"....we left Bahrain passing over Doha in the climb to flight level 200..." Would that had been possible! A small typo, perhaps? I can't even recall getting to FL 200 with a load anywhere over Europe and, indeed, I've always felt that it was the need to use the Argosy as a baby Britannia in the Middle East (and I dare say, the Far East) that wrecked its reputation. Around 1973-74, when I found myself involved in tasking the AT force, it would have been ideal for many of the Army's op BANNER moves in/out of Aldergrove, but by then it was too late.
As for 444, Mike Seller once gave me a quick tour of CinC NEAF's aircraft at Akrotiri, and it looked like no other in the force. A real custom job and very smooth, indeed!
Edit: NEAF, not MEAF! And I think there's a picture of Mike and crew in front of the aircraft on the ARDET website.
Last edited by ICM; 20th Feb 2011 at 11:49.