Previous picture Station Social pictures Next picture
stationpic179.jpg, 32271 bytes
Visiting Aircraft Open Day Anglo-German Week Dutch F-84F Thunderstreak - 19Jun57.   David Watkins thinks this might be one of the Dutch Air Force Aerobatics Display Team - Dash Four as it carries the same colour scheme.    The team was formed by pilots of 311 and 312 Squadrons based at Vokel the year before.
(Thanks to Bruno Albers and David Watkins for the aircraft details.)   James Butler tells us a story about a visiting Thunderstreak in Station Flight: "Picture 179 of the Thunderstreak reminds me of the time I refuelled a Thunderstreak.   When the American pilot returned to his aircraft a few hours later he saw the large gold letters, AVTAG, on the side of the tanker..."Have you put that stuff in my aircraft?"   I informed I had, and it was on the instruction of our Flt. Sgt.   "Get it out!" He was not in a very good mood.   "Get it out, I want JP49."   At the office in the hanger I reported what the American pilot had said.   I thought the pilot was following me into the office, but it seems he made his way back to the officers' mess.   The FLt Sgt said he would make some phone calls, consult some books, and in the meantime get the fuel out of the plane.   No one knew what this mystery fuel was.   After some time the Cpl came to me and said to put AVTUR into the plane.   Just as i was about to start pumping the AVTUR the word from the hanger was...stop what you are doing and refuel with AVTAG.   JP49 and AVTAG was the same thing.   Fast forward to 1958/59. Lord Brabazon was on the BBC news on television, he was telling an audience of reporters of...this wonderfull new fuel British Airways was going to introduce into their planes...a fuel which if the aircraft caught fire, this wonder fuel would take longer to ignite and would give passengers more time to escape.   Well I thought british passenger planes used AVTAG, but now it was going to be changed to the wonder fuel...JP49.   Marvelouse is it not!"
Previous picture Station Social pictures Next picture