I had some good times on 72 Sqn in the late 70s but thought I had escaped to SAR after 2 SH tours only to be called back to fill in for the Navy who had to go down South to sort out a little Argie Bargie. It was as though I hadn't left though my yellow bone dome was a little too bright for OC72 so had to cadge a spare.
I was tasking down in South Armagh when we got a call to pick up a stick from a new grid. The young co-pilot plotted it and showed me on the 20thou map. I recognised the field and said it was just over the hill and short of 2 green grain silos.
On arriving back at Aldergrove I spotted my co-pilot intently studying the 20thou! I enquired what he was doing so he asked me how I knew the silos where green as he couldn't find the colour reference on the map index.
Local knowledge was a wonderful thing and I can still see a lot of the HLS now though I was surprised to see how so many have been removed!
Many happy memories - Firing captured IRA weapons on the range - Thomson sub machine gun was my favourite - touch of Al capone
Crewman knocking out RUC constable who was trying to leave Walter at 2000ft as we crossed from Raithlin Island with a ballot box he had been guarding all day - in a pub
Waiting in Buzzards hut for the very first weather fax to come through - took 15 mins to appear out of the machine! Wives out for the Summer Ball courtesy of 32 Sqn Andover - travelling to Antrim with said wife in covert minivan which was hand painted and still had all the usual MOD notices and fire extinguisher in the cab.
She had never seen so many Union Jacks as it was the marching season. Newspaper Argosy losing one of its main undercarriage legs on the runway. Waiting in the bar to go outside for the 1st 747 to land at Aldergrove - it was so quiet we missed it!
Good to see that traditions and spirit were carried on once 72 Sqn became a permanent fixture in NI - though the detachments were probably more fun
HF
(waiting for snow showers to cease so I can go flying
)