In 1989 (IIRC), while I was based at Abingdon the Czech Air Force, following the disintegration of the USSR, donated a Mig 21 to the RAF which was to be sold for the benefit of the RAF Ben Fund.
The aircraft was to be flown to Abingdon and I was to meet the aircraft and supervise making it safe before putting it into the hangar.
I can confirm previous posts about fuel because the Mig had to land and re-fuel at Manston. Gawd knows whether it had had any AAR before that.
The Czech AF took advantage of the occasion to give some of its folk a bit of a jolly and they had sent an Illyushin transport with about a dozen officers, including a full Colonel, to present the aircraft to us. There was also a number of non-commissioned troops on board, including the most sexy looking Warrant Officer (female of course) I’ve ever met.
We gave the officers a formal dinner that evening but in the afternoon the whole Czech team asked if they could go shopping in Oxford.
I arranged a RAF bus and we went off to Marks and Sparks; they mooched around the store and then asked me if there were any less expensive stores.
We went to Woolworths. They mostly bought a few plastic toys for their kids and some chocolate bars – bless ‘em.
The Mig was bought by that aged Aussie collector (I think his name was Glass but Anno Domini and Famous Grouse may be affecting my memory). However, however wizened and wrinkled the guy was he had the most attractive nurse in constant attendance (echoes of Catch 22?)
Rgds SOS