Nugget,
What a great story, and proof positive that "Albert" crews, of whatever nation, will always help when they can. I can relate a story from my own experience when transiting through Aviano on the way to an Ascot "something". Our night stop held the promise of some good Italian wine, food and a nice change from the Op Granby stuff we had all been involved in for seemingly ages. So, having landed I, as the GE started to put my perfectly serviceable Albert to bed. I was pretty much finished and wrapping up the paperwork when a camouflaged chap with an American accent asked to come aboard. Welcome says I, and he duly took a seat on the bottom bunk, as I continued to sign up the 700 at the Navs station. He had a problem, he had a blown bleed air fitting on his Albert, and, the blown joint was not one of the usual sizes, so he had no spare in his "go pack" ! Well, I wasn't carrying a ranger pack, but as usual for all GEs did have my trusty "spares bag", in my case the RAF hold-all I had been issued at RAF Halton in 1969, full of "bits and bobs". Looking through it we managed to find a new clamp and gasket, which we fitted and I had the pleasure of doing a ground run on an "H" as he did the leak check.
Fast forward to that evening, sitting in the hotel bar having a beer with the crew who were still there and this very charming lady walks in, asks me if I'm Smudge and asks if she can take me out to dinner. Well, how does one refuse, so off we went. I discovered that the lady was the Captain of the "H" and heading Gulfwards, she was genuinely grateful that I had assisted her crew chief in ensuring they could continue on task, on time. My reward was the look on our co pilots face as I was "picked up" in the bar, he told me the next day that GEs had gone up in his estimation. I paid for dinner, and a few drinks before escorting the Captain back to her room (door). Truly, more proof of international Albert cooperation.
Smudge
