A Merry Christmas to all the occupants of our trusty old Nissan hut crew room. Drawn together by those who have gone before, we now treasure their memories and give thanks for the technology, in stark contrast to the rusty paint-peeled corrugated iron and mismatched battered armchairs, that enabled them to tell their individual stories of those dangerous years now receding so fast into history. Just as they could recall those years with such amazing clarity, so we will always remember them.
Fantome, the same Ace Freighters Connie (or perhaps its sister) was immobilised on the Changi Western Dispersal for some weeks, with the cowling of the #2(?) engine removed and various bits of the engine removed. Evidently the replacement bits were on order but days passed and none came. The seasonal rains in the meantime gradually washed off the Ace of Spades insignia from the fins, revealing an Aer Lingus Shamrock beneath. In the end the various parts that had been removed were replaced, the engines started, and trailing copious amounts of oily smoke from the said engine she taxied past our Sqn HQ to the Rwy 20 holding point, a brief runup and mag check, line up and then take off. As soon as it was airborne that prop was feathered and the engine shut down, the a/c setting heading for its next destination (Madras I think). Just another day at the office...