ICE PILOTS YELLOWKNIFE - WHERE DOES A VC10 FIT IN?

[rockinrobbie]

I have been gripped by the ICE PILOTS series considering the ups and downs of aircraft operations. Where does the VC10 fit in? Read on..... On April 3rd 1979 I arrived at Yellowknife as part of the crew of a No. 10 Squadron VC10 (XR807) having flown in from Victoria. There had been a good deal of planning ahead of our arrival, not least of all, because we were taking H.R.H The Prince of Wales on a ten day tour of Canada.The arrangement was, we could install our VC10 in a hangar overnight to stop it freezing up ahead of our departure the next day. Well after some problems getting the aircraft located inside the hangar it became clear the doors would not close since the aircraft was simply too long. Where does the VC10 fit in? well, it clearly didn't........ lots of chin rubbing, red faces and noses............. it was freezing, the Canadians saw this almost failure as a challenge to rise to and closed the doors very close to the aircraft skin leaving the nose hanging unceremoniously outside the hangar doors. They proceeded to fill the void with as much foam as they could lay thier hands on, it was either improvise and adapt or leave the heating on full with the doors open all night. Bit of a heating bill that would have been! The next day without further hitch our cosy VC10 was extracted from the foam and the hangar, to leave as planned for Winnepeg some 2 hours and 45 minutes distant. Happy memories. Robert Clarke 10 Sqn Air Stward 1974 - 1979