'tis at times like this that I look at my logbooks to find out what I was doing in the RAF in the same weeks in past years:
1st 2 weeks of Sep 2002 - 5 AAR trips, 3 sim sessions, notched up my 5000 hrs VC10. Started looking into options outside as I was being worked to death with no let up in sight as 'leaders' wouldn't match assets to tasks. Couldn't believe I was actively considering PVRing.
1st 2 weeks of Sep 1997 - 2 AARI training trips, 2 IRTs (Brize to Bruggen and back), 1 IRT (Brize-Brize) then a week's leave.
1st 2 weeks of Sep 1992 - 19 busy trips at the UAS September Camp - lots of formation and aerobatic instruction.
1st 2 weeks of Sep 1987 - 3 days (classified) training, 'American Night' on the sqn on Friday night, 3 days in Wildenrath (2 nights in a nice hotel in Wassenberg), St.Athan open day static display (weekend in a nice hotel nearby).
1st 2 weeks of Sep 1982 - 6 trips on the F4 at Wattisham, including a Q scamble.
1st 2 weeks of Sep 1977 - 1 trip on the Vulcan OCU, 1 week on leave, lots of free time.
1st 2 weeks of Sep 1972 - Damn all - lazing about at home all summer as a University APO on about £1300 per annum (that's about £17000 in today's money) having just bought an 18 month old secondhand MG Midget - and looking forward to a 40% pay rise as a Plt Off for my final year! Not allowed to attend September Camp as I'd already notched up 75 hours on the UAS and had got my PIFG the previous year at White Waltham and my PFB at the Summer Camp at Newton.
1st 2 weeks of Sep 1967 - learned to fly a T21 with the RAFGSA and was eagerly looking forward to my forthcoming RAF Scholarship (30 hours PPL training).
But nowadays? Bruggen, Wildenrath and Newton now gone, Wattisham full of pongos, White Waltham civvie only and St Athan no longer an RAF station. VC10 IRTs done in the simulator only, Health and Safety and the Food Police have stopped on-sgn parties, no RAF At Home displays, bugger all chance of staying in a half-decent hotel even if you do get a static display. At the bottom - no 30 hour RAF Scholarships, no aeros or formation instruction at UASs, no APOs at University, no Summer Camps away from home unit, no PIFGs, no PFBs.......
And free time??
So glad I joined when I did - and left when I did.