Short Stirling & RAF Bomber Command Forum

A couple more ................
Love the angle of this first photo.
John


This next one i think I've posted before but believe this photo to be of better quality.

Not sure Alan but love the photo, anyway.

Glad 'WS and H' weren't around then, the ground crew would be all dolled up with their fluro safety vest and hard-hats while the crews would still be waiting for an aircraft to fly in.
If they could take off, they'd have to dodge all the witches hats and barricades!

Sorry for the rant, I just value the efforts of those who did what they had to do, under all conditions and did not get tied up with all the bureaucratic drivel that we encounter today.
John

Not forgetting the harnesses and fall arrest systems that they have to use nowadays......

And what about the risk assessments for each of the crew, they'd have vever left the ground

and don't mention the luminous cockpit instruments.......

Time to fuel up, chaps!
John

Great photos - love Alan's worm's eye view of the ground crew hard at work!

Richard

Could this be a new found image?
yes, Richard, that photo of Alan's is a beauty in size alone. It really shows everything.
Don't recall posting too many images of Stirlings with the 'wave' colour affect along the fuselage.
John

Yep, great pictures - I hope the 'lookout' doesn't do Dennis's trick of falling out of the turret...

K4KittyCrew wrote: I really do wonder how many ground 'fell off' the wings, servicing the aircraft?
John

A fall from a Stirling wing on to grass would be a trip to the hospital at least but, on to a concrete hard standing would be fatal I would imagine. There were numerous occasions when ground crew would venture up there without trestles etc.
In dry conditions, the wing could be walked upon without to much difficulty "as long as you don't look down" but, in the wet or icy conditions as England invariably is?
Would it be very safe with oil or petrol on the wing after the mechanics and re-fuelers had finished their work? or in those muddy boots?
Would it be so easy In the dark or on a misty morning with a cold eastern wind gusting across the aerodrome ?
When you're tired, overworked, stressed out or when you're rushing around because its a maximum effort again tonight?

There were also various types of tall ladders to fall off, tons of bombs,100,s gallons of petrol, lots of airfield ground traffic, a blackout!.........an accident waiting to happen!


How many?



Tom