RAF Nicosia - Cyprus.
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RAF Nicosia - Cyprus.
RAF Nicosia remains officially an RAF airbase despite being embedded in a UN Buffer Zone. It is a terrible waste of an aviation asset but in 2010 I was tasked to conduct a survey on the airfield. The Control Tower made an impression, as beneath the decay lay an Art Deco building that once upon a time would have been a fantastic building / workplace. I decided that I would do my bit to preserve the aviation heritage of the RAF at Nicosia and paint the scene circa early sixties. If you like, the lull before the storm that was the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. The oil painting that I have created took months to complete, but I am very happy with the result and hope you dont mind if I share it on this most appropriate of internet pages.
Fantastic painting, TM.
Why did you decide to have the airman saluting?
Why did you decide to have the airman saluting?
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I could BS you and say that the pilot was a VSO but in reality I witnessed someone looking afar and despite being downstream of the sun, they used the cup of their hands for shade. You have to portray humans doing something else thy all look like matchstick men. You are the second person to make that observation.
TM,
Thanks for the reply.
It's a GREAT painting - up there with Cuneo. Well done. I am envious of your skill.
Thanks for the reply.
It's a GREAT painting - up there with Cuneo. Well done. I am envious of your skill.
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TM
I'm jealous of your talents, another smashing picture.
It was a scheduled weekly flight, the UK Cyprus - Beverley.
It left RAF Abingdon on Friday morning. Stopped for lunch/fuel at Istres/Orange, then onto Luqa, where freight/pax for Malta were off loaded and the crew night stopped.
On the Saturday it flew to Nicosia, where their freight/pax were off-loaded and return freight loaded. Again the crew night stopped.
On the Sunday pax loaded and it flew Nicosia - Luqa, another night stop and returning freight/pax loaded.
Monday morning, Luqa - Istres/Orange stop for lunch and fuel.
Monday afternoon home run to Abingdon.
The a/c that crashed with the police dogs on board in I think 1957, was a UCB!
When I was posted to Istres in Sept 57, I went out as 'supernumerary crew' on a UCB. We 'pax' were labeled supernumerary crew as the pilot was not qualified to carry pax!
I'm jealous of your talents, another smashing picture.
It was a scheduled weekly flight, the UK Cyprus - Beverley.
It left RAF Abingdon on Friday morning. Stopped for lunch/fuel at Istres/Orange, then onto Luqa, where freight/pax for Malta were off loaded and the crew night stopped.
On the Saturday it flew to Nicosia, where their freight/pax were off-loaded and return freight loaded. Again the crew night stopped.
On the Sunday pax loaded and it flew Nicosia - Luqa, another night stop and returning freight/pax loaded.
Monday morning, Luqa - Istres/Orange stop for lunch and fuel.
Monday afternoon home run to Abingdon.
The a/c that crashed with the police dogs on board in I think 1957, was a UCB!
When I was posted to Istres in Sept 57, I went out as 'supernumerary crew' on a UCB. We 'pax' were labeled supernumerary crew as the pilot was not qualified to carry pax!
"Mildly" Eccentric Stardriver
The thing is, Brakedwell, there isn't much to see in that direction until you come to the Troodos range. Looking north, however, as Tiger mate shows so well, you have the Kyrenia Range. I was lucky enough to fly Wessex there in '69 as part of the UN force, and much of our work was resupplying the posts up in the ranges. Off duty was sailing off, and drinking in, Kyrenia.
Ah, Kyrenia, Clitos and the Harbour Club.
One of our tasks was to remind Eoka they were being watched when I flew the Levant Comm Squadron Meteors. Authorised low flying in the Troodos mountains was very popular with us youngsters.
One of our tasks was to remind Eoka they were being watched when I flew the Levant Comm Squadron Meteors. Authorised low flying in the Troodos mountains was very popular with us youngsters.
1963 No 88 Entry from the Towers undertook the last College leadership camp in Cyprus, based in a little camp called Yialla in the Kyrenia Mountains. These days we often have a week or two in N Cyprus with friends who long term rent there in the winter. Couple of years back out on a drive unexpectedly came across Yialla Camp, now occupied by the Turkish Army so did not hang around nor take pictures. Last year found ourselves in the waterfront hotel with the dome, cannot think of the name, and realised I had last been there 52 years earlier - from memory did not seem a lot had changed, except for the very rude Russians.
Wander00, thanks for reminding me of the Dome. I was trying to remember the name of the hotel we used to stay in back in 1958. Us Transport Command lot used to have a three week accomodation rotation while waiting to take part in a "secret" airborne assault, but which never happened, somewhere in the Middle East. Many years later I learned the target was Teheran with a diversion to Bahrain after dropping the paratroops.
For three months Hastings and Beverley crew accommodation was rotated, with week one in tents at RAF Nicosia on permanent standby from 1800 to midnight when not practicing large night formations (cock-ups), week two at the Ledra Palace in Nicosia on standby from 0600 to 1200 and week three in the Dome at Kyrenia letting our hair down. All this was done with a Smith and Wesson, loaded with five bullets, shoved in our trouser pockets as there were no holsters available in Cyprus. Sometimes I swapped my Ledra week for another tent week on the airfield to get more hours on the the Levant Comm Squadron Meteors.
Returning from a heavy night in the Harbour Club our Flt Sgt Signaller met an EOKA terrorist on the second storey landing in the Dome, drew his six shooter and fired at said EOKA man, who drew his gun at the same time. A full length mirror shattered and our crew had to chip in for a replacement. The real problem was getting another .38 bullet. I think the Flt Engineer twisted an arm in the armoury and an almost inevitable Court Martial was averted.
For three months Hastings and Beverley crew accommodation was rotated, with week one in tents at RAF Nicosia on permanent standby from 1800 to midnight when not practicing large night formations (cock-ups), week two at the Ledra Palace in Nicosia on standby from 0600 to 1200 and week three in the Dome at Kyrenia letting our hair down. All this was done with a Smith and Wesson, loaded with five bullets, shoved in our trouser pockets as there were no holsters available in Cyprus. Sometimes I swapped my Ledra week for another tent week on the airfield to get more hours on the the Levant Comm Squadron Meteors.
Returning from a heavy night in the Harbour Club our Flt Sgt Signaller met an EOKA terrorist on the second storey landing in the Dome, drew his six shooter and fired at said EOKA man, who drew his gun at the same time. A full length mirror shattered and our crew had to chip in for a replacement. The real problem was getting another .38 bullet. I think the Flt Engineer twisted an arm in the armoury and an almost inevitable Court Martial was averted.
Last edited by brakedwell; 31st Dec 2016 at 13:58. Reason: Grammar