There was asbestos in the brakes. The warning is in the 5A2 Safety & Servicing Notes (Which I have a PDF copy of). I also have the complete Vol1, Vol3 & Vol6 for the Spey powered Phantom. If you want copies of any/all of these let me know
Hi Dave, really sorry to hear that tragic news. I have read through the other responses, all of which seem helpful - especially Dick Barton's brilliant finding. I do hope that is useful for your needs. I lost a colleague a few years ago to the same horrible infliction that is Mesothelioma. Den Rayner, ex-Nav Instie, but on the Harrier fleet. Seems that he was informed that the highest probability for his case was exposure to asbestos during exercises, whilst he was located in the Admin Cabin within the Mk1 Hardened Aircraft Shelters (HAS) as a so called 'aircraft controller'; F700 management etc. I stress that he was specifically told that it was Mk1 cabins, and that it was likely to have been during his time at Gutersloh. Now I know that Laarbruch had Mk2 HAS system, I suspect that those at Coningsby and Leuchars might have been either Mk2 or 3, but I do not know if the same air feed configuration was used in all them. It might well have been! It seems that the filtration system blowing air through the Mk1 HAS was proved to be lined with asbestos. Hard to credit that the only source of so called fresh air into the Mk1 cabin was riddled with potential Mesothelioma causing spores. Most of us spent time in a HAS of some description.
I am not a member (yet) and have just found this website. I was on 43 Sqn from September 1969- December 72, and RAF Wattisham Engine Bay February 1979 - March 81.
When I was in ASF at Kinloss we had many pigeons nesting in the hangar roof for most of the time I can remember. It was a pain in the backside organising hangar sweeps every morning to clean up the insulation and other crap on the floor. It all came to a head when there was some damage caused to the roof and they had to get a contractor in for repairs. Shock horror when it was established that the material was asbestos and we had been sweeping it up with all the dust every day.
Net result was all of our medical records were supposedly marked up to include exposure to asbestos dust. I say supposedly as I have never checked.
The hangar was a typical second world war type similar to those at Leuchars, Wattisham, Coltishall, etc etc. It could be worthwhile trying to find out if there was any work done on hangars you worked in and whether there was any indication of asbestos debris.
Thanks very much for your post. I do wonder about the possible exposure to asbestos from the hangars/HAS's we worked in, as well as the aircraft we worked on, but after all this time it is hard to be exact.
I do hope you have been unaffected by your exposure, but if like me you find yourself getting unexpectadly breathless easily - don't delay get it checked out.
I appreciate your reply Jim
