Chuffy's Flying Circus

Gents,

Firstly, I must apologise profusely for the extended absence.
A combination of wedding preparation, losing two colleagues at work (not down the back of the sofa, either) and much, much traveling have left me with a decided deficit in flying time...

But enough about me and my slack bladdered excuses... I have an aviation story! Not a very good one, but one, none the less... Are we sitting comfortably? Good, then I'll begin...

There I was, sitting in seat 21a of a SAS Bombardier CRJ900 (very smooth flying aircraft to be a passenger on... Not as nice as the BAC 111, but then nothing in my experience ever is...)  the aircraft was sitting at the end of the main runway at Gardermoen Intl airport, Oslo, Norway, awaiting clearance to begin the take off roll...

So, I hear the throttles open, the engines begin to lift in pitch and volume, I feel the kick of acceleration in the small of my back and we are off! Accelerating, Accelerating, Accelerating, reaching the rotation point and then.....

BRAKES BRAKES BRAKES!!!!

The incredibly uncomfortable feeling that something has gone wrong started to creep over me... The worst thing? There was absolutely nothing I could do... Worse still? The pilot was silent the whole time... So, with full spoilers and brakes, the aircraft slows to taxy speed and pulls off onto the last taxy way on the left...

The pilot then sheepishly comes over the intercom...

Quote"Em... yes, sorry about that, we didn't have clearance to take off and so had to abort.... Also we have also over heated the brakes and so must wait for them to cool down before hopefully finding a slot in the schedule to take off...

Is this normal? Or do airline pilots get so bored at work that they decide to scare the shit out of their charges, just to liven things up a little...

1 hour later I was still sitting in seat 21a, still waiting for a slot to take off...

I was not amused... Next time, I'm taking the train...

Why thanks ever so much, UFO!

May I wish you a very Merry Christmas, all the Seasons Greetings, my very best wishes and a very Happy New Year to you too.
That goes for all the scallywags, scoundrels, officers and gentlemen (and Wilkins) that call Chuffy's Flying Circus home.

All the best for the holiday season, go easy on the festive sherry (but not too easy, what?) and I shall see you all again soon!

pip pip

dinosaurJR

I say, bounder - excellent slide show! Top notch, old bean, top notch indeed!

But - was that the famous "Pink Spit" at the end there?

Rodger, old chap, I shall PM him forthwith.

Many thanks,

dinosaurJR

I say, gents, how does one access the drop box? I am aware of its existence and even have a rather modest one of my own, but how the devil does one access the Chuffy drop box? (ooh er! )

I understand nothing...

That is, until it is either; a) painted PR Pink, b) hit repeatedly with a hammer, or c) explained to me at great length by Matron in her sing song bed time story voice...

So in this case, gents, I am more stumped than an amputation ward.

Looking forward ever so to tonight's little furball,

Pip pip and so on,

dinosaurJR

Egad chaps - this is a fantastic thread!

I must agree with one of the earlier posts - this should be a book! I would most certainly buy it!

But good grief, gents I am so jealous... I wasn't even born when you chaps were off, trotting round the globe with beautiful and mysterious blonds, ground looping C-45s and landing F-225s in white out conditions... I loved Woof's story about the unfortunate F-86 belly landing and the one about the C-47 (cutting #1 and hitting the bail out alarm... wizard jape, what?) Conky has experienced more in one season as a bush pilot than I have in my entire 30 years so far... And all the while proudly sporting the badge of office for all aviators (sun glasses and / or a manly mustache). Good show!

I was born in '81 and have been periodically a Car / Truck / Bus mechanic, a Construction Manager and I now fly a desk as a Technical Purchaser for HeidelbergCement... Quite a different background...

I am purely a commercial flyer and never, ever in the front (always in the back with the other cargo...) And this makes me sad...

Please, gents, keep the fantastic memoirs of Chuffy's Flying Circus coming. They make for incredibly interesting reading.

Good show!

I say! Very nice old chap!

Although my travels have taken me to China, I have never been there for fun; furthermore I have never had the chance to visit Beijing... One day, perhaps...

I love the pictures of the IL-10 - the armor looks formidable to say the least. It would take a rather long burst of .303 to drop one of those beaties, what?

Thanks ever so for sharing these wonderful images, old bean.

Pip, pip

dinosaurJR

I had quite a chuckle at that last one - jolly good show Conky!

One is yet to make the acquaintance of this Matron; but as I am lead to believe that I have a face only a mother could love, I am quite certain we shall get on like a Nazi block house on fire...

My dear Fitz, thanks ever so for entrusting me with access to the rest of the site. I shall proceed to gen up with gentleman's speed...

Palmtree, old man, mine's is a large brandy - good show!

Pip pip, gents!

Ah, a warm welcome. Very much appreciated chaps!

But Silverback, old man, how do you know one's pet name for the "little chap"? Do you know Carstairs? Highly irregular man but quite the comedian after a few brandys in the officers mess...

Oh, and one last question; what equipment are we on these days? Are we using UP3? Or is it vanilla 4.10.1m?

Pip pip me (new) old mateys!

What-ho chaps!

Having been seconded to the frozen north for the last three years, one has only just become aware that good old Blighty is once again at the mercy of Adolph and his sausage sucking cabbage crates.

Being as patriotic as the next first eleven, upper house, bushy mustached old Etonian I  hopped into my kite and had her up the blue end with not a second to spare! Officer's height and gentlemen's speed, oh yes indeed, officer's height and gentlemen's speed... I adopted the bearing of due Blighty and was here faster than you can say "Carstairs, old stick that is a rather fetching chiffon you have on today, I really must have the details of your dress maker..."
Point me due Hunland and we shall be eating bratwurst in Bavaria by Christmas!

Carstairs was a rather odd fellow, now that one brings him to mind, but I digress;

In all seriousness chaps, I first heard the legend of Chuffy and his Flying Circus (capital letters firmly intended) whilst over at Mission 4 Today. I've been playing around with IL-2 1946 (UP3 and DBW) for around a year now (yes, I'm late to the party, but that is rather fashionable, what?) and am confident that I can walk away from most landings on at least one leg (provided I can use the external view). I am a little hazy when it comes to complex engine management, however...

As for my particulars, I am Scottish (yes, yes a jock, but no one's perfect, what?) and have been domiciled in Norway for the last three years (I got snagged by some Scandinavian skirt, chaps, we are to be married next September) . However, my work takes me far and wide (from Belgium to Ghana, from Senegal to Liberia) - therefore my flying hours tend to be a little erratic...

I am looking for some fine chaps to fly with, purely for fun, and have been brushing up on the appropriate lingo required for entry to such a fine gentleman's club. I also enjoy a good conflab with the lads in the mess and so therefore shall be in and around the forums quite regularly.

Now, FatherTed mentioned some sort of "initiation"? I stand ready, wing commander...

Pip pip and all that...