Special Memories

[orca]

In the spirt of the season I was wondering - what are your absolute favourite memories from your time in military aviation? What made it so special? The jets? The mission? The noise? The burning avcat?

Despite being a WAFU I think mine probably begin in my first experiences of the North Sea ACMI, watching the light dim over either Coningsby or Waddo, feeling the air cool as you did the walk round, passing the Lincolnshire coast outbound, seeing the lights on the rigs in the North Sea, checking in with Freddy or one of the GCI chaps - and feeling the blood pressure go up as they called out the first picture as the other guys came out of Leeuwarden, Leeming and Leuchars - all with a bit of mischief up their sleeve.

Getting home to state of the art debrief - finding out that your SA was..errrr...incomplete...and then heading off to see if the Lincoln run ashore had changed significantly in the last twelve months.

I have fond memories of being sat on the back of a war canoe with all the cockpits crunched together, salt in the nostrils - watching the ship heel with a certain amount of trepidation. Wondering what everyone else was punching into the up front controller, suspecting that the ops room was listening into the aux frequency, hoping the f##king kit would align at some point and that Havequick would weave its magic.

And of course the thrill of watching the Afghan dawn in the winter months knowing that 'You are in support of TIC....etc' was only a matter of minutes away.

Anyone else care to share theirs?

[alisoncc]

Breakfast in the Mess after a night shift on ORP/QRA. A bunch of bleary-eyed, unshaven, scruffy louts being served the most ginormous breakfast by the guys behind the servery, who had gone to enormous lengths to provide the best they could. When the Station was in lock down, lineys were treated with admiration and respect. Even the SWO would look the other way when we were returning to our block.

There was sense of pride that all of our aircraft had been ready to launch if called upon. The ultimate accolade came from an old Chiefy, stating that we were of the same calibre as the guys who kept the Spits, Hurricanes and Lancasters flying during WWII. The Cold War was for real.

[AGS Man]

Lots of them. Night time cable engagements, spectacular to watch and a real sense of job satisfaction. Setting up Kingsfield Airstrip when a kind Major discovered we hadn't eaten for hours whistled up a bag of egg banjos, they really did taste good! Recently sitting out on the runway in the middle of a night time Barrier net change eating chicken and chips and even this morning, popping out of my office for a smoke and watching F15s and Typhoons taking off into the clear blue sky.

[howiehowie93]

Of all the memories this one srings straight to mind:

IX(B) at Bruggen in the late '90s.

Real live this what Bruggen was here for stuff; long range sorties over the Former Yugoslavia.

First crews back in Rects Control after landing, first question - "is everybody back safely"

"yup" says the Boss (Baggers) - the masshosive sense of relief at that moment that enveloped the whole room made everything worthwhile.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

'For your climb to FL320, Manchester Control would like your outbound heading'

'Vertical'

[just another jocky]

Sat in the borrowed crewroom at Muharraq International Airport on 27 Aug 1990 with the rest of the combined Bruggen/Marham wing after deploying the day before. DetCO (Rocky Goodall) walks in and gives us a decent speech about why we were there etc.

This was the (end of) the Cold War which had been our raison d'etre for so many years, driving all our extensive training and yet here we are in the Middle East. wtf???

Spent the next 3 months with no min height limit! :cool:


Then Afghanistan. Mostly flew the night shift and saw some beautiful sights, especially when the moon was out and reflected off the snow-capped peaks. Then having to fly a low-level search for a downed helo, bouncing between VMC & IMC and the jet just coped so well and it felt really.....not easy but comfortable as this was what she was designed to do. Oh, and the low-level was on a 15000ft high plain with surrounding mountain peaks over 20000ft! edit: Oh, and the FAC was 100+miles away so no comms with anyone!

Many, many others.

Good thread. :ok:

[The Oberon]

The first Victor / Vulcan Blackbuck launch from Ascension, awesome. The noise, the dust and the lights. Some of the dust is still hanging about every time I think about it.

It made 12 years of Micks and Mickey Finns seem worth it.

[MG]

Being cheered by all of the det groundcrew after safely coming back from the first night of the first Gulf War.

The summer happy hours at Bruggen when all the sqns were at home: madness!

Later, rescuing 23 UNMOs in Sierra Leone (including the Brit that we were there for) after flying in the worst possible weather to get there.

[ZH875]

The first Victor / Vulcan Blackbuck launch from Ascension, awesome. The noise, the dust and the lights. Some of the dust is still hanging about every time I think about it.

It made 12 years of Micks and Mickey Finns seem worth it.

As groundcrew it was the Vulcan landing after the first raid knowing that all I had been taught had been put into practice.

And for the take offs what a noise that was.unable to forget that in a hurry.

[L J R]

Listening to the elation in the JTAC's voice as the weapon hits the target, and the incoming fire from the individuals under the cross hair ceases. To me, it means that all that training beforehand worked and the guys on the ground get to go home to their families.

[Downwind.Maddl-Land]

(METAR: 27, Calm, Red, QFE XYZ)

"On centreline, on centreline, over radar touchdown - NOW. Radar service terminated."

"Thanks Talkdown, diversion wasn't an option - buy you a beer for that"

and

"Ratch 25, London Mil, good evening. Identified, Radar Control flight level 250."

"London Mil, Ratch 25, you have no idea how good that sounds...."

It felt good when The Voices said 'thanks'.......

[trap one]

Walking back in from first E3D orbit over Albania and being told "no complaints about tanking tonight"
CQWI, from SHAR mate,"that was the best call I ever heard from a controller" just after the single Shar and 2xF3 had just shot the whole CQWI Blue force.
Last ever sortie controlled from Bunker. 25 Sqn in the bar and debrief on phone. "Mate that was exactly what we wanted can you control us tomorrow, you knew exactly what we wanted and made it happen."
What I thought was last trip on E3D recovering from LGPZ, seat 5 and going cloud surfing as we crossed FIR and started recovery to EGXW. Went back 2 years later as ERS WC.
The all day post trip beer in Pordenone after a particular busy trip in 99.

[fantom]

All the very good people who supported me during/after my (quite undeserved) GCM.

guilty as charged...

[NutLoose]

Watching the guys arriving back at Odious off the Conveyor and the outbreak of emotion from the families present, when they finally realised their loved ones were all back home and safe..... And realising in other parts of the Country the news would not be so good.

[Herod]

Standing on the deck of Intrepid at 2359 on 30th November 1967 and watching the fireworks of newly-independent South Yemen (Aden). Realising that none of us had to go back. All RAF rotary present and correct.

[Biggus]

Famine relief operations in Ethiopia 1985...

Feeling as though you were actually making a difference for once, and some good flying to be had as well!

[November4]

Like Biggus - Op Bushell as first time I felt I was making a difference.

Second memory was Ancona, April 1994, watching the Det armourer windsurfing using a palletiser truck and home made sail surfing in the prop wash of the reversing Herc. Crew were laughing so much they had to stop and return to the bay for him to have a second go.

[thing]

Sitting in the jump seat of an E3 over the Alps one sunrise on my way to Aviano. Probably the most beautiful sight I'd ever seen up to then. One of those tiny speck in a ruthless universe moments.

[glad rag]

:DSmashing thread orca (http://www.pprune.org/members/40342-orca) and also Guys/Galls doing the business then and now :D

[Green Flash]

Watching Trap Ones E3's and tankers and others from underneath the orbits, when as one they pushed north and turned off the lights. Suddenly, my small bit in this whole show made sense. Still makes the hairs on my neck stand up.

[NutLoose]

Actually another one...

240 OCU RAF Upavon late 70's Night guard as the fleet were parked outside. Both of us walking along checking the aircraft on a glorious silent morning with a light surface mist in the valley and picking fresh mushrooms on the airfield in the early morning dew, collecting them up and frying them on a pan on top of the tent paraffin heater with a knob of butter scrounged from the mess, then sitting outside with my partner in crime eating them as we both watched the sun come up over the plain.

[thing]

Bit banal I know but being a tech instructor at Cosford where I was also a life guard at the pool and being on the key list thus being able to take my wife and kids to a 25 metre pool on our own when we wanted. That was a bit special looking back on it although you sort of take it for granted at the time.

Also I was flying gliders from there and used to ring the UAS in the summer to see if there was a possibilty of a staff continuation ride in a Bulldog where I used to bend the wings off it in some spirited aeros. With instructor alongside of course.

Looking back it wasn't a bad life.

[Samuel]

Watching the sun rise on the airfield at RAF Eastleigh, [about 5500 ASL if I recall!]and marvelling at the stunning beauty that was Africa, and this was Long before Robert Redford did his thing in the Tiger Moth in "Out of Africa!"

[SASless]

Putting a Two Star Army General into the Monsoon Ditch with the rotor wash from a Wokka......remembering the sight of his spit shined boots being the last part of him to enter the green slimy horrible smelling water! One of those "You had to have been there!" moments that one can treasure forever!

[luffers79]

The squadron had recently been re equipped with a new type of aircraft. We normally didn`t fly at high altitude - but today I was about 50 yards behind my leader in a climbing turn to port. I had just thought how beautiful our new aircraft looked against the clear blue high altitude sky. It now started to "contrail" - which added even greater beauty.

At that moment Porky called "Reheat, Reheat - GO !!"

I will never forget that moment, as his afterburner kicked in .... His contrail had now became Enormous by comparison !!

It was one of the most memorable & beautiful moments in my life as I flew close alongside his contrail - enjoying the awareness of our speed - & how Lucky I was to be there experiencing such Beauty & Excitement !!
Wonderful Days !!!

[Art Field]

After struggling through the OCU with all kinds of personal and family problems I was finding A VC10 tanker captaincy a bit of a problem until one day, on taking my seat in the fun bus, everything fell into place, not quite with a flash, but with a very positive feeling and from then on all went well.

[Lima Juliet]

Best sight: Watching the wings glow green with St Elmo's Fire at 1000ft at night over sea in auto pilot.

Worst sight: The blinding flash, total electrical failure followed by a 4g closed-loop pull up in pitch black when we were struck by lightning watching the St Elmo's Fire - that'll learn me!

Best experience? Firing a 50Cal out the side of a Sea King :ok:

[SOSL]

2 great memories (amongst a whole lifetime of them):

A split brain Jnr Tech was posted onto my flight at Church Fenton sometime in 1980 and I soon decided he was commissioning material; coached him and put him up to Biggin Hill. I was so proud when eventually he made Wg Cdr.

And:

24 December 1984 2345 Hrs, my first (of 2) daughter was born in TPMH at Akrotiri.

25 December 1984 1000 Hrs AOC turns up and tickles No, 1 daughter (still got the photo).

1300 Hrs, Christmas lunch in TPMH maternity ward, chief anaesthetist (Wg Cdr) turns up in full operating theatre dress with face mask and carves turkey with a v large scalpel.

And now both daughters brighten my life every minute of every day.

Rgds SOS

[5aday]

We'd been on an all nighter out of Ballykelly in a Shackleton MK2 shadowing a Kotlin SAM in the most horrendous weather with line squall after line squall, and we'd had a largish incident involving a massive down draught while passing through the line of least resistance of one such squall. We were only at the usual 1000ft and I don't know how low and close we went - and I don't want to know.
The inside of the aeroplane was total carnage with quite a lot of damage and with quite a few bruises amongst the chaps.
As a result we instantly gave up chasing the Russian ship and set course back to BK where the weather was the exact opposite -just beautiful -and I and a couple of others walked back from the aeroplane to flying clothing with a skylark whistling and twittering away overhead in calm winds and CAVOK. I felt quite good to be alive that morning and got out of my immersion suit and the thick green thermals and stood in the shower for what seemed about an hour.
I seem to recall that aeroplane didn't fly again and was stripped out and burned.
I left BK the same week destined for St Mawgan and the Nimrod OCU while the rest of my crew went to MDSU at Honington.

[Schiller]

The sweetest moment? The pipe "Night flying for tonight is cancelled"

[Pontius Navigator]

OK, nothing compared to the tales of daring do, but New Plymouth airfield 20,000 feet below through the upper periscope on the Vulcan.

[wub]

Emerging into the Cyprus dawn in the mid 1970s, following a night shift at
280 SU Troodos, to find we were completely surrounded by pink-tinged cloud, a thousand feet below the summit. Breathtaking.

[ericferret]

Invited to the local german fire brigades annual dance and fielding a question from the bandmaster about our providing a helicopter for their crash and rescue demonstration.

After a couple of minutes he returned with beers for all of us.
Then a tray of schnapps appeared followed by another tray of beer.
Repeated for the whole evening.

Appreciation for very little effort on our part but he said it had been the highlight of their day.

[blaireau]

Night aerobatics over Leeds in a Linton based Piston Provost. I was a CCF cadet at the time.
The sensation reinforced my desire to become a pilot.
One year later, not only could I spell pilot, but I were one! Only a PPL at that stage, but Fighter Pilot was not far beyond that.

50th anniversary of first solo comes up in April.

Seasons greetings to all.

[Saintsman]

I remember the excitement of arriving on my first operational station and hearing the noise for the first time, then seeing the aircraft in full reheat as it took off and knowing that I'd soon be working on them.

40 years later, I can still spend hours watching aircraft take off and land (and I'm not a spotter by any means).

[taxydual]

Early summer in the late '80's at Brize. Having been away from UK for 7 months, the moment the doors opened on the Tri* the smell of new mown grass from the airfield grass cutters swamped the atmosphere................I knew I was home.

Every time I fire up the Flymo now, it brings it all back.

Roll on summer.

[ACW599]

Very small beer by comparison with the front line -- but flying a Vigilant out of Syerston a couple of weeks ago in crystal-clear bright blue sky over an incredibly beautiful frosty countryside was magic. Seeing an A4 Pacific at full bore hauling a charter train northbound on the East Coast Main Line with steam hanging above the railway for miles behind it made the trip even more memorable.

[ricardian]

Somewhere near the German border on exercise with the Army in 1970-ish, heavy rain, deep trenches for infantry training. Us (RAF FAC section) in wet, muddy camouflage uniform trying to keep warm and relatively dry. Area received a visit by AOC RAFG and his ADC kitted out in their finest number ones plus greatcoat and very shiny shoes but sans sword. Watching them tip-toeing along duckboards which were slippery with mud. Squaddies and us trying to keep straight faces. Alas, neither AOC or ADC slipped on muddy duckboards.

[Cows getting bigger]

Inner German Border patrol in a Puma not too long after the Wall came down. Our shadow seemed equally happy with his lot. :) Of course, it was too early for either of us to realize that the stability brought about by the Cold War was about to disappear.

[Lightning5]

Lightning low level shrouded in shock waves followed by the sound of reheated Avons.

[Tashengurt]

Walking above the cloud layer on Ben Alder on a section day out and seeing two home based F3's buzz past. Couldn't have arranged it better.

[clicker]

Sitting in the jump seat of a B747 seeing a thunderstorm over Cyprus that was over 80 miles away and lighting up the clouds all around. The storm covered the complete island.

[ex-fast-jets]

Newt shaking his fist at me over the northern end of Lahr's runway, when all I was doing was checking that he was alive after his rather pathetic attempt at a single-engine approach in a Jaguar!:E

And Bernie sitting serenely, smiling, and waving politely, in his dinghy in the warm seas off the coast of Belize after his engine failure in a Harrier a few years before. :)

[Benjybh]

And Bernie sitting serenely, smiling, and waving politely, in his dinghy in the warm seas off the coast of Belize after his engine failure in a Harrier a few years before.

They left it a few years before picking him up?! :eek:



:}

[ex-fast-jets]

No!!

A nearby passing boat stopped whatever they were doing, and went and lifted him onboard!

It was all done in minutes - and only one or two minutes before I returned to claim a priority landing 'cos I was really, really short of petrol!!:sad::sad:

[Shannon volmet]

Reading all the posts so far in this thread just makes me want to say this: Thank you all, for what you did, what you are doing now and what you may be called upon to do in the future, for I am sure you will rise to any challenge.

You are very special people, and I for one really appreciate the effort and sacrifice all of you make, and I thank God for people like you.

Merry Christmas to you all!

Mike.

[isaneng]

Starting the standard clearing turn out of Gib, on a call out for a very sick little girl who had to get to G.O.S. hospital, to be told to contact Spanish ATC who cleared us present position direct LHR. Laughing like hell at the Speedbird callsign, who, when told to take up the hold at 'the park' as we were cleared in direct from the coast of France, questioned why? The immediate offer from London of a diversion to Luton was met with a long silence and muted acknowledgment of his hold timings. Watching every man and his dog do their best to get her into the ambulance as quickly as possible and holding up everything else on the pan to do so. Being number 28 to taxi as we dropped the hospital callsign.... A proper nights work.

[Fly3]

Having spent 22 years "before the mast" I have many great memories of my time in the Mob but flying commercial over the polar routes and enjoying hours of the northern lights is hard to beat.

[Robert Cooper]

The silence in the mess tent after the 3 megaton explosion at Christmas Island in 1958. No one knew what to say. Everyone had there own thoughts.

bob C

[sikeano]

Assigned guard duty for laughing

[oldpax]

was on a shack playing cards with the junior Nav when I spotted the fire warning on number two enginebefore anyone else!!Was a faulty fire detector but we found that most of the graviner fire bottles had not gone of!!Two hours out from Eastliegh!

[ORAC]

Coming out of the Ops Block at 280SU on Olympus in winter after a night shift and finding myself standing on the top of a flat plain of white cloud with the sun burning my eyes.

Standing on Measles Rock at Mount Alice watching the F4s streak across the Plain of Lafonia before arcing up the hill and 10ft over my head.

Sitting on the beach at night on Ascension Island with a beer in my hand and watching the MIRV warheads twist and burn their way down through the sky.

At Staxton standing on the grass with the Stn Cdr (Taff Leyland) and the Mayoress of Scarborough after asking Mike Ch*****n if he could do a "gold chain" flypast. Watching him come in from the east dropping towards the top of the fence and turning to Taff and saying "He's fast" as he just cleared the top of the fence and pulled and we, and the bins and everything not tied down, were blown off our feet to lie on our backs and watch him twinkle-roll his way into the heavens. (She loved it too).

Ten weeks in Belize in 79 when I spent 90% of the time sunbathing on the Cayes as they never had more than one Harrier serviceable. A week in San Pedro where I'd spend all day out fishing then get the hotel to cook my catch for dinner. The exquisite headache as I had my first Pina Colada frappe in the evening with my feet buried in the hot sand of the beach bar. The 2 cats at Butcher radar - TACA and TAN and the "pet" boa constrictor we fed chickens when it got hungry. The jungle survival course with bashas, cabbage trees and AK-47s.....

[Brian 48nav]

One Saturday summer of '71 (can't check exact date as we are in France for the next few weeks:O), called out from standby at Lyneham to go to Wittering and collect some stuff to take to Le Bourget for a Harrier that had done a heavy landing,IIRC, at the Paris Air Show.

While en-route the crew of a Buccaneer had banged out at the air show - I think they may have been connected to a Victor tanker for the flypast, not sure but perhaps TTN will know!

When we arrived someone on the ground asked if we could take the Bucc' crew home to Honington; of course we could. The nav was laid out on a stretcher IIRC.

When we arrived at Honington the ramp was lowered and on rushed the Staish and the wives of the Bucc' crew, followed by much hugging and kissing and shedding of tears! The Staish thanked us for getting them home so soon and it gave us a really good feeling of a job well done.

Of course being a Saturday afternoon there was no customs officer there, so we thought bugger it let's get back to Lyneham. Swindon must have had a bad season cos' my mate Norman H, the skipper, got a right bollocking from the miserable customs guy, 'what was his name?', Pearce ?

Fortunately it didn't spoil the good feeling we all still had!

[ORAC]

Buccaneer S.Mk.2 - XN978 (http://www.ejection-history.org.uk/Aircraft_by_Type/Buccaneer.htm)

Andy Marrs (pilot) and Bob Kemp (Nav) were demonstrating air-to-air refueling behind a Victor tanker at low level at the Paris Air Show! The effect of being ‘plugged in’ at low level in the turbulence that existed and vulnerable to the jet wake from the Victor meant that the Bucc was bumping around and eventually bounced one too many times for the pilot and crashed. Both ejected. Andy Marrs came down in his parachute into the fireball but, thankfully, the heat raised him up and the wind carried him clear – he had significant singeing! Bob Kemp walked away and was last seen climbing on board a C-130 to bring him home with a ‘bottle and 200’ which he had managed to acquire albeit he had never been intended to set foot in France on that sortie (or so the story goes)! We were never allowed to do low level tanking demonstrations whilst ‘plugged in’ ever again.

[olddog]

My never ending pleasure during 50 years in the cockpit was breaking out on top of 8/8 cloud and sitting in the sunshine whilst the folks on the ground endured the vagaries of the weather below.

Most exciting moments - shadowing the Turkish Invasion Fleet on it's way to Cyprus in 1974 from a Nimrod (and being escorted away by 2 Turkish fighters which were in turn being shadowed by 2 Lightnings from Akrotiri).

[goudie]

As a young liney on his first squadron in Germany I was offered a flight (my first) in the back of a Meteor NFII. Weather was very claggy as we climbed, then suddenly we broke out of the cloud into brilliant sunshine. I was quite thrilled seeing the cloud tops and being in a totally different world to the one I'd just left.
I flew in all the aircraft I worked on, apart from the Vulcan, but you never forget your first time!

breaking out on top of 8/8 cloudNow there's a coincidence.
As you posted olddog I was typing

[The B Word]

Turning upside down and sticking my tongue out at the world! :ok:

[airborne_artist]

Quite a few to choose from, but two come out on top.

My only solo in a Chipmunk, and my penultimate Grading flight. You knew if you had a solo that you'd passed RN Grading. It was a sunny day in November.

Jumping out of an MC-130 into the Florida night at Hurlburt Field. No kit to release, a pure jolly.

[Sandy Parts]

Watching the sunrise on the Marshall Islands and then watching another sunrise the next day on Waikiki beach - all thanks to Aunty Betty and the 'round-the-world we go' mighty 'rod - happy days!

[Barksdale Boy]

Getting airborne out of Waddo or Scampton and knowing that the next time the wheels hit the ground it would be in North America.

[Delta_Foxtrot]

Cruising back into Darwin just before dawn in September 1998 on the first operational use of NVG for RAAF Caribou. We had been out for about eight hours at low level, dropped off a patrol of "bad guys" (we were enemy air), and watching the NVG sunrise as we approached Darwin. You could see the 'sunrise' creeping in from the east - until you flipped the goggs up and realised it was still pitch black outside. After teaching night tactical nav by moonlight through an open cockpit window, it was a God-send to see what we were trying not to hit...:D

[MightyGem]

Thermalling in a glider with three buzzards just off the wing tip. :ok:

Hovering in a Lynx in a confined area, manoeuvring around with just small movements of the cyclic, thinking "wow". :ok:

Looking outside the cockpit and being amazed at the lack of any visible means of support(as opposed to you FW types who can see your wings). :eek:

Just flying. :ok:

[Wander00]

I'll go with sharing a thermal witrh buzzards

[AR1]

Laying in the grass on stag at a rail head near Hereford. The lights getting low, suddenly all hell breaks loose and a pair of Tornados come through the valley. presumably having targeted the facility and blow through with the burners on. Great feeling watching them do the business! Sounds corny I know, but it's what we were all there for.

[Art Field]

If I am allowed another one. As the captain of the airborne spare Viictor for ihe Paris Air Show/Buccaneer crash mentioned earlier, seeing the looks of horror on the faces of the lead Victor crew as they climed out after the trip and then the relief when they learnt that the Bucc crew had survived

[CoffmanStarter]

Doing night aerobatics in a Chipmunk with my QFI S/L John Shelton RIP ... Can't remember what JSP318 said about such things :ok:

[D120A]

As a very green first-tour engineering officer in the 1960s, accompanying SASO on a post-servicing air test on the Auster AOP9 which was used as a hack by group headquarters. Numbers complete and noted, was amazed to be taught by said officer how to fly round a cumulus cloud with port wing inside the cloud, and cabin and starboard wing outside it.

Those were the days. :ok:

[longer ron]

Thermalling in a glider with three buzzards just off the wing tip.

Flying wise - I would definitely go for thermalling with the big birds in africa...fantastic :):):)

[air pig]

Being given the phone from one of my staff nurse's when in charge of a major Cardiac and Chest ICU in the UK. She said it was the MoD checking about a young VSI patient who had been admitted following an RTA. They said it was to check his condition because his brother was far away in harms way. I replied he was a Comp A, knowing I'd set in motion a system that would bring his brother to his bedside soonest. Just the very humble and outsider now start of a long chain of amazing people. Best thing I'd done in many years, with just one phone call and the lad was eventually discharged from hospital.

Being an ex PM, thankfully knew the system.

[West Coast]

A flight attendant bringing us (non alchoholic)drinks on a reposition flight.

The two TACAN rule anyone?

The other guy was single and obliged her at the overnight.

I went to my room, damnit.

[finestkind]

Early morning in a vertical roll watching the snow topped mountain’s being replaced by the white beach and blue yoggin on the wing tip. Feeling only as you have as a six, ten or 12 year old with that vibrancy of just being alive as if you can feel every molecule of air that you are breathing and every bit of sunlight touching you with this feeling being compounded and multiplied by getting out of a ****e desk job and back into the air.

Watching fog spilling over an escarpment and flowing down onto the plains as the sun rose to crystallise and magnify the colours.

The sudden realisation that I was no longer working at it and that is was just happening which meant I was now a professional amongst the other professional’s.

And possibly more than anything else.......... being surrounded by like minded people.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

I was a bit tense pre-solo in the Bulldog. An ex-Lightning Instructor took me up on his night SCT. "We aren't supposed to do night aeros any more. Here's my sequence".
Next morning I went solo. Two days later I arrived at Binbrook on a week's visit. We spent the first 13 1/2 hours drinking as it was the Boss's leaving do. At the end of the week, thanks to an ex-UAS Sqn pilot, I was airborne in a Lightning. I got 15 minutes stick-time. When we landed, it was announced that Argentina had invaded the Falklands.

Hell of a week.

[Lancman]

Three of the ages of aviation man:
Pulling the release knob in a glider and feeling the winch cable fall away.
Sitting in the mid-upper turret of a Shackleton on a dark, dark, arctic night and looking down on the strength of those long tapering wings, the steady glow of the Griffons' exhaust stubs and up at the millions of stars stretching right down to the horizon.
Sitting down with a Nimrod crew for a pre-dawn breakfast and realising that I hadn't put my teeth in. :uhoh:.

[Geehovah]

Flying an approach into Wattisham down to decision height and not going into the fog blanket.
Merry Christmas!

[thing]

breaking out on top of 8/8 cloud and sitting in the sunshine

Still makes me smile. Dropping back underneath tends to do the opposite.

[Ron Cake]

Forget all this flying stuff. Consider this.

Hullavington Mess in the early 1960's - tea time and a steward enters the ante room bearing the first tray of toast. By the time he reaches the table the gannets (aka students) had swooped and cleared the lot.

And the special memory? I got the last piece

[longer ron]

231 OCU (canberra) - winter 1973ish...we were doing a 3 tank change outside (large bag tank in rear fuselage)...one of our sergeants was being helpful and taking a turn lacing up the tank,it was a very cold job and the snow was getting quite deep...so the rest of us repayed that kindness by rolling a huge snowball (at least 6 feet dia) and placing it behind his car... but what with the weight/pressure under that huge snowball...it froze solid to the ground and he could not move his car :);):ok:

[opfixclear]

Flying ultra low-level formation with a Kenyan AF Hawk (flown by an RAF exchange officer) in a Gazelle with the collective in my armpit. Got some cracking photos as well.

[sisemen]

Honington. 0-dark-00, the night frost and the fog transformed to an eerie orange hemisphere with the Buccs lurking in the gloom and the shadows of the northern H dispersal. The flashing lights and the air of anticipation as the first of the nukes is trucked out from the SSA. Nobody allowed within the 'ring of steel' exclusion zone except for the cops and the plumbers and the certifying aircrew.

Exercise yes, but that was what we were there for if the real thing had happened.

2nd treasured memory: The trip in the BBMF Lancaster for the rehearsal for the RAF 75th at Marham. Was just before I left the RAF after 30 years and what a memory! The rehearsal was done in stupendous CAVOK weather but the 75th itself was an almost complete wash out.

[The Gorilla]

Breakfast (Full fat) in the mess at Boulmer after a long night shift mid winter in the R12 as a JAFAD, and climbing to the top of the HF200 for the view.

Famine Relief in Somalia on C130's from Mombasa, work hard and play very hard!

Going full circle and working as an E3D Air Eng with the guys from Boulmer good times in rosy glasses! :ok:

TG

[Rocket2]

During a long, very cold, night shift on IX Sqn at Waddington being given a glass of rum by the boss & a big thank you too.

Target towing with Puddy Catt in Lady Clementine at Brawdy

Taking a glider with EP from a standard 800ft winch launch at Easterton & calling Kinloss 40 minutes later to tell them we were in their overhead passing 21,000ft (I stopped the climb just short of 25k because the oxygen was running low) - the view was to die for!

[ian16th]

First of all, many thanks to Orca for starting this wonderful thread.

Personally, I must have enjoyed my service too much as I can't think of a particular high point, but the 1st of many high points was passing out of Boy Entrant's service and arriving at my 1st flying unit.

It was BCBS RAF Lindholme where the noise of Merlin and Hercules engines was the daily soundtrack.

At a different level, watching the sunrise and sunset at Gan, from below the horizon to overhead and the reverse. Each event took just 20 minutes.

Oh Happy Daze.

[Mike Gallafent]

So many memories...
Flying the Harvard on a warm sunny day with the canopy wound back.
First dual trip in Meteor 7. The smell of AVTUR across the dispersal.
Winter survival course of two weeks in the Tyrol.
Guest of the Ghurkas in Borneo when weather forced overnight stay.
Night medivac from a strip in Malaya with police landrover illuminating threshold.
Electric storm over the Indian Ocean with St. Elmo's fire flickering purple flames around each window of the Belfast flightdeck.
Stroking the noses of porpoises from the bow of the rescue launch on the lagoon at Gan.
Dinner with the Thai airforce at Prachuap Kiri Khan. Table at Officer's Club at waters edge and eating silver sword fish with wild pigeon eggs on lemon grass with a necklace of islands providing the backdrop.
Happy hour with US pilots at Hickam whilst on several months detachment.
Seeing the firmament of the night sky, almost for the first time, from a bedroll in the Empty Quarter of Arabia.

[Shack37]

was on a shack playing cards with the junior Nav when I spotted the fire
warning on number two enginebefore anyone else!!Was a faulty fire detector but we found that most of the graviner fire bottles had not gone of!!Two hours out from Eastliegh!


Also on a shack, as ground crew, returning to K'sar from Majunga and also number two but the fire was real. Eventually landed at Embakasi after four hours with number two windmilling all the way. The special memory bit was the relaxing alchohol intake in the airport bar after landing.
Thank you Nick for getting us there and buying the first round:ok:

[Dan Gerous]

Sitting outside Capt Locos on San Pedro, cool night air, feet in the sand, the sound of reggae music, the lapping of the sea on the beach, thinking I'm geting paid (extra) for this. Probably the most peaceful moment in my life.

[Pure Pursuit]

Crowbar, Afghan. Just being part of something that mattered, controlling Harriers & sending them into TICs knowing that they were about to save lives. Clearing the route for the MERT guys just to try and give them a straight line back during the busy times. It felt good helping those that were really making a difference out there.

Chilling out on the back of HMS Invincible with Jack London, heading through the Red Sea at sunset with dolphins jumping through the wake.

Sitting in the back of a Red Arrow, cloud surfing with AR letting do pretty much whatever I wanted for an hour. Epic.

The one true constant about being in the RAF... Working with some amazing people.

[Grobling About]

As SEngO on the RAF's first Jaguar squadron, not long after the end of he Cold War, driving the 'T-bird' with the boss in the front. Three other jets in loose formation heading home after an airshow east of Prague. The boss raises his hands above his head to subtly show who's steering. The other three squeeze in tight (would have thought they'd do the opposite!). "Start a left turn". I gingerly do as I'm told noticing two of the other jets staying firmly (ish) in the same place in the mirrors.....couldn't believe what was happening....."now look down". There below, the centre of Prague...who would have believed.....?

[ancientaviator62]

Landing at Cambrai in our rebuilt ex French Army (ALAT) Piper Super Cub (L-21B). We had helped rebuild it and the French had allowed us to repaint it in the original Algerian service markings. We were then invited to display it at the Air Show at Cambrai. The look on the French ground crews face when two RAF Officers got out of a 'French Army' aircraft was priceless.
The appearance on the radar of Easter Island after our long night flog from March AFB in the Herc in the build up to the Falklands War. No GPS just a dodgy doppler and INS (Irish Navigator Star) who 'shot' the stars to get us there after a long trek for a Herc with just normal fuel. That night he earned every penny the RAF would ever pay him. Oh and the first beer when we landed !

[60024]

During my first solo in a Jaguar, aged 21 (!) and looking around and realising that the intakes were right behind me, so there wasn't room for anyone else in the jet.....Big Grin time!

Brontosaurus ribs and chips at Lossie happy Hours.

[exMudmover]

First night solo in the JP from Cranwell, doing Slow Rolls over the middle of Nottingham at 1000ft and singing my head off.

Firing HE 30 mil from an FGA9 on the convoy target at Jebajib range, Dubai.

Leading a four to bounce an 8-ship over the Abu Dhabi desert, diving out of the high blue and joining an almighty punch-up at Low Level with Hunters all over the place at max G.

Flying Low Level in the Gulf of Gdansk in a four-ship of F104s, just off the Soviet coastline.

In the vast and lonely South Atlantic, heading back to the carrier at high level in the fading twilight, low on fuel and one of the formation leaking from battle damage. The audible sigh of relief all round on that first contact with the ‘ D’, when you know you’re going to make it home for a few horse’s necks and a hot shower.

ATF through the Lake District with stratus on the hills and a bright moon above. Each pull-up for a hill taking you into the brilliant moonlight, a soft white quilt of cloud all round, followed by the rollercoaster plunge back down into the white stuff. And all on autopilot!

[alwayslookingup]

As a kid in Coningsby early 70s during summer hols. Mornings we'd have access to the gym where the PTIs were more than happy to run games & sports for us and coach athletics out on the running track. PTIs also taught us to canoe on the gravel pits at Tattershall. In the afternoon we'd cycle en masse to Woodhall Spa to go swimming. Coningsby to Woodhall Spa, if memory serves, is about four miles, along country roads, and we thought nothing of cycling it. About the only traffic we'd encounter was a hulking great truck with a Rolls Royce Spey on board being transported from Coningsby to the engine bay at Woodhall. Even at the height of summer the water'd be b****y freezing! On Sundays there'd be a bus to take us to Cranwell for an afternoon swimming.

If we got bored with all that there was always the crash gates for some serious spotting. Whenever I smell jet exhaust I'm transported back to those days. The gates near Haynes pig farm were so close to the taxi way that a couple of seconds after an F4 passed a great waft of warm exhaust washed over us. To those of you flying these days never under estimate (as if you would) the pleasure a bunch of snotty kids get when they receive a nice friendly wave from the crew as they pass. As life goes on I now realise crews probably have much more to concentrate on then waving to the crowds, which makes the memories all the more special. Downside? The couple of occasions when a crew didn't make it back, and a couple of kids left the class in Coningsby Junior School soon after.

Probably doesn't compete with most of the memories already posted on this thread, but mine nonetheless. As I look back I see that life for a kid in the air force in those days was actually rather idyllic, and bumps the thread back to top!

Best for 2013 to one and all.

[BLATCH]

Being down the back end of a 9 ship 3 second stream Lightning rotation take off.

[airborne_artist]

Jumping out of a 1st SOW EC-130 into the warm Florida night.

[SOSL]

Believe or not I can’t forget what a great time I had at Cranditz. I was there for 5 years:

first year spent learning how to get my hair cut and how to stand in a straight line – not much fun – except for the amazing friends I made – the guy whose uncle Harry was a famous rose grower (as if!), the chopped engineer who went GD(P) and had a long and successful career as a pilot, the big Scottish rugby player and the smart man about town who went onto Jags.

Even the chopped Nav who went into intelligence and did all sorts of fantastic jobs. Lots and lots of great characters. I remember the USAF major who taught us war studies – we called him the old grey fox.

During that year the whole entry was loaded onto a Britannia at Waddo and flown across the pond to Dulles airport where we were issued with in-flight rations – in tins!! Then we flew (hungrily) to the USAF Academy at Colorado Springs where we stayed with the student body for a couple of weeks; went to lectures, went skiing in Arapahoe Basin, went gliding over the Rockies, borrowed my cadet mentor’s Corvette Stingray to go on a blind date with a Mexican nurse in Denver!!

Then it was 3 years grind doing an engineering degree, but half way through we graduated, got commissioned as POs and moved down to the Student Officers Mess.

There we lived cheek by jowl with the various foreign Air Force studes and I remember when Idi Amin stopped paying the Ugandan studes. After that they used to hang around the door into the bar just in case anyone would buy them a pint. Gawd knows what happened to their tuition fees, but I suspect the RAF let them finish their courses.

Then it was the 12 month Applied Course where you learnt how to fill in an MT request form and a few other forms and once again I met some great characters, some of whom I’m still in touch with to this day.
I could go on but this is already too long for this thread.

Rgds SOS

[MSOCS]

So many fond memories but some specific ones that leap to mind are:

Any time I got to call 'downwind for the strip/vigo wood/Charlie South GRASS' at Wittering or hover/fly backwards!

4-ship Op launch from a particularly 'pitchy' Lusty, somewhere off the west coast of Scotland, into the fray of a 50 aircraft CQWI mission then recovering to where you 'think' mother is...ah, bugger..!

Giving a pair of Iraqi T-62s the good news with 2 x AGM-65 Mavericks!

Beating a Rafale at 1v1 ACT - in all fairness he must have had one eye, one leg, no radar and a serious whisky habit but hey, a kill's a kill :ok:

Smashing around the Fjords of Norway - simply beautiful beyond words

Just a few but there are many more now you have me thinking Orca! BTW - hope you and the family enjoyed Xmas over there!

Regards

[Rossian]

......sitting in the nose guns seat in a Mk2 Shack headed to Vaerloese in Denmark in Jan 1966. We'd flown 10 hours from Bodo without any heaters. We were all wearing our parkas with the hoods up, gauntlets left hand and right hand with the wooly mitts under and god knows how many layers of underclothes.
As we approached the west coast of Denmark we broke out into brilliant moonlight looking over a snow blanketed countryside about 50 miles ahead. In that moment I realised that the view from a Lancaster as in the film "Enemy Coast Ahead" must have been the same, but that WE were going to a warm welcome. Felt a little bit of history came alive for me.

The Ancient Mariner

[ksimboy]

So many from my years on Albert, from realising the transit from Nellis to McCarran (2.5mins) was over midnight and meant it was day 6 so thank you for the unscheduled 33 hrs off! Watching the turtles at Long Beach laying, respecting the silence until the lumbering ladies had finished then hearing all along the beach the popping of " cans" as we compared egg numbers we had watched being deposited. Highlight has to be the day we upset the contractors at MPA by landing on their fresh paint. Glad it was there though , loads more memories though .

[Manandboy]

Training on the Gnat
Flying the Hunter Mk 6/9
First AAR convex.
Watching a summer dawn at Lossie on cockpit readiness.
Surprising a Canadian frigate somewhere about 62 north just as the sun was coming up!
Landings at Gib!
NVG MOS trials at West Freugh.
Coming back to the Bucc after a 10 year break.
Tri-service Staff College dinner in the Painted Hall at Greenwich - best dining-in in 35 years!
Freefall from 12000 ft out of a C130J - and a standup landing!
The people!

[Haraka]

Actually helping to make the news, rather than just reading about it.
The humour- at all levels.
Being let loose with some wonderful "boys' toys."
Gathering a richer store of memories than most of those in civilian life.
Above all now, still being in touch with some larger-than-life characters to share many of the above recollections.

[SOSL]

Both before and after my retirement - some of the great fighting aircrew and ground-crew characters (and even medics, administrators and suppliers) I've met in the Royal Air Force Club.

Most of the old school aerial warriors I met, have now, sadly, fallen of the perch, but some, I know, still pop in to 128 Piccadilly for comforting grub, a friendly chat with like-minded mates and, in a very low key way, to tell some amazing stories; from WW2, GW1, GW2, Herrick etc etc.

"You can take the guy/gal out of the RAF but you can't take the RAF out of the guy/gal" - a quote from the universal dictionary of functional clichés.

But it's true.

Rgds SOS







Rgds SOS

[cuefaye]

27 years which included:

Amazing flying experiences, flying great FJ aircraft, in various roles
Special and like-minded people, and the comradarie
Five particularly hair-raising incidents
Three long, overseas tours in warm places
Many memorable detachments
Losing many mates
Being underpaid
Knowing three nice ladies
Having three nice kids

[SOSL]

Gooferu, cuefaye.

Rgds SOS

[Xercules]

Really there are too many memories to recall. As many have said already it is the people you worked with - even the F4 guys (Wimps) down South at Stanley and then MPA:

1312 flt Q dinners culminating in the whole flight dining-in-night aboard XV206. Menu was compo because of a food poisoning scare but we were determined to dine as planned.

Leaving Addis Ababa on a "trucks to famine relief" slip and listening to the BBC World News to learn that there had been a revolution and coup in Addis the night before (when Haile Selassie was deposed). We had heard and seen nothing and at that stage it was bloodless. I still have my photograph of me standing under the wing with 2 "Revolutionary Guards".

However, perhaps the most memorable occasion was on a night leg from Akrotiri to Masirah. We were crossing Saudi Arabia at about 0300 local, 25000 ft with dead silence on the Air Traffic radios so we were listening (again) to the World Service. This time it was a recording from the Proms, starring Venus from the Planets Suite. As it played we watched Venus rising above the eastern horizon. Words cannot describe the feeling.

[Jackw106]

John Wells: Royal Navy Pilot

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aOtDF9Hr_4">Video

[Setpoint99]

Watching the multicolored exhaust plumes spitting out from RF-4s of the 432 TRW in the tropical predawn darkness, as the ABs kicked in--KABOOM KABOOM--during takeoffs at Udorn RTAFB in 1967. Takeoffs were scheduled for a TOT in NVN, and target photography, of about dawn.

[enginesuck]

From a groundies perspective:-

-Sunday morning cocktails on Ops in Italy '99
-Standing on the stern of illustrious in the Atlantic as our GR7s did a fly past after winning the bombing comp, I could have reached out and touched the wing
-First Nimrod Det which should have been one night in the Azores ended up crossing the pond several times and some cracking nights out in US / Canada
- Flying into Basrah on a Nimrod in 03 watching the aircrew put on their body armour (us groundies weren't issued with any so we made some comedy home made armour consisting of pie tins and locking wire.
- Fixing crew in snags - knowing that its important that the jet get airborne in the next 10 mins
- Curaçao 05 awesome Det
- laughing my ass of getting rocketed in KAF

[jimmyoc]

My special memory,,Lying wounded on the floor of a Wessex, looking at the door gunner, who looked like he hadn't washed, shaved or slept in days, then watching the coast line of the Falklands disappearing and thinking that's it I'm out of here.

[1.3VStall]

Manandboy,

I, too, have many memorable memories of special people spanning 28 years of my time in light blue and if I start reminiscing this post will last for pages!

However, like you, the tri-service dinner in the painted hall at Greenwich still brings the hairs up on the back of my neck when I think about it.

Happy days!

[N2erk]

Out of many memorable times: in chronological order

late Aug '69, Sun PM, joining queue for bus for OASC Biggin in Sevenoaks?, seeing prettiest girl I've ever seen- stunning blonde in miniskirt amongst group, all en route to OASC. (would be loadmistress- chopped- blind as a bat!)Think of this everytime I hear Hollies "bus-stop"

post OCTU at Church Fenton- day we were issued flying kit- life's dream accomplished!

at CGY waiting for OCU course, 2 AM, hooters sound- Taceval- no idea what's going on- turn on BBC- no martial music- thank G*d its an exercise

Winter, lousy weather, haven't seen the sun for two weeks. Late PM airborne, climbing thru 15K+ of clag, put Radio Luxembourg quietly on HF. It plays introduction to " the Entertainer" fm film "the sting" (big at the time). As intro music breaks into the main tune, we break out into a gorgeous colourful sunset above an unbroken cloud layer.....

experiencing, for myself, many of the things I'd read about from Johnny Johnson, 'Pappy Boyington', Stanford Tuck and others

[ian16th]

How about, every time you were posted?

Something new, new friends, new challenges, new and exiting places but you knew that you would be able rely on whoever you met and worked with.

Later in any long career there was also the meeting of old friends in different places.

I always remember my 1st time in Akrotiri Electronics Centre and meeting a guy I'd last seen 6 or 7 years before we swapped 'hellos' as though it had been yesterday.

[lasernigel]

Jackw106, a special thanks to that link. John Wells certainly has a wry sense of humour.:ok:

Being an ex brown job, thanks to the RAF helicopter crews in NI for taking us to remote places to get shot at.
Actually "bombing" up the tanks with live ammo on a crash out in Germany.Thought well this won't last long if the Russians are on their way!
Enjoyed every minute and proud to have done my little bit for Queen and country.:ok:

[sailor]

"The three best things in life are a good landing, a good orgasm, and, a good bowel movement. The night carrier landing is one of the few opportunities in life where you get to experience all three at the same time."

Glad I had that opportunity !

[LateArmLive]

Many, many good memories of my time in, but sadly they are becoming more and more sparse these days.

I think somebody already said something similar about a Jag, but I will never forget looking behind me on my first GR7 sortie and seeing nothing but wing and those massive intakes. Big smile :)

30(ish) seconds of fear that turn into relief after the bomb leaves the wing on its way to the bad guys down below. No matter how many times I dropped HE in anger, there was always a great deal of trepidation whilst the bomb was in flight.

Plugging into the tanker at night IMC with flashing fuel cautions...:eek:

Cactus Moon :ok:

An 8 ship Op launch off the deck in a thunderstorm with huge breakers slamming over the ramp.

But the best feeling of all was way back in 2004 when a huge hairy guy who looked like he hadn't washed in months walked silently into our crewroom in KAF, asked for Devil47, shook my hand and told me his patrol would have been dead had it not been for us. A really humbling moment, and one that still makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck even now.

[Stitchbitch]

When I hand in my F.1250 this week I won't be thinking of too many good times, just saddened at the f£kking jobsworths that now seem to inhabit most jobs where an amount of thought for others used to be the norm... :E

However, the good times exist, and as often as not included Squipping with and for some good mates in some pretty dire (and sometimes nice) places for a bunch of outstanding F.3, Lancaster, Gazelle, Lynx, Spitfire, Harrier, Puma, Merlin, Hurricane, Typhoon, Dakota and Chippy air and ground crews, this has made it all worthwhile, so thanks from me to you. :ok:

[glad rag]

Good Luck mate :ok:

[Tashengurt]

Dont worry stitchbitch. The crap memories fade dsster than the good. You'll convince yourself it was all brilliant in a few years.


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[langleybaston]

Me and the observer yoffling wild buckshee RAF Leeming mega-mushrooms, picked 5 minutes before, with a full English, at 0500..... all Met Docs ready, good anticyclops, and knowing the Duty Pilot and first ATC in would be driven mad by the food smell at 0600!

And walking from Met. to nightflying mass brief at Nicosia c. 1963, with the airfield crammed with Beverleys and Hastings to do a very big Para exercise drop. Me aged 24 and VERY nervous. Not a life lost, not a leg broken. And the paras were OK, too.

And the Staish at Guetersloh c. 1967 taking a brilliant catch as he came through the Met Office door from my square cut whilst I was batting in the very naughty indoor cricket league.
OC 19 [Laurie Jones?] applauded him and the moment [and my arse] was saved.

And ........... thanks a million Royal Air Force. I couldn't be RAF, but I did the next best thing for 41 years.

[TorqueOfTheDevil]

Locating a seriously short-of-fuel Cessna near Berwick-upon-Tweed, lost en route from Cumbernauld to Carlisle in foul weather and gathering darkness, and leading him southbound at very low level towards Brunton, then a tense R/T message "Engine's quit, going for the beach" followed by the relief as he executed a good forced landing near Holy Island and the two of them climbed out onto the mud, boots and underwear soiled in equal measure...

Launching on a first light search in the Highlands, perfectly still morning, not a ripple on the lochs until the downwash created a wake across the water.

Role demo on Lake Windermere, beautiful summer's day in 2002, thousands of people watching on shore and on countless boats, running in at 50' to put smoke on the survivor, dodging the masts of numerous boats which had strayed into the supposedly sterile area, then a series of wingovers in front of the adoring crowds while the winchman was busy on the IRB. Or another role demo at Queensferry which involved searching for then rescuing a bendy diver...well there had to be some reason for flying repeatedly under both Forth Bridges...

Racing the express trains on the main line north of Boulmer, lots of waving and smiling faces from the children in cattle class but not so many from the posh people in first class (won't mention the times when a slight headwind meant that Westland's finest couldn't keep up with the train).

[teeteringhead]

But the best feeling of all was way back in 2004 when a huge hairy guy who looked like he hadn't washed in months walked silently into our crewroom in KAF, asked for Devil47, shook my hand and told me his patrol would have been dead had it not been for us. ... that and many variations of it in many theatres over many years. Got some beers on similar grounds a couple of months ago - dating back 30+ years......:)

Recalling the wise words of a JP QFI of mine many years ago - he was an ex Hastings co-pilot perpetual Fg Off (no B Exam) with a GSM, amongst many creamie and FJ QFIs (who in those days had no op experience):

"Remember that - fun as it is - you are rarely flying for your own benefit. It's usually for a bloke on the ground who's a bit smelly - and you'll probably never meet."

LateArmLive - you're lucky you did! And you might still get a beer off him in 20 years time!

[Mickj3]

Hittadu 67/68 during the gap between the evening meal and the bar opening. Walking around the perimeter of our 120 acres with a couple of mates, mug of tea in hand, watching the sunset and speculating if sometime in the future people would pay a fortune to come here on holiday.

[Ancient Squipper]

Hi Stichbitch sorry to hear that you are leaving on a sour note.
Tashengurt is right I am sure that you have a plethora of fond and nostalgic memories of people,places and Squippering experiances.
Give it time and when you look back you will wonder why you ever let some people and situations bother you (I know that I did)

On behalf of TG13 wishing you good luck and every success with whatever you have planned for the future.

[Culio]

Gents, it's been a pleasure reading all these brilliant stories.

Many thanks.

[30mRad]

I share many memories with those who have already posted. However my tuppence worth:

At Linton on a claggy winters day, being on the wing climbing up through the smeg with nothing to formate on but the references in the murk and then breaking out into glorious sunshine on top, breaking out into fighting wing and then tail chasing above! Brings a smile to my face as I type.

The general feeling of utter freedom that flying gives you. Joy at seeing things I would never get to see unless I was flying: various places in the Highlands that would take days to walk to, the number of stars out there when seen through NVGs, the beauty of the countryside (wherever you are in the world), parts of the Middle East that despite then tension and pain were a beauty and experience to see.

The feeling of success when you land from a mahoosive COMAO that your were instrumental in planning and leading (esp at night!).

The butterflies in your stomach as you run towards target (on the range or in anger), satisfaction of the release (ooer!), resounding thump as the carts fire the bomb off, and relief when it hits the target and goes bnag (for lives) and you know you've helped someone out on the ground.

All in all, I've been jolly lucky!

[oldmansquipper]

..Site checking and glider type conversion for my brother at Laarparts, me with about 1000 hrs and him, an ex ETPS Test pilot, with about 10000 hours!!!

He indulged me a bit, I think:O

OMS = 39 great years with many many outstanding memories....