Born in Felton Northumberland, Al grew up on a farm in the Scottish Borders and joined the RAF at the age of 17 as a dual trade apprentice ("splitter" to those who know the RAF). After his training, he was posted to RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire, where he worked on F4 Phantoms on a Scheduled Servicing team. After several "tours" in the Falkland Islands where he serviced Phantoms, and a spell working on Tornado's, Al was posted to RAF Leuchars, joining yet another Phantom crew. During the Gulf war, he was detached to RAF Lyneham for 3 months, as a back-up for the overstretched Hercules groundcrew. "This sealed my fate" says Al. "When the Phantom OCU closed at Leuchars in 1991, I was posted to Lyneham in Wiltshire, on first line Hercules maintenance, where I have remained ever since." It was Lyneham colleague Paul Remfry who introduced Al to ThrustSSC when they needed some engine advice.
Al is now putting all his experience working on the Phantom's Spey engines to good use, where he has been one of the driving forces of the engine team. When ThrustSSC is running, Al is crew chief of the Start Team. "It is my responsibility to get the engines started and Andy safely away" he says.
Paul Remfry has joined brother Leigh and colleagues from The Royal Air Force to give the ThrustSSC team tremendous depth and strength.
Paul began his career with the Royal Air Force in the early 70's, where he worked as a mechanic on Harrier jump jets. Since then, he has moved on to be a qualified engine technician, working on various aircraft and helicopters. Having now qualified in all four trades - airframe, engines, electrics and avionics - Paul is now a Ground Engineer/Crew Chief at RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire, England. "This job means that I get to travel round the world with the Hercules aircraft. The jobs we are asked to do can vary from changing an engine inside the Arctic Circle to sorting out a hydraulic pump in Saudi Arabia!" he remembers.
Paul got involved with ThrustSSC when his brother Leigh phoned up and asked for help with one of ThrustSSC's Speys. "I came along and was soon wrapped up in anything and everything on this exciting project" adds Paul. It didn't take the ThrustSSC team long to appreciate Paul's experience, and before long, he was persuaded to take leave from his job and join the project.
Paul's role on the team is Crew Chief on the Turn Round Team. "This means that it is my responsibility to take control of the car at the end of its first run, complete all the necessary checks and refuelling ready for the return run". Like everyone else on the team, Paul is extremely proud to be working on the leading edge of British design and engineering.
"I'm looking forward to going to Jordan with ThrustSSC", Paul says. "I've been before with a Hercules, but this time it will be even better!".
Paul's wife Sharon, back home in Calne in Wiltshire is very understanding and supportive. "I only get home once a week to see Sharon and daughter Christina who is 5" says Paul. "Christina keeps asking to see the "super-RON-ic" car!" Under the circumstances, that seems a very apt name!
In an exclusive "under-car" interview for Mach 1 News, Robbie explains how he first met up with ThrustSSC. "It was at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 1995. I have a love for cars and all things fast, so I went and had a chat with Richard Noble and Ron Ayers. I was so taken with the car that I joined the Mach 1 Club so that I could follow the progress". Robbie was serving in the Royal Navy at the time, where he had been a marine engineer and a submariner for 9 years. His particular field was marine propulsion systems, especially turbines and high pressure systems.
Earlier this year, Robbie left his job at the Royal Navy and was preparing with his wife to take some well-earned time out to travel the world in a Land Rover that he'd bought. "But the thought of ThrustSSC would not go away," he says. "So I approached the team again to see if there was any chance of helping out on the project. Luckily, my details landed on Jeremy Bliss' desk, and I was most surprised to be offered a place on the team. I think that as well as my engineering background, they were interested in the fire-fighting training that I'd had in the Royal Navy. When the car runs, my job is part of the fire crew - with the added advantage that I get to ride in the Jaguar XJR Firechase car!".
Meanwhile, Robbie continues with his work under the car making sure that the throttle linkages are working exactly right. "We've had to build all these bits ourselves" he says pointing to what looks to the uninitiated like a maze of mechanical linkages, hydraulics and electronics! "But there's nothing I'd rather be doing and nowhere I'd rather be than here" he adds.
Nick Dove has been working on ThrustSSC for quite some time. He was one of the original construction team at G Force Engineering in Fontwell where the basic chassis started to take shape many months ago. Nick's experience of engineering work is much broader than fast cars though. He has worked on many different aspects from heavy maintenance to structural repairs, and from aircraft through to hovercraft at Dover and the Isle of Wight. Nick's current job is a fabricator/welder on just about any part of Thrust's bodywork. "Following ThrustSSC's first run at Farnborough, I've just completed a modification to the underside" Nick tells us, pointing to a part of the chassis freshly painted with primer.
"I see ThrustSSC as a one-off opportunity to be a part of history" Nick adds proudly, "and I'm looking forward to taking my place on the Start Team operating the palouste in Jordan"
When ThrustSSC moved to Farnborough back in May 1996, the team were looking for a range of skills to complete the build. Nick Dove suggested they called Jason, who he had known for some time.
Jason had worked on aircraft since he was eighteen years old, and also has a great passion for fast Italian cars - particularly Alfa Romeos! His work on ThrustSSC covers most aspects of the build, from systems to structures.
An aircraft engineer since he left school, Dean Smith joined the team following a recommendation from Jason. Prior to ThrustSSC, Dean was a crew chief at Plymouth Airport, and before that, he was a contract engineer working on commercial aircraft, military aircraft and helicopters all over the world.
Dean's primary job on the project is design, manufacture and implementation of the fuel system. Dean has also fabricated and fitted the air start system on both engines. "But" he says, "being in such a small team of full-time engineers, we all assist on every system on the car".
Leigh spent 12 years in the RAF as an Aircraft Systems and Senior Flight Test Engineer in both airframe and propulsion trades. On completion of his service engagement, Leigh left for the USA and obtained his pilot's licence and clocked up a few hundred flying hours. For the last six years, Leigh has been employed as a Tutor and Lecturer in HNC/HND Aeronautics.
Leigh joined the ThrustSSC team full-time at the beginning of July 1996, and his responsibilities include the fuel system and hydraulics. "I believe ThrustSSC is the vehicle that breaks new grounds in engineering safety and speed!" he adds. "I have rarely seen such talent, enthusiasm, professionalism, and dedication gathered together with one aim. This is a fantastic opportunity for me in a research and development project that the majority of engineers would give their eye-teeth for. And the machine - definitely a work of art with incredible power. Won't it be nice to see a bit of good old British engineering out in front again! ... very far out in front!!"
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