Oakington and Middleton St George
Odd how this thread fits my career
Flew from Oakington in 65 on Varsity course Correct about the hill. We simultated an engine failure in those days by the instructor throttling back an engine to an assessed zero thrust as a sign that it had failed. If the hill got too close, as it sometimes did, it was not unusual to ask the man for a little more power on the dead engine
Even up to the 80s we did night checks by swtiching off all the runway lights and landing on the red T alone
After leaving in 83 I spent 22years with BMI often operating from Teeside, Middleton St George. The airport hotel occiupies what was the Officers' mess. There is a fine statue of an airman outside the buidling and the Canadian flag flies high every day
Each year the "Old Boys" come back for a reunion and it must be said they are a fine example of real men ought to be to us all. They often bring their favourite bits of aeroplane with them, instrument panels, bomb door switches and the like and are very easy to talk to
I once asked one of them why, since they all had Canadian accents, their wives seemed to be British, he replied "spoils of war old boy". Says it all really