And back in August 94 I drove past here and flying from the airfield was a barrage balloon. For those of you not familiar with RAF Catterick based here at the time was 2 Sqn RAF Regiment, and they were (and indeed still are) the RAF Regiment Parachute Squadron. The balloon was being used for refresher training. In fact it was one of the last times that the balloon was used for this as IIRC they went out of service at the end of 94.
There used to be a dedicated RAF unit which toured round the country providing parachute training for various units, the RAF having always trained paras for the Army; we often had one operating at Queens Parade, Aldershot just across the road from Farnborough Airfield where Nos 1 and 3 Parachute Regiments were stationed at that time. If you stood next to the DZ, you could hear the screams as the novice paras doing their first ever jumps exited the cage.
Like most things nowadays, this operation was put out to tender in the mid ’90s and the winning bid used a Short Skyvan to replace the balloons, flying the troops out of Farnborough to their DZ at Hankley Common some 5 miles to the south.
IIRC the balloons were part of the para school at Brize. As for going out to tender, well that was due to the cost of maintaining the balloons . We used to get the Skyvans in to Leuchars for para training at Barry Buddon and IIRC the Skyvans would fly from Barry Buddon and pop in to Leuchars for fuel.
No 1 PTS only moved to Brize from Abingdon in 1976 from where it had operated since 1950.
I visited Abingdon several times in the ’60s and ’70s as my ATC Sqdn was affiliated to Abingdon so we had 1 or 2 visits a year where we had basic training on the ‘fans’ and other items followed by a Beverley flight. Worst thing about the fans wasn’t the descent from jumping high up in the roof of the ‘B Type hangar, it was climbing the vertical ladder with no guard around it.
Probably the last use of this fort tower was around 1978 when Topcliffe was closed for resurfacing. RNEFTS Bulldogs used Catterick during the closure and were controlled by us from here. I recall a spiral staircase with a small kitchen immediately below the VCR. The novelty soon wore off though and we were glad to get back home to Topppers.
Yes, there is a pic somewhere, I’ll see if I can trace it. I think the Vulcan was set in a hollow with its nose wheel collapsed to simulate an awkward rescue etc, not 100% sure on that bit though, just rings a bell.
I read recently that they landed a Valiant there too back in the ’60s, however it was one which had been used for H-bomb testing in the Pacific and they found it was highly contaminated and thus was cordoned off and discretely ‘disposed’ of.
atchistory 
And back in August 94 I drove past here and flying from the airfield was a barrage balloon. For those of you not familiar with RAF Catterick based here at the time was 2 Sqn RAF Regiment, and they were (and indeed still are) the RAF Regiment Parachute Squadron. The balloon was being used for refresher training. In fact it was one of the last times that the balloon was used for this as IIRC they went out of service at the end of 94.
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There used to be a dedicated RAF unit which toured round the country providing parachute training for various units, the RAF having always trained paras for the Army; we often had one operating at Queens Parade, Aldershot just across the road from Farnborough Airfield where Nos 1 and 3 Parachute Regiments were stationed at that time. If you stood next to the DZ, you could hear the screams as the novice paras doing their first ever jumps exited the cage.
Like most things nowadays, this operation was put out to tender in the mid ’90s and the winning bid used a Short Skyvan to replace the balloons, flying the troops out of Farnborough to their DZ at Hankley Common some 5 miles to the south.
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IIRC the balloons were part of the para school at Brize. As for going out to tender, well that was due to the cost of maintaining the balloons . We used to get the Skyvans in to Leuchars for para training at Barry Buddon and IIRC the Skyvans would fly from Barry Buddon and pop in to Leuchars for fuel.
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No 1 PTS only moved to Brize from Abingdon in 1976 from where it had operated since 1950.
I visited Abingdon several times in the ’60s and ’70s as my ATC Sqdn was affiliated to Abingdon so we had 1 or 2 visits a year where we had basic training on the ‘fans’ and other items followed by a Beverley flight. Worst thing about the fans wasn’t the descent from jumping high up in the roof of the ‘B Type hangar, it was climbing the vertical ladder with no guard around it.
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Probably the last use of this fort tower was around 1978 when Topcliffe was closed for resurfacing. RNEFTS Bulldogs used Catterick during the closure and were controlled by us from here. I recall a spiral staircase with a small kitchen immediately below the VCR. The novelty soon wore off though and we were glad to get back home to Topppers.
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That explains why when I went to Catterick from Swinderby there were Bulldogs using the airfield.
And somewhere there is the famous picture of a Vulcan landing here in 1981. It arrived to go to the RAF fire school.
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Yes, there is a pic somewhere, I’ll see if I can trace it. I think the Vulcan was set in a hollow with its nose wheel collapsed to simulate an awkward rescue etc, not 100% sure on that bit though, just rings a bell.
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I read recently that they landed a Valiant there too back in the ’60s, however it was one which had been used for H-bomb testing in the Pacific and they found it was highly contaminated and thus was cordoned off and discretely ‘disposed’ of.
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The film “the way to the stars” was made here in 1945, and the tower makes many appearances.
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