Trident tales

Anecdotes from those who flew, worked with, on or travelled on the Trident.  To submit your own, please post on the forum or contact the webmaster via the contact form.

From R.G., former pilot:

Sitting on Shuttle backup at LHR, message from Shuttle Control to position across to Belfast. On arrival at the Belfast gate were given tickets and positioned across on the frontline T3.

On arrival at Belfast were informed that they were going to operate "an Irish backup" ASAP (that's a backup that leaves before the front running T3!).

The fuel plan is produced and the ops man asks what Trident One we are using (for the load sheet). "Not a clue" was my response, "Surely you should be telling me". The ops chap seemed rather confused, "but you flew one out here, we told LHR we didn't have a backup aircraft".

"Nope!! We came, as requested, as passengers!!!"

Paris-Heathrow, Delays due to Paris Air Show, Airborne slot allocated but just before starting informed by Ops that Lord King's Kingair will be taking the slot and we are to get the next one.

By the time we got to Biggin the Kingair was only about three miles ahead, heading 280 degrees at FL70 for an easterly landing at Heathrow. The controller, having held us at FL80 suggested the Kingair was "doing 140kts so we might catch him and with no other traffic we can keep our speed up!"

What more could you want? Keeping you speed up in a Trident 1 meant 380Kts, so as we passed directly over the Kingair 1000' above him it looked as if he was going backwards at 240kts!

Shuttle arrivals into Heathrow with easterly ops were routed to Westcott then onto Garston (now renamed Bovingdon) then a westerly radar heading towards Marlow, left turn to Maidenhead and then the ILS 10L.

If Heathrow was "quiet" there was always the chance of the infamous "Westcott Snatch", basically 180 degree heading from Westcott direct to Maidenhead with the speed kept up, reducing the track distance by about twenty miles. If the offer of the snatch was made overhead Westcott then speedbrake and/or reverse idle might be needed to get the height off.


On the approach in question we were flying with one of our very senior management Captains who obviously did very little flying and very very little Shuttle. The Captain had done the sector to Manchester with myself as P2 and it was the other copilots sector back to Heathrow.

The standard operation had the Captain handling the autopilot and the copilot doing the radio. It was relatively quiet so, about ten miles short of Westcott the copilot enquired of Air Traffic.. "What's the chance of a Westcott Snatch".. "Looking good " was the reply. The management type who had obviously not heard of the "Snatch" seemed confused. He obviously thought about it and after a short period turned to the copilot and asked "what heading do you think we will get?"... In a flash the copilot enquired of Air Traffic... "and the Snatch heading?" Air Traffic responded "You should get the standard heading".

It was by now getting rather too much for the Captain. His next question.. "And the speed?".. "I'll check with ATC"... "And the speed?"...Air Traffic were now enjoying the whole episode "Standard Snatch speed"

The Captain not having a clue what to expect then played his master card. He turned to the copilot and stated "I haven't done a Snatch in a while, perhaps you could demonstrate one for me" at which point he leaned down and moved the autopilot compass switch from Port to Starboard!

Reverse idle, full airbrake by the copilot and the situation was recovered.

Throughout the episode I just sat quietly as P3 and smiled.

Morning rush hour into Heathrow, Bovingdon stack almost full, numerous Tridents patiently awaiting their turn to start an approach when an RAF type joins the frequency. He is informed by Air traffic that there is holding at Bovingdon and they will be routing him across the top of the stack out to the east and then descending him for an approach to 27R.

One of our infamous Trident Captains promptly inquired "Is this chap queue jumping?". The RAF type responded "I've got royalty on board!". Our Trident Captain came back in a flash "Well I've got two Queens down the back, does that count?"

From J.C., former engineer:

Very early in my career I was on the headset by the nose gear keeping a watching brief while my betters carried out post engine change runs on a Trident 3 boost engine. I was advised by the engineer in charge that he was starting the engine and for some time there were the usual pre-ignition whirring noises but no start. Three attempts later there was still no action from the engine but there was a lot of fuel vapour around the number two engine area and also blowing across the tarmac. At this point I heard the avionic engineer sitting in the P3 set say "I know what the trouble is, I have not put the igniter fuses back in". The engine/airframe man was then heard to shout "NOOOOOOOOOO!" but of course too late and the fuses were screwed back in. The subsequent ignition and ball of flame that engulfed the entire tail section caught the attention of the tower who promptly despatched a contingent from the LHR fire brigade. At least we knew that the engine started OK.

From R.S. former ground staff:

I was ground staff for BEA and we were preparing a Trident (can't remember the registration or the date!) for a Queens flight to Malta. We got the word that in two hours her majesty would be expecting to board and depart. Imagine our terror when a British Eagle coach driver scraped the wing of the Trident with his airside coach and damaged the wing spar! With all hands on deck we hijacked another Trident and cancelled a flight or two, and frantically moved all the special fittings and furniture from one aircraft to the other. We were just pushing the final pieces in place as the royal roller cruised up to the front stairs. We made a quick and quiet exit down the back stairs! PHEW!!