Page 31 - Aviation News - September 2017

was later reduced to nine [after it was deemed Above right: This image shows the Staring at the tiny screens you think you’re
a second navigator was not required]. It Shackleton’s distinctive contrarotating doing a good job, but after 45 minutes you’re
consisted of two pilots, two navigators and propellers, AN/APS-20F radar bulge and open missing lots of things, so the operators
a ight engineer. Down the back, led by the bomb bay, the latter is where the emergency regularly needed to be moved around.
SAR equipment was installed. Peter R Foster
tactical co-ordinator (TACO), was a team of “Even just changing screen from left-hand
ve working the three tiny seven-inch radar Below: Mission crews endured dark, cramped to right-hand side of the aircraft was enough
screen displays.” and hot conditions in the AEW Shackleton. to get your brain back into gear.
The ve originally comprised a controller Key Collection “Heating in the Shack’ was terrible. If
and two operators. A third was later we up front were freezing cold, the
added, in addition to the TACO. The chaps in the tents were warm. When
‘off duty’ operator was responsible we were warm, they were boiling
for providing frequent hot drinks and hot. We had cabin heaters that ran
food. In 1981 the second navigator on our Avgas, which seems distinctly
was replaced with a radio operator. dangerous today.”
“We pilots up front were in
comparative comfort with leather OPERATIONS
upholstered seats and at least For UK air defence exercises David
a bit of a view,” explained David. said the squadron worked with the
“Consequently, we were sometimes sector operations centres at Buchan
referred to as ‘chauffeurs electronic’ by NE Scotland), Boulmer (NE England)
the back-end of the crew when they and Neatishead (Norfolk). “We would
wanted to wind us up. get airborne to arrive at the due time
“It’s difficult to believe now that the those guys. They were fantastic. Bear in to set up a ‘barrier’, ying an oval racetrack
operators worked on three tiny screens in mind too, the TACO’s team was often of pattern, 60, 80 or 100 miles off the coast to
this ergonomic slum, staring at their displays navigators and air electronics officers. Most look for intruders.”
trying to pick out moving targets in a raw were not trained as ghter controllers. Some Once in position, the pilots’ task was to
radar con guration, marking them with had troubles adjusting to the new role but, keep the aircraft optimally positioned so the
chinagraph pencil. That’s how basic it was.” once they got the knack, were damned good. TACO and his operators could perform their
The displays were stabilised, so north was “With 10- to 12-hour sortie lengths, the men job effectively.
always to the top, but lacked any altitude down the back did a remarkable job operating “Our optimal height for operations was in
information at all. in their ‘black tents’. The tactical co-ordinators the ve to eight thousand feet bracket and gave
David added: “I really do take my hat off to had to regularly rotate their operators round. us between 80 and 110 miles to the horizon.”

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