One of my old grey babies has had an accident.

Posted by: Tony Lockhart on 09 September 2008

They were trying to put this old girl on a plinth. The base commander, of Tabuk I think, was told that the crane wasn't upto the job. He insisted that the job be completed by close of play that day. Twat. This one's back is broken, and they don't have a decent enough F3 to put up now. At least nobody was hurt. I think the base commander will be replaced very, very soon.







I slaved in temperatures of upto 55c for a few years on a squadron of 24 of those things at Dhahran. We lost two in a mid-air collision and now this. Sad, but even in the MAC nobody was killed.

Still, you've gotta laugh!!

Tony
Posted on: 09 September 2008 by u5227470736789439
Broken beyond cosmetic repair? Shame anyway.

ATB from George
Posted on: 09 September 2008 by Tony Lockhart
I think the plinth design relies on the 'plane's spine still being able to take some load.

I love the cynical smile on the BAeSystems' guy's face!

Tony
Posted on: 09 September 2008 by BigH47
Might have had more success ordering a 100 blokes to lift it onto the plinth. Winker
Posted on: 09 September 2008 by Tarquin Maynard - Portly
"Your hat, my office"...
Posted on: 10 September 2008 by tonym
The Saudis like to put things up on roundabouts, don't they?

This wasn't in Jeddah was it?
Posted on: 10 September 2008 by Tony Lockhart
It was in Tabuk, up near the Jordanian border. I worked on them at Dhahran til the end of '99.
On the subject of roundabouts, if you are driving out there and are approaching a crossroads, the road sign before it will be for a roundabout... they really hate crosses!

Tony
Posted on: 10 September 2008 by 555
Great pics' Tony!