U2 @ Akrotiri
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 39
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From: Rompers Green
Driving north out of Highworth towards Lechlade at 13.02 GMT this afternoon I definitely did not see one of those weather balloons in the descent before turning left towards Fairford, dirty up, dangle the dunlops before disappearing out of view.
On a more serious note Sqn Ldr Birney Limb was mentioned earlier on in the thread. Does anyone have any information on him? He was a very good friend of my fathers and was very inspirational in me joining the mob. I would love to get in touch with him if he is still around.
On a more serious note Sqn Ldr Birney Limb was mentioned earlier on in the thread. Does anyone have any information on him? He was a very good friend of my fathers and was very inspirational in me joining the mob. I would love to get in touch with him if he is still around.
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,536
Likes: 295
From: The Alps
Dragon Girl's wish and chase car due to budgetary cuts
Dragon Lady wish comes true
http://www.501csw.usafe.af.mil/share...-LH253-044.jpg
Weather Balloon from a few days ago and have to admit, theres no substitution for the good ol'd blue Mustang
Though Obama's budgetary constraints on the USAF doesn't look too bad if ground crew are driving in the latest VW 
http://www.501csw.usafe.af.mil/share...-LH253-044.jpg
Weather Balloon from a few days ago and have to admit, theres no substitution for the good ol'd blue Mustang
Though Obama's budgetary constraints on the USAF doesn't look too bad if ground crew are driving in the latest VW
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 837
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From: Torquay, England
Originally Posted by 500N
That's a nice story about the girl. Someone obviously is good at PR.
Top PR which was VERY impressive. Was that the same aircraft that chalked a cheeky message to a well know aircraft spotter at that UK airfield?
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 4,258
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From: Australia - South of where I'd like to be !
I did a quick search on "Ellie Carter U2" to see what type of publicity this visit received, it seems this went quite a bit further than the air force newspaper article.
Ellie Carter: How a spyplane-obsessed schoolgirl melted an air crew's heart | Mail Online
I see in the article that she got to go in the chase car when the U2 landed,
I bet that is something SAMXXV hasn't even done !!! LOL
Ellie Carter: How a spyplane-obsessed schoolgirl melted an air crew's heart | Mail Online
I see in the article that she got to go in the chase car when the U2 landed,
I bet that is something SAMXXV hasn't even done !!! LOL
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 136
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From: North West England
If you played table footy in the American bar at Akrotiri, and drank copious amounts of brandy sours, you would soon be invited for a spin in the chase car, and a sit in the cockpit. Don't eat the spaceman food, mind, gopping!
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 18
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From: UK
Originally Posted by glojo
Top PR which was VERY impressive. Was that the same aircraft that chalked a cheeky message to a well know aircraft spotter at that UK airfield?
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 99
Likes: 0
From: England
Gaz ED If you played table footy in the American bar at Akrotiri, and drank copious amounts of brandy sours, you would soon be invited for a spin in the chase car, and a sit in the cockpit. Don't eat the spaceman food, mind, gopping!
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 125
Likes: 6
From: wiltshire
Early days of the weather ballon
The last post brought back memories of sitting at the Limmassol Services Sailing Club on Ladies Mile watching these big black aeroplanes which weren't here coming in to land. Not as bad as being woken up in the morning early by the same non-existent aeroplanes taking off! I did a tour on 103 M.U. between Dec 68 and Aug 71 which was over the period when they WEREN'T there and when they weren't there, if you follow me. We lost the use of the small hangar next to our Vulcan maintenance hangar to the same non-existent bunch of people, it was all so laughably obvious who they were and what they were there for, that nobody could really get excited about it, apart from not being able to take a shortcut through the hangar and having to walk the long way round to get past it.The pompous pronouncements of various politicians that these non-existent aeroplanes were not operating from any British military bases only made it more of a farce than it was.
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 1
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From: Cambridgeshire
Flt Lt Bernie Limb
I have just been reading the posts on here and remember serving with a Flt Lt Bernie Limb (Navigator) at RAF Oakington c1965/7 could this be the same man? A really nice man, married to Judy.
If it is the same chap and anyone knows where he lives I would love to get in touch with him.
If it is the same chap and anyone knows where he lives I would love to get in touch with him.
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 8
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From: Surrey
In the early 70's whilst enjoying a drink one evening with my dear wife at the Akrotiri Ski Club the Americans turned up, (no idea why they were there?). One immediately started to chat up my wife who was stood next to me telling her that he was a U2 pilot, likely story. He was really trying it on and I was just about to intervene when my dear wife said to him, "If you don't go away, (she was always polite) you will not be able to fly tomorrow because your testicles will be too swollen after suffering from sudden and violent contact with my knee!"
The rest of the crew were great and I enjoyed many hours socialising and drinking 'Blab', (mixed in the bathtub and decanted into 5 gallon plastic containers).
The rest of the crew were great and I enjoyed many hours socialising and drinking 'Blab', (mixed in the bathtub and decanted into 5 gallon plastic containers).
