Flt Lt Billy Speight MBE RAF retires - again!

[Duncan D'Sorderlee]

On the 65th anniversary of his birth, Flt Lt Billy Speight finally leaves the RAF. This stalwart has attained over 15000 hours on a variety of ac - all now, like Billy, retired!

Bill will be celebrating his retirement at the Kinloss Rugby Club from 1111 today, 11 Jan 11.

Enjoy your well deserved retirement, Bill!

Duncs:ok:

[fergineer]

was the best guy to instruct us Nimrod guys when we were wet behind the ears........Taught us well on the way to drink.......enjoy the rest Bill I have a lot to thank you for.......Regards Fergi

[Doptrack]

Pass on my best wishes for his (third??) retirement

Doptrack

[grizz]

He'll think of some way to get back in!!
All the very best to you Bill, enjoy it, sorry I won't be there to share a glass or three.

Regards

Grizz

[ShyTorque]

Third retirement? Some folk will do anything for a p*** up.

[fatkatz]

Genuine Old School - have a great day!

[olddog]

Bill, Have a happy retirement. See you in the Beastie sometime soon, I hope. The Shack OCU and drinking in the Riv Lodge seems like only yesterday!

Cheers

Old Dog

[thunderbird7]

You taught us young pilots all we needed to know about the scruffs bar! Cheers Bill!

Oh and a s***load of stuff about flying too :)

[PingDit]

Happy retirement Bill! At last you finally get to stop chasing Lead Dry's down the aircraft with the fire axe! :ok:

[Party Animal]

Apart from Bills first wife, I have never heard anyone mention a bad word about Bill in the relatively short 25 years that I have had the pleasure to know him. A true gent and complete professional and the first person to call if ever there was a Nimrod operating question that didn't have a straightforward book answer. Sadly, can't be there today to pass on my personal respects but truly a man to look up to and respect in any area.

Billy Speight - I salute you

[Phoney Tony]

Bill,

Thank you for the advice, friendship, many laughs, and the voice of reason when all around was madness.

Best wishes and a happy retirement.

DT and Legs!!

[betty swallox]

Duncs.
Good call! Enjoyed me Honkers and a sneaky wee Guinness with the Great Man today.
My first ever MR2 flight with him...magic. And it only got better!!

Cheers Billy, from yer "bag o' bone"!!

[flatscreen]

Bill, your retirement party would have been the usual quiet affair. I can guess who the last man standing was! Enjoy your latest retirement. Raising a glass to you now, friend!!

TD

[fin1012]

Although when I was a young Captain, having Bill as my Flt Eng was a nightmare. Every time the jet broke when we were somewhere exotic, he would insist on fixing it so we could go home...

All the best Billy

[Dengue_Dude]

Do us a favour and get those eyebrows sorted out . . .

Happy Retirement Bill

[Charlie Luncher]

Legendary
Happy memories of the Club and the sign by the phone!!
Charlie sends

[fergineer]

Anyone take any photos of the event and care to share them?

[scroggs]

Bill, I hope you have a bloody excellent retirement bash, and an even better retirement. It was a pleasure to fly with you, in and out of the RAF.

All the best mate

Tim Collins

[The Curator]

Bill, ....it was both a pleasure to have known you as a Truly Professional Flight Engineer.....and a friend.........
I wish you well in your (latest retirement....?)
...........My, how we laughed when your lovely wife ( well, I thought so anyway....) trashed your new rear bumper on your Rover....the day it was fitted.....after she had trashed the previous one...by backing into the same post at the same shop......
We last met at Fairford many,many years ago.......
I was then teaching on the TriStar.....My (then ..alas no more ) wife was also particularly impressed with your eyebrows........
Enjoy your retirement my friend..........

[Not Long Here]

I must add my best wishes to Bill having been in his presence for about 30 odd years on the Nimrod force before I ran away to BD back in 2003, before heading to NZ in 2005.

Whilst at Kinloss I felt somewhat embarrassed to be an A Cat Nav whilst in his company as he should have thus been > than an A Cat Nimrod Operator as he was someone you listened to carefully, or if you didn't, at your own expense be it - especially if you were somewhat senior.

Wish I could have been at his departure but have no real reason to want to be in the UK especially now but lets hope he makes it down here for the World Cup.

Bill, if your reading this, PM and I am sure we can look after you in Auckland or Wellington.

Your a legend Bill,
Best Regards.
Stu

[fergineer]

And theres always a room here as well Bill......in either Whakatane or if we move in Tauranga....regards
Fergi

[Dengue_Dude]

Here Fergi, if Bill's not using it then we might.

Seriously, as I type Sheena is enroute SIN-CRC. Fancy flying all that way to be a grandma! Still, this is a thread drift.

Not that FEs EVER divert conversations - and ESPECIALLY on the flight deck :)