Library Reference Number: 123
Ivan and his Blister
Approaching the Russian Bear Delta from a position behind and to its left, my pilot and I were alarmed when our Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) burst into life. It had been twittering away quite happily but the fire control radar in the back of the Russian bomber had been switched from a search mode to a tracking mode. It was at least comforting to observe that the RWR had detected the mode change. Looking at the great swept-wing turboprop which was powering along at quite high subsonic speed, one couldn't help but be impressed with its size and majesty. The barrels of its tail guns were probably slaved to the radar for they followed us as we drew up in its stern quarter. Streaming from behind the engine nacelles one could see the jet efflux which turned to contrails some distance back.
We continued forward until we were sitting line abreast whereupon I undid my oxygen mask and took a couple of photographs. I was always wary of taking off my mask for it would allow them to get a mug shot of me to put into their dossier for subsequent use during my interrogation!
We then slid back in towards the stern to take some shots of the tail area. There was a very stern-looking chap sitting in what looked like a rear-facing observation turret. He seemed to scowl at us for infringing his personal space. On either side at the tail were glass/perspex blisters which had a sort of internal shutter or blind and was pulled down/up vertically. As we edged to the left to get a better view, the shutter in the left hand blister opened and a man wearing a soft flying helmet appeared. He smiled at us but was wary of doing anything else in spite of my gesticulations. Occasionally, the chap in the observation turret looked around to see what his crewman was doing and Ivan made sure that he was doing nothing. It seemed that Ivan was in awe of the chap in the turret. We waved.
Ivan glanced at his superior and on finding him looking elsewhere, returned our wave with a quick flash of his hand. As soon as the superior turned back to look, our man stopped waving! We swapped sides noticing that the shutter of the blister closed as we moved out of sight.
The right hand blister shutter opened and Ivan appeared again. He made sure his superior wasn't looking and then waved again. He seemed quite happy to pose for my pictures but eventually received a rebuke from the superior and assumed a dull bored expression.
We moved off to the left again and then proceeded to inch forwards until we were abreast of the cockpit. As we drew level with the pilot, we waved but all we received by way of response was a surly look. I took another photograph.
A friend told me once that when in a similar situation, an F4 pilot had misheard a RT frequency change and read back the wrong digits. Clever clogs in the Russian aircraft had shaken his head. When the F4 pilot read back the digits correctly, the Russian nodded and smiled!
Whilst this pilot was apparently unfriendly, I have encountered many who returned our greeting. Just behind the cockpit was a small window where we could see another face. As we studied this more closely, we realised that somebody was taking photographs of us. I whipped up my oxygen mask!
I used to wonder where the individual crewmen had come from and what their lives were like. We were a group of aviators passing a few moments together in the middle of nowhere but our lives may as well have been a million miles apart.
Finally, we slipped beneath the heavy Russian aircraft to take note of the aircraft number written on the nose wheel door. More photographs followed of the aircraft's belly and we could hear the dull roar of its four engines with their massive contra-rotating propellers. Clearing off to the side again, we waved before assuming a position several hundred yards on his port side.
Eventually we were obliged to depart and leave the Bear to whatever lay ahead for it. Possibly it was bound for Conakry in West Africa or Cuba. Perhaps it was just going to carry out some sort of exercise and return to the Northern Cape several hours later.