Great Pics R4H.
TCF I thought the chap in the cupola looked like that well known Civi ALM from Boscombe with a name like that songbird that sang in some square or other.
He used to wear a black grow bag, I think he nabbed it from 8 Flt AAC with his civi captain stripes and his RAF ALM Brevet.
Smudge, Yes MFF used to take place in El Centro. In later days we operated the ACE (Air Concentration Exercise) construct with one aircraft and a couple of crews serving a number of things going on at El Centro, YPG and China Lake. we may do an airdrop onto Coral DZ at YPG in the morning, a lift for a para trial or training at El Centro in the afternoon and then go to China lake for another trial the next day. Then come back and do it all again. We could not do high altitude O2 stuff two days running. I remember doing a role change on the way up from Laguna to CL. There was an awful lot of hurry up and waiting. The swimming pool attendants (PJIs) were in their elements. I think the detachments got too big with the QinetiQ, JATE, various other units and hangers on.
Managed a couple of weekends in San Diego and trips into the desert collecting pictures of strange plants. (OK we are all different!) I still have the bits of metal wood kicking around. Not forgetting the Beaver colony at the Green Door over the Mexican boarder.
I still miss the C&W karaoke at the Sage and Sands.
I am still waiting to hear the story of this C&W Band from El Centro