652 Sqn AAC
 

Gentlemen.

Having read the news about jim Lawtons farewell I wondered whether there were any readers from 652 Sqn ( Bunde and Hildesheim days) out there.

I was in 652 from 87-90, I went back to Hildesheim last month with a few friends and had a whale of a time.
I think Jim Lawton was before my time.
Nice to hear from anybody who served in 1 Regt's finest Squadron.

I replaced Jim at Bunde when he was posted from there in 1981,( for his QHI course, I think).

I was a brand new Gazelle driver, out of the box from Wallop. A few days after I had arrived I was out on a famil, with Jim in the left hand seat, showing me around the area from Bunde to Munster. It was a beautiful day and as we cruised along I said to Jim; " I can't believe we are getting paid to do this!"

Jim immediately covered up the T4 gauge with his hand and said " "What's the T4 temperature reading now?"

I didn't know!

He then said; " Every time you can't believe you are getting paid to fly helicopters, look at the instruments. That way you will look at them at least once every 10 minutes."

Do you know he was right! Even 9000 hrs later I still find myself thinking of Jims advice every few minutes!