Aircraft Information
> Aircraft Make: Avro Model: AEW Mk 2 Nickname: Shackleton (or “Shack”)
> Aircraft Mil Civ Description: Airplane ME Piston
> FAA Category and Class: Airplane multi-engine land
> Engine Description: 4 piston engines (and 8 propellers!)

Aircraft Experience
> As of: 11/4/2024
> Number of Hours Flown: 3
> Number of Times Flown: 2
> Other Aircraft Models Associated: Avro Lancaster (WWII)

First Flown Information
> Sequence First Flown: 63
> Date First Flown: 11/9/1989
> Location First Flown: RAF Lossiemouth, Scotland
> Who and/or What Organization First Flown With: No 8 Squadron, Royal Air Force. Pilot-in-command Chris Booth and his crew

Recollections: The “Shack” is a top 5 experience for me.  I flew the airplane while serving as the Safety Officer at USNTPS on a student DT-II exercise.  The Shackelton, named in honor of artic explorer Ernest Shackleton, is a very unusual airplane, especially in the 1980’s and 1990’s.  It has 4 Rolls-Royce Griffon V-12 piston engines (1960 HP each) driving a 13 ft 4 in diameter contra-rotating, fully feathering propeller.

One could almost write a book about flying this plane.  My memories:

–The acceptance, kindness and camaraderie shown by Chris Booth (our “on wing” or “main host”) and all the members of 8 Squadron.  They welcomed us with open arms, excited to show us the airplane and its mission.

–Tea Time.  On my flight, tea time came around (we were airborne, by the way) so…we had tea.  In paper cups, mind you, but graciously delivered by one of the gents in the back, stepping over the main spar that runs thru the cabin.

–As part of the profile, and of course after doing several all-engine landings, I asked if we could do a simulated engine out landing.  The answer was “No, but we can shut one down airborne and land.”  It wasn’t clear to me why this was the case (perhaps there was no way to suitably simulate an engine out, owing to the airplane’s counter rotating propellers) so–for the first and only time in my flying career–I did an actual engine-out landing PRACTICE by shutting down a good engine.  (I, of course, have done several REAL engine out landings in the wake of an actual engine failure.  I also did an actual engine out takeoff for PRACTICE in the P-3 during my RAG IP training.)  The 3 engine landing was a piece of cake.  In fact, while the airplane was predictably heavy, it flew nicely.

–We got to see a little bit of the mission equipment.  The airplane’s retired now so I doubt I’m revealing any secrets.  The airplane’s mission was “AEW” which was to act as a controller to vector fighters to intercept incoming enemy aircraft.  I don’t recall the model of the radar but IT WAS OLD (wiki says it was an APS-20….which entered service in 1945).  So old, that it couldn’t tell the altitude of targets shown on the radar.  During out flight, they found out the altitude by contacting Air Traffic Control.  The Nimrod (which I flew on a different trip to Lossiemouth, refer to that writeup) was supposed to replace the Shack but–at least in it’s AEW role–it ran into developmental challenges and was eventually cancelled.  So, the Shack “stood the watch” from the 1970’s until early 1990’s, when it was replaced by the Boeing E-3 Sentry.  I’m sure glad the Shack got this “3rd lease on life”. 

–Oh, and getting to fly a 4-Griffon-engined, 8 propellered Taildragger!  Thank you 8 squadron!