Coff,
I did help my grandson with the Mass (weight in my day !) and Balance portion of his ATPL studies and also with the 'electrickery' and some other bits. He passed first time so I claim the credit ! (Success has many parents, failure is an orphan. ANON)
Back to the story.
One thing puzzled me as to when the Sqn in question was formed and where. No doubt someone may know the amswer.
According to my log book we left on 3 June 1993 and returned on the 5 June.
This does not quite tie up with my memory of the trip, for I am convinced we left on the Friday and came home on the Monday. Not uncommon for the occaisional glitch in the clerking. Or perhaps my unfaithful friend may be up to the usual tricks.
We wanted to take one of the tankers as it would be something very different but this was vetoed so we had to take what we were given.
On the day of departure the Eng and I rolled up at the line to see what we had been allocated.
It was XV 291, 'rentawreck's ugly brother. The list of deferred defects would have consumed a toilet roll. It had just enough hours on the extension to the extension for the round trip and then to get it to Marshalls for the makeover. It was filthy inside and out and smelled of damp.
However it was an unspoken amongst the crew that the PNR would be at VR and short of a fire we were going !
In the event 291 behaved itself and we arrived at Bricy in good order. We were put into a slot ready for the next day's static, with several other nations already in position. We were whisked off for a wet lunch and then to the squadron where the celebrations were well under way. After a 'few' beers we were transported to our Hotel in Orleans for a rest before donning our Number 1 being picked up and taken to have a champagne reception with the Mayor.
Next day it was up to the airfield to man our a/c for the static. I had a good look around the new French 'H' model and noticed it had gaseous oxygen bottles (in the crew 'wardrobe' ) instead of LOX.
After a wet lunch we watched an impressive display by the C160 which did a version of ULLA and TAC landings.
Back in the hotel we had just time for a tactical kip before donning our mess kit and travelling back to the airfield for the Gala dinner. This was held in a hangar emptied of a/c and we acessed it via the side loading door of a C160 emerging down the carpeted ramp into the hangar where a glass of champagne awaited us.
Dinner was a protracted affair but eventually it finished and we went back to the hotel in the early hours of the morning.
Dressed once more in our number 1 uniform we were taken to the cathedral in the morning for a service of blessing. It was very impressive especially as all the historic banners and flags were on display. After the service some of the squadron personnel took us on a pub crawl until we cried enough and went back to the hotel for quiet final evening.
Next day 291 delivered us back to Lyneham with as little fuss as she had shown on the O/B leg.
What struck me then as it does now is how the local community embraced the celebrations of what was 'merely' a 50th anniversary of a local transport squadron. I cannot remember anything quite like this happening in my time in the RAF. I would love to be contadicted !
Anyone else have stories that meet the definition of a 'jolly' ?