What I didn't note down, was that the wind was as usual blowing a good westerly and it spent most of that time stationary above our billets on East Camp!
Saro: I had a similar experience in Bahrain after an IAL air traffic controller challenged me to fly backwards down the length of runway 30. I waited until a steady "Shamal" was blowing before I took up the challenge. We took off on RWY 30, reaching 500 feet over the upwind end of the runway, then I dropped the flaps and slats and reduced the speed to 40kts. Very slowly, the Tin Pin crept backwards down the runway. Unfortunately I had to abandon the exercise when an inbound BOAC Comet joined the circuit. Another five minutes and I would have would won a crate of Becks!.