Things might have changed but, it did not seem difficult to me to have real plans to maintain the hard surfaces and hardened facilities (where they exist) as usable at say, off the top of my head, Cottesmore, Leuchars, St Mawgan, Scampton, Upper Heyford, etc..there are others. The only place I guess that might have plans today is, maybe Leeming? Just those few would double or more the target task if dispersal was used. The large aircraft should have standing plans for dispersed operations at civilian airfields. Oh yes, these plans should not be just written on paper, they need real £,£££,£££,£££ to support as a force enhancing reality.

OAP

Dispersal was a large part of our 'game plan' [anyone remember V-Force?!]. However, dispersal to other airfields generates some expensive support requirements. On-base and near off-base dispersal is cheaper and arguably just as effective ... but only against conventional weapons. If nuclear gets deployed, all bets are off.

Often said, is it right? Weapons up to about 150KT are really just big explosions with (usually) some nasty fallout/contamination. :sad:

OAP
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Absolutely! As a mere (sic) rotary mate, the differences could be summed up thus (not my words but good ones):

If you poured a beer over a Lightning mate at Happy Hour, he's pour a beer over you.

If you poured a beer over a Harrier mate at Happy Hour, he'd tell his Flt Cdr, who'd tell his Boss, who'd tell your Boss who'd tell your Flt Cdr and you'd get a b*ll*ck*ng on about Wednesday......

A Harrier stops whining when the engine is shut down?

What's the difference between a Harrier pilot and a 1,000lb bomb?

Not all 1000lb bombs are retarded? Surely that's the difference 'tween a Navigator and a 1000lb bomb?

Re. said Harrier pilots, whilst at JHQ I overheard a description of a teenager "he is ignorant and arrogant enough to be a .............
Join the dots.

This will get Newt back here.

http://i65.tinypic.com/ojpo44.jpg

I have fantastic memories of GUT in the late 80's, with all those paid camping holidays.
Two anecdotes on Christmas Draws:
1. In the Officers Mess, with a massive sum of money as the first prize, the Padre was selected as an honest man to pull out the winning ticket. He pulls out his own . . . . . . . .
2. In the Sgts Mess, the top prize is a car. The draw commitee decides to speed things up on the night by drawing tickets beforehand and putting them in envelopes to be opened later. The final envelope is opened to reveal . . . . 2 tickets. Neither ticket holder would compromise and in the end the Sgts Mess had to provide each one with a car.

Wonderful shot Dook!

Pity they were all fairly useless, operationally; good sports cars though.

This is surely a shot of 74 squadron, were they ever at Gutersloh? My boys were 19 and 92. Perhaps it was a huge detachment or exchange?
Either way, orgasmic shot
Time for a sherbet

I think 74 disbanded before Lightnings were painted in such a scheme. The device on the tails seems to be that of 92 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._92_Squadron_RAF

Thank you, I believe you are correct ..... I thought the tail device was a pussy cat.
Clearly the promise of a sherbet deranged me.

[QUOTE=It's only Me;10304808]
Yep, that's him. He certainly didn't spend his winnings buying rounds.