Scone had a very high number of a/c movements, for obvious reasons. This photo was taken in the winter of 1966/7, by which time I had sufficient credibility to ask permission to take it. The ATCO may be McFarlane, whose Christian name escapes me. The student was a regular in the Tower.
We cadets weren't on first-name terms with any of the staff or instructors, our mutual relationship being rather like that at a boarding school. Hence some of the staff were awarded unofficial nick-names, used only between cadets. In contrast, when I joined my first airline, the majority of captains expected to be addressed by their first names once the cockpit door was closed.
This photo, taken to the SW like the one taken recently and
posted in January by dont overfil, seems unfortunately to have been more about recording a striking sunset than the aerodrome buildings in the foreground. The buildings, however, are remarkably similar, although the water tank has since disappeared. The lights of the distant city of Perth can just be seen making their presence known in the dusk.
