)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/30_Squadron_SAAF (SAAF AFB Ysterplaat)

One was very busy during one's trade years..
:)

[Jimbuna]

Rgr that...was good to see a Frightening back in the air over there after the tragedy.

[vanjast]

Tragedy ?? do you mean this one ?
http://www.urbanghostsmedia.com/2013/05/avro-shackleton-pelican-16-crash-wreck-sahara-desert/

It happens.. pity though.

[Jimbuna]

No....the Lightning or Frightning as some of us here call them at Thunder City:

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

I believe a week or so ago the first one flew again since the tragedy.

[vanjast]

Oh that.. Thunder City has been closed for years... There's been a peep or two on avcom about it - I haven't paid much attention ( my bad ) as I been more occupied with my eldest kids progress..

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=401235833342227&set=a.224176417714837.57042.224175031048309&type=1&relevant_count=1

In summary.. in this pic.. he's
- a Commercial pilot
- Has an instrument rating
- Has a night rating
- Has 100+ night hrs Pilot in Command (PIC)
- has 6 aircraft ratings
- has currently around 300 hours (as a guess)

He's 20 yrs old
:arrgh!:

[Herr-Berbunch]

In my youth I saw many Shacks at airshows until the last retired in the early nineties. Rather ashamedly, despite the four Griffons with contra-rotating props, I was only a teen and wanted fast jets so prolly no photos but I do remember seeing and hearing them from 8 Sqn. :yeah:

[vanjast]

It's funny...

Even though so many 'outsiders' had a warped view of the apartheid gov(as bad as it was - I experienced it) the Ysterplaat/DF Malan base was purely a South Atlantic/Indian Ocean search and rescue operation, plus a covert or two. It actually operated in co-operation with British and American forces well into the 90's

Har har... so much for sanctions
:D

[Jimbuna]

Oh that.. Thunder City has been closed for years... There's been a peep or two on avcom about it - I haven't paid much attention ( my bad ) as I been more occupied with my eldest kids progress..

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=401235833342227&set=a.224176417714837.57042.224175031048309&type=1&relevant_count=1

In summary.. in this pic.. he's
- a Commercial pilot
- Has an instrument rating
- Has a night rating
- Has 100+ night hrs Pilot in Command (PIC)
- has 6 aircraft ratings
- has currently around 300 hours (as a guess)

He's 20 yrs old
:arrgh!:

Nice one...you must be so proud :cool:

[vanjast]

Nice one...you must be so proud :cool:

Big time.. :up:

Mom and I are nuts about his achievements so far.
It has been an expensive 'trip' and he feels guilty sometimes about how much money we've poured into his training.. but as we said always to him
' If you want to do this, it has to be done properly and as fast as possible - Flying is a practised 'art'... if you don't fly enough you loose your touch and that costs.
You can pay us back later...' He felt better, but of course we'll never accept payments.

A colleague of my wife.. her hubby is an airline pilot.. and they say that J will be a Captain (left hand seat) by the age of 26yrs. :o
We'll see... but he definitely has the potential (unbiased opinion of course :D)

I'm actually 'jealous' as this is what I wanted to do, but we were dirt poor.
I could still do it, but rather put the buckazoids into the kids.

[Jimbuna]

Big time.. :up:

Mom and I are nuts about his achievements so far.
It has been an expensive 'trip' and he feels guilty sometimes about how much money we've poured into his training.. but as we said always to him
' If you want to do this, it has to be done properly and as fast as possible - Flying is a practised 'art'... if you don't fly enough you loose your touch and that costs.
You can pay us back later...' He felt better, but of course we'll never accept payments.

A colleague of my wife.. her hubby is an airline pilot.. and they say that J will be a Captain (left hand seat) by the age of 26yrs. :o
We'll see... but he definitely has the potential (unbiased opinion of course :D)

I'm actually 'jealous' as this is what I wanted to do, but we were dirt poor.
I could still do it, but rather put the buckazoids into the kids.

Precisely :sunny:

My lad (just turned 25) is currently on a years study leave sitting his Chief Officers qualification and we expect him to make Captain around the 28 year mark.

[HW3]

Congratulations to both of you on the fine sons you have raised!:up:

[Jimbuna]

Most kind of you :salute:

[vanjast]

:up:

Great stuff Jim.. I take it that this is a Sea Captain ?

I used to think I did a lot of studying for my qualifications, but the amount of stuff these guys have to wade through .... is volumes. I always say that a flying/sailing profession qualification is the same as a degree, one minor difference is that one is generally more practical than a degreed person.
:)

[Jimbuna]

Rgr that...he works for Holland America line.

His last vessel was the MS Zuiderdam

http://s9.postimg.org/o1kd43oe7/Zuiderdam.jpg (http://postimage.org/)

[vanjast]

Phew !!

Do you tell him that you always get a quick solution on his ship many times as he doesn't zig-zag..:arrgh!:

[Jimbuna]

LOL :)

[vanjast]

So will ye post pics of Herr Kapitan Jim-Junior when the event happens ?? Hopefully J will 'allow' us to take pics..:)

[Jimbuna]

Oh most definitely but you must do likewise :sunny:

[Herr-Berbunch]

My (ex) bro-in-law is a Chief on LNG carriers, after his next rotation he'll be heading up t'North to get his Captaincy qualifications.

And there are plans afoot to get WR963 airborne in the UK, but it's a slow process. :yeah: