Thanks for the offer Ned, much appreciated as always.
Like my old friend EESDL (...hope you’re well, D), mine involves a Wessex and RAF Valley.
After 72 and Sixty I was on 22Sqn for a while. Was crap at SAR and eventually got chopped but before then while doing the work up at Valley we did some night IF. Despite having an AI the size of a bin lid, Wessex IF was always hard work for me... (all OK now, thanks for asking).
Will W was the duty pilot and he sat LHS while I did some general handling to the NW of the field before a couple of approaches to finish off.
We were at maybe 4000’ in slightly hazy conditions when Will told me to come out from under the hood and “Look at that!”
We were approaching the South Stack lighthouse and the beams were illuminating the haze. From above it looked like a giant six spoked wagon wheel silently rotating in the dark. Slightly disorientating and not good for my IF in the next few minutes but the sight itself was eerie, mesmerising and for some reason even a little scary. I’ll never forget it.