APC RAF Akrotiri August 1982. Can it really have been over 30 years ago?
That brings to mind the first Phantom MPC at Akrotiri in autumn '69(?). I was on 2nd Line Servicing at Coningsby and seconded to 6 Sqn for the three weeks or so. My one and only time on Cyprus and thanks to the shift system (midday to midday then 24hrs off) there was enough time to explore the island in hire cars, including Kyrenia (via a UN convoy system). Lots of swimming interspersed the wine drinking and kebab eating. I even survived the local wine-fest - not that I remember too much of it :0
Outbound on a Britannia, return in the para seats of Albert - now there's comfort. The Herc was stuffed with Houchins and other ground equip so leg-room was pretty non-existent. The upside of that was that there were plenty of hiding places for booze & fags, which was a good thing as Customs went through our holdalls etc with a fine tooth-comb.
Oh yes - plenty of sorties launched, lots of hard graft on the line making sure there enough frames for the next day, etc etc. One of the better detachments...