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Aden and the Auster by Mike Jackson 53a

Editor: Webmaster AAS

John (Peat) Moss © 09/11/06

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Forward by the Editor

• Mike Jackson is an ex Army Apprentice from the Arborfield Boys School, near Wokingham, England. Intake 53a

• He has sent me some photos of his posting to Aden 1962/63 and his exploits as an aircraft mechanic during that period.

• We hope you enjoy this presentation.John C Moss

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Mike & Friend Morris the Mantis

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Over the causeway

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Past the Canada Dry Plant

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Past the Shell Refinery

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The Warrior at rest(Only 511 days to Demob)

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The runway in Aden

Where the Blacktop ends, that’s where you find 653 Squadron AAC

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The VIP We had a VIP visitor. As usual the powers to be decided that he was to be taken “Up Country” to monitor an exercise.

All went well until it was their time to come home.

That’s how we found ourselves in a “Beaver” on a rescue mission.

Note:- Check out the pecking order, Corporals at the back of the bus!

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The Desert View

Gentlemen, if you look to your right hand side, you will see sand......

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The Desert View 2

And more sand......

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Oasis ?

Very occasionally, some green but it’s not Blighty....

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XP 240

Finally we found XP 240...........

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A bad day for XP 240

“Yes Staff, he probably ran out of,

AirspeedAltitude

and Ideas, all at the same time” ...

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Wingless!

All we could do was put the wings on the back of an RL attach a sling, and.........

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RAF Skyhook

Wait for the RAF......

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Bristol Belvedere

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“Up - Up” and Away

That was easy, the only problem being was when the helicopter started it’s engines.

A cartridge start scared the locals guarding the site. They thought that they may be under

attack!.....

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Suspended

XP 240 on it’s way home.....

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Flying High

It seems to track very well......

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The decent at the hanger..We arrived back just after the Auster, you can just see the helecopter over the right hanger. The cloud of dust on the left is where the Auster landed.

XP 240’s bad day was not over. When it reached approx. 50/60 feet above ground, the RAF dropped the Aircraft. When the helicopter finally landed, the crew explained that they had an open mic intercom system with throat mic’s.

So when the Loadmaster coughed, the Pilot thought that he had said “Cut” so he released the load. The tail feathers of the Auster flexed down resembling an F4 Phantom......

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Boeing 747-400Mike's career eventually took him from Electrics and Instruments on Beavers to Avionic endorsement on Boeing, Airbus and Douglas products.

Another accomplishment by an Army Apprentice Soldier.

John C Moss http://groups.msn.com/ArmyApprenticeSoldiers

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B 747-400