Hello again everyone, sorry for the delay posting, but my old computer decided to pack up and just like a "K" is nil stock in spares and needed some ingenuity rather than replacement to get going again.
Anyway, I am back up and scanning and I hope you will recognise the Lyneham shots I took back in 1987 to record my time on A-line as an engineer officer.
In reply to the previous message from Smudge, I am delighted to hear that Simon became a GE, he was a really nice guy and he fully deserved the chance to make the most of that opportunity. Also, in answer to you, I think my lot was "C" Flight (it was long ago!) but my wonderful Flt Sgt was Dougie Bowyer if that narrows it down,... plus good old Mick Rans*m, one of my old time Chiefs, so many stories from him and about him!
In fact all my Chief Techs were great characters and on occasion if we were quiet on a night shift after all the snags were done, they would start up a fierce bridge card school with no prisoners taken in bidding wars and subsequent debriefs on the outcome! I had no issue with this, provided all the work was done, but one night OC Eng Wg decided to surprise us at 4am while I was doing some 6442s and the card school was in full swing. He strode into our control and feeling that he had caught them out said: "No problems gentlemen?" To which the reply came straight back "Yes, Sir, we're vulnerable in Spades!" This took the wind completely out his sails and unable to come up with a retort, just looked at me and snapped "I'll see you in the morning!" before leaving as quickly as he had entered.
"You can't hide up there all day Sir, OC Eng wants to see you right away! Plus I need you to sign off my leave request. "
So, just one more high up snap from the flood light tower, of a couple of visiting Canadian C130s.
Now just some pics I took to illustrate the routine of life on the line such as bringing the tyres back up to pressure with Nitrogen.
And the daily movement of aircraft around the airfield and into the hangars using the tug.
Two Alberts squeezed into the A-line hangar to be sorted for a check or a rectification of an awkward snag.
Another constant task was a re-role of the cargo area for the many different jobs that the aircraft was capable of performing. This photo also illustrates how much "stuff" was back there!
And my much maligned, but unsung hero in the stores, beavering away to keep us stocked with parts and tools,.... at least he knew that I really appreciated him!
Finally, to finish off, a departing Fat Albert heading off to somewhere exotic and distant and this is will be the theme of my next set of photos as I look at some of my trips away downroute.
Cheers to you all,
Steve