4FTS RAF Valley
Firstly, my commiserations to those student pilots at 4FTS who have had bad news lately. Unsolicited advice from an old sweat: you are all 'above average' individuals; don't lose heart. Life is like rugby - pick the ball up & go forward.
On a lighter note, as I contemplate the universe through a glass of rather good Merlot this evening, my mind wanders back to somewhat happier days at 4FTS. I started my 'hands-on' career there in 1973, having dug an unauthorised tunnel & escaped from Halton at the end of my Rigger's apprenticeship (Trenchard's finest, old boy). Five happy years on Gnats got off to a good start; I was changing an aileron PCU in Gaydon Hangar when my Flt Cdr strolled by. " I trust you're doing a good job there", he cautioned this spotty 18yr old, "because you're flying on the Air Test in the morning". My concentration now assumed the intensity of a laser beam.
Next morning at early o'clock, I'm breaking the world record for the longest time taken to don an immersion suit. Eventually, sweating like George Bush at a Bedouin banquet, I'm trailing behind the good Flt Lt Dougie Mee (UTP of the time) as he strides towards our Gnat. We strap the jet on & off we go, up to max ceiling (44k'?). "Ever been supersonic?" says the voice from the front seat; "nnnno Sir", says spotty youth. Down we go jolly quick, Machmeter shows M1+, up we zoom again, certain parts of my anatomy are in our 6 o'clock some distance behind. Oh to do it all again........
After a tour on the Mighty Nimrod, the Valley boomerang struck again, and I found myself once more on Anglesey (100 miles of coastline, most of it by the sea....). I volunteered to be a Tech Instructor (the deuced handsome one with the Irish name) at 4FTS Aircrew Groundschool (1983-85); happy days, Exercise Hawkeye every 3wks, running around Snowdonia in the dark & setting fire to large swathes of the National Park. We certainly knew how to keep the Constabulary busy, with D**k Wr**ht's penchant for pyrotechnic displays. Such fun!
So having exhausted both my vocabulary & this fine bottle of wine, I now extend a warm invitation to all ex-4FTS folks to share their memories here; go on, it won't hurt too much.........