Grant Shapps hitches ~1,000km ride in RAAF F/A-18F
IIRC we called them ‘Rangers’ to keep civil ATC aware of mil ac during the Cold War as our prime purpose was to test access, basing and overflight. Two stories make me 😂. Libya 2011, Tripoli does not have your flight plan to which the Tornado leader replied, ‘the reason for that will become obvious soon.’ Italy early to mid 80s where a Jag pilot sends a ‘Thank You’ post card to Auntie Liz c/o Buck Pal for the privilege of testing ABO during a splendid w/e to Nothern Italy; sadly, the HQ 1 Gp staff officers were less impressed…
The Luftwaffe had rather more reasonable attitudes to such flights back in the '90s. There was an RAF exchange officer who was sorting out his civil commercial licences and needed to do the UK FRTOL exam. So he came over to Brize with his WSO, airways for most of the way, then came over to the Flying Club to sit the exam! Passed with 100%, then back to Germany! He told me that a couple of other squadron crews had asked to go to Norway, much to the surprise of their Boss. "Ah - there's a great seafood restaurant we've found..." "Really? OK, I'll come too!" was his reply.
A Luftwaffe F-4 was a common visitor to RAF Wattisham in the early '80s. The crew always greeted the customs officer cordially, declaring a bottle and 200 each. Then they stood around until he'd gone, before unscrewing the access panel on a modified centreline tank, out of which came all manner of things - which were transferred to a minivan from TTTE Cottesmore. Including on one occasion a complete Mercedes Benz exhaust system to replace one wrecked by Rutland's roads!
A Luftwaffe F-4 was a common visitor to RAF Wattisham in the early '80s. The crew always greeted the customs officer cordially, declaring a bottle and 200 each. Then they stood around until he'd gone, before unscrewing the access panel on a modified centreline tank, out of which came all manner of things - which were transferred to a minivan from TTTE Cottesmore. Including on one occasion a complete Mercedes Benz exhaust system to replace one wrecked by Rutland's roads!
Last edited by BEagle; 24th Mar 2024 at 18:03.
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7 Squadron at St Mawgan in the 1970s was equipped with Canberra TT18s tasked with target towing. They frequently gave passenger rides and often flew fish runs to Machrihanish. They had leather shoulder bags for purchase of the type common in Cyprus, embossed with a Gold Canberra and the motif ‘Sevenair’. They offered to fly a WRAF home one weekend and were astonished when she turned up in ops wearing a maxi skirt and knee-length boots.
Politician gets a joy ride, nothing to write home about. Taking the piss out of said politico (especially a grifter like Shapps) is equally OK.
I wonder if he asked for some stick time and put it in his logbook?
I wonder if he asked for some stick time and put it in his logbook?
