Russ Fairchild who, with Alan Gettings and
Charlie Phillips, was one of Flight Development's representative with
the squadron, was reminded of a few anecdotes by the prospect of Dave
Scrimgeour's talk...
I remember the USAF pilot, Lt Colonel JK Campbell, always referred to
as "JK", who was particularly paranoid about flying the Kestrel. One
particular mission required a rolling vertical landing into a clearing
in some woods in the Stamford Battle Training Area. In the pre-flight
briefing JK enquired in all seriousness what (electronic) navaids would
be available to locate the landing site and guide the approach. It was
probably the CO, Wing Commander Dave Scrimgeour, who patiently told him
how to use his map, compass and stop watch to pass over a specific
landmark on a particular heading at an appropriate speed and after so
many seconds lower the nozzles. He would then, Dave assured him, come
to the hover over the designated site. JK was also very concerned that
the site would be swept (i.e. with a runway sweeper!) before landing.
Tripartite Evaluation Squadron
On another sortie, the target for the day was at a map reference
somewhere near Norwich where "...the rolling stock were to be
destroyed." In other words the map reference was for a railway
marshalling yard. In the de-briefing after the sortie a very
disgruntled JK said he hadn't been able to find the target because
"...there were no goddam cattle anywhere to be seen at that grid
reference!"
The German World War II Luftwaffe ace, Colonel
Gerhard Barkhorn, made a bone crunching, wince making, heavy vertical
landing on the airfield at West Raynham. He had closed the throttle
about three feet off the deck and just dropped the aircraft on to the
concrete. In the bar that evening, when teased about his very heavy
landing, he looked unamused and said very precisely "Zat vos not heffy,
just verm!"
By the way, I am still involved in V/STOL, watching
my bees returning from a mission laden with maximum external stores; a
spiralling downwards transition with the undercarriage dangling, then a
vertical landing at the hive entrance.
Editor's note. These two
Colonels were amongst the most colourful of a colourful squadron. JK
could not be mistaken for anything but an American with a cigar,
usually out, always clenched between his teeth. Col. B was a totally
self confident individual with a strong belief that he was immortal;
well, with 201 victories it's understandable.
