Ah! I wondered about that. They showed the Harriers firing but missed the impacts. I thought that was due to late cutting between cameras and imagined the producer tearing his hair out, but if the piece was edited together later I guess they avoided showing the fall of shot because the Harriers missed.
Your film of the Buccaneer strike is the money shot, though. Those cameras did not die in vain.
As a support helicopter pilot we didn’t often get to fire air to ground weapons; we did carry personal weapons on “Ops” but we also carried a machine gun on a frame in the cabin which could be swung out and fired through the open door by the crewman. However, we always carried a Verey pistol and coloured cartridges for signalling purposes. We used to have to practice total electrics failure at night. This was a tricky exercise because the aircraft had lost all stability and tended to wallow all over the sky, so the pilot could do little else except try to keep the aircraft under control, using both hands and feet.
All internal and external lighting, intercom and radios were lost so there was a drill where the pilot would position the aircraft over the landing airfield at 1,000 feet, using a torch to look at the instruments. The crewman was supposed to come forward with the Verey pistol unloaded but with a red flare in his hand, which he had to show to the pilot (we also carried green and yellow flares). He was supposed to stay up front until the pilot gave the signal to go down the back, load the pistol, slide open the cabin door and fire the red flare downwards. The idea that ATC would see the red flare (aircraft in distress) and hopefully fire a green flare or shine a green light in response, which meant that the aircraft was cleared to land.
The door could only be opened below 60 kts but we cruised at about 140 kts. Puma cabin door runners were delicate and doors had been known to come off if abused, which could result in it going through the tail rotor, causing loss of control. The RAF had very recently lost a Puma aircraft due to this very problem, killing all on board so it was in everyone’s mind. The procedure obviously needed careful co-ordination and the drills were meant to be known by heart by all crew members.
During my initial night flying training in a Puma helicopter over Salisbury Plain, around midnight in the summer of 1979, my instructor briefed us that we were going to practice the emergency. On our return to Upavon he deliberately failed both generators. He then turned off all the lights; I then had to get my torch out to look at the instruments so I could begin to slow the aircraft down whilst positioning to the overhead of Upavon airfield. To my huge surprise (read shock!), as soon as I switched on my torch (still doing about 120 kts at only 500 feet over the village of Netheravon, a few miles to the south of Upavon airfield), there was a sudden “Whoosh”, an inrush of air then a loud “BANG!” followed by the aircraft being lit up in a bright red light… I honestly thought my time had come…so did my instructor!
The trainee crewman had got it all wrong and obviously had paid no attention to the brief. As soon as he realised the instructor was simulating electrical failure, instead of coming up front as he was supposed to do, he took out the Verey pistol, loaded it with a red flare and sat by the cabin door. As soon as I switched on my torch, he took that to be a signal to open the door and fire the flare!
Apparently because we were a lot less than 1,000 feet the red flare was still burning brightly as it hit the ground. It landed on the main road through Netheravon and bounced a few times, going north. Thankfully it didn’t set anything alight or hit anyone but it was spotted by the local police who were obviously rather keen to find out what the hell was going on. The crewman was subsequently given a very severe talking to!
Sounds like a “brown” trousers moment…
I fell out of a Seaking once, were were doing a display for some “big wigs”, where about 4 or 5 helo’s would come in discharge us troops, where we would fire off a few blanks…well I was carrying the “gun” (GPMG to those that don’t know), the load master called me out of my seat to be first out of the door on hitting the deck. As I moved forward the aircraft lurched, I stumbled forward with the weight of the gun (about 24 lbs swinging off my shoulders)…and out I went …lucky for me only about 15-20 feet off the ground…it hurt…a lot…I had a couple of cracked ribs, and a shed load of bruising, broke the carrying handle on the gun. I was given a kicking by the gun commander for not getting the rounds off…but I was rolling around gasping for breath, and then could only hear everyone laughing Happy days at 45 Commando 
Ouch! I was once coerced into taking part in a role demo as a “troop” which required roping down from a Puma (hand over hand, we weren’t allowed to slide). The rope was 60 feet long and the standard procedure was that at least 15 feet of rope should remain on the ground. Normally there would be a maximum of thirty feet to climb down. I had roped before, without a problem but this time seemed to take forever. I suddenly realised that I had reached the leather bit on the end of the rope, so I’d gone the full 60 feet! I then looked down and realised I was probably about twenty feet off the ground and the helicopter was beginning to climb. I had no option but to let go. I was shaken up by the hard landing but thankfully not injured. This was the result of a miscommunication between the crewman and the pilot up front. The crewman called “last man on the rope”: the pilot heard “last man OFF the rope” and started to fly away.
Must have been an “Pongo” or Crab Pilot/air crew glad you also made it OK, that’s why us Booties “fast rope” (when we don’t dive straight out)
Hi Watchnut, try Voltarol on your knees. Works for me although I am 85 Y O in September
If he’s diving out from sixty feet he’ll need some on his head, too.
Still hard at it BUT i’ve just taken voluntary redundancy which means over fifteen months of early retirement and i’m going to be a first time Grandad.
54 days and counting down.
Bring it on, 48 years of wind rain snow ice and up to my arm pits in engine oil and grease, enough is enough.
Congrats Dave! On several fronts 
Barrie
Congratulations. Well earned judging by a few very informative posts penned over the years.
Now, what you need in between Nappy Papa Shift Duty is…a dead Mk1 to strip to the bone & rebuild. Starting with the dirty, oily greasy bits.
An early retired MX5 owning Grandad, what could be better 
Enjoy Dave!
Cheers, nappy duties already booked and expected (they hope).
As for a dead car…No1 son has literally just moved house and it HAS A FOUR CAR GARAGE, so you can guess where i’ll be every day, rocking the pram with my left hand and rocking a spanner with my right, as for what car i’m not decided yet but it might be a kit car of some description.
Cheers Ray, can’t wait to be a Grandad.
Cheers Barrie, see you soon.
Back to work for me tomorrow. First time since the middle of March. Up at 05:30, I’d got out of the habit!
Started a new part time job today. Worlds away from the role I had that was made redundant but delighted to be back in work! 
Plumbing and heating. Been out as normal but with face mask and soapspray since early March. Keeping people distant in their homes and fanatically hand washing and soaping everything I touch. Been out to two calls today (New Years day) in the MX5 as it’s fun and I didn’t need to take much with me.
I’ve been busy like you wouldn’t believe since August.
worked all the way through the pandemic … apart from when i was confirmed covid positive 
our work even gave us all an unexpected £200 bonus at christmas , all 16000 of us 
One thing I noticed this morning and every morning since probably 23rd December, no one going to work in our road.
I said to my wife, if I was still working (Covid or no Covid) I’d be there from boxing day (depending on what day that fell on) up until new years eve.
The bonus of course is we live next to a now busy road, that’s been quiet too, well maybe until the sun comes out.
I’m a Car Valeter, and although I work in isolation and wear a mask and gloves, Tier 4 Government Guidelines state that businesses that can remain open include “automatic (but not manual) car washes”. So I’ll be staying off work for the foreseeable
I’d rather be safe in the knowledge that I’m not helping spread the virus to my family or customers.