Lightning Legends: Dennis Brooks

Dennis Brooks shares his tales from the cockpit - Dennis was Officer Commanding of LTF Squadron here at Binbrook and flew the Lightning for 8 years.

[@se7enmax]

Went to an airshow at RAF Leuchers in Fife. I was about 16 and stood about 100 feet away as they scranbled two squadrons of Lightnings at once towards the North Sea. Being 70 now my memory is not perfect, if anybody else remembers this day I would appreciate any comment. I had just started an apprenticeship at Rolls Royce in Hillingdon near Glasgow. I was lucky to get a lift every day with two guys who worked on the Avon re-heat sections of the engine. One welded the fuel rings within the re-heat section, and the other younger man inspected his work. Needless to say there were many bitchy conversations on the way home. Willie the inspector failed some weldes which reduced the old boys bonus at the end of the month. Many people worked to keep you and your people safe Dennis. The safety standards at Rolls Royce were so high back then, it was check and double check on everything.

[@mschaffner2270]

A true legend, a real gentleman, and a very nice chap, all around. Cheers Dennis!

[@gordon7470]

Was on 111 at the same time. Remember both these incidents, in fact witnessed the aircraft retracting it’s gear early and going into a very wet muddy field. Recovery was a 12 hour marathon. 111 ac XR711 “A”. Exciting times as a young airman. 111 was a terrific grounding for my 22 years in the RAF and never forgotten 👍👍

[@Lee78072]

Squadron Leader Brooks. The Man, the Myth, the Legend

[@Ka9radio_Mobile9]

Once a Lighting pilot, always a Lighting pilot!

[@stewsretroreviews]

Love the Lightning and what a nice bloke 👍🏻 remember hearing about a Lightning being down in the North Sea

[@gregmonaghan]

Dennis Brooks was my boss at EMUAS in the late '70s, where my RAF flying career started. Good to see you looking so well.

[@jaguar3248]

Great video and he tells it exactly as it was back then, accidents and incidents happened, and people sadly lost there young lives. It may not be acceptable for that to happen nowadays but back then it was acceptable, just remember those that gave up there lives proving it.

[@samrodian919]

It may read better if you used "their" not there sir, not taking the piss but it stopped me twice as I read your comment, which was well made these young pilots did loose their lives in flying accidents and in fast jets even today still do. Flying is a risky business be it light aircraft or super fast military jets, you can only mitigate it's danger by strict rules and procedures, and training. But things break and be it a fast jet or small commuter prop plane, mechanical mishaps and failures happen in the real world.

[@bahoonies]

@@samrodian919 Apologies for drawing attention to it but your own comment will read much better if you replace 'loose' with 'lose' and further down 'it's' with 'its.'

[@davidgrainger3431]

I remember both of these incidents while i was part of treble ones ground crew from 1971 to 1974, Dennis was always a gentleman and the one person on the squadron who could of got out of the three ship incident without a scrape

[@garywallace8521]

Aah Binbrook 5 & 11 Sqns plus the LTF best memories of a RAF career. See to recall the Station Commander ‘banging out’ over the North Sea, think his name was Carter?

[@davidlawrencebanks4610]

What a nice chap

[@frankmcvey]

Good to see you, Boss - brought back a few good memories!

[@Lee78072]

You served under Mr Brooks?

[@frankmcvey]

@@Lee78072 Yes, Lee - Dennis was my boss on Lightning Training Flight in 1976. We met again a couple of years later on 9 Sqn Tornadoes at RAF Bruggen. Just before I was posted back to the UK, I was lucky enough to be given a back-seat ride in a Tornado, flown by Dennis. which included a simulated attack on the Mohne Dam. An unforgettable experience!

[@Lee78072]

@@frankmcvey Wow. How cool

[@SmartSilver]

Great recollections of a true professional.

[@ianstewartaviation2634]

Great interview I may have filmed you taxiing the Lightning at Bruntingthorpe it is on my KZbin channel, shame that Bruntingthorpe fast taxi days have come to an end.👍🇬🇧

[@raycarter6037]

A lovely interview 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻

[@SpawnofChaos2010]

As much as I loved the interview, I almost feel cheated for its abrupt conclusion!

[@jaywalker3087]

Binbrook was my first posting. Imagine the thrill of working on your favourite aircraft.. 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@jaywalker3087]

The Frightening....

[@stratotramp6243]

Can someone recommend a good book on the Lightning written by a pilot? Working my way through Tornado and Stranger To The Ground (F-84) at the moment (would recommend both). I must admit beyond my opinion of Lightning's being super cool. I don't know an awful lot about them.

[@timothybird7450]

Take a look at "Last of the Lightning's by Ian Black. He was around Lightning's for most of his life, his father flew them, and Ian was the last person to qualify on the Lightning.

[@davidmurphy8190]

Concur on both books.

[@АндрейШмырев-х8н]

Старый конь борозды не испортит!!!

[@coffdrops69]

A true legend.