Heidi was the one I was alluding to....

Remember the 'disinsect' canisters we used to let off in the rooms on arrival in the hotel? One of the chaps was staying in one of the thatched lodges around the pool - he had dead and dying insects landing on him all night as they fell out of the roof!

Ned Kelly
The best jazz and sausage and mash in Hong Kong, first went there when I was on Brit Det in '75 I think it was when the Det was based at Kai Tak. Managed one trip to Nepal during the det, memeorable for the Nav coming up to look out of the screen, say " Oh ,that's where we are "and and disappear back to his desk, a wind up I hope. that and re-fuelling in India an aircraft that used Lbs and gallons worked out with a spirit level in the cockpit with a bowser either side, one in litres and one in decalitres, just slightly complicated.
Normally popped in when going through HK west about or east about after that during my first stint as a G,E,, didn't get there so much on the second go on it!

I have good reason to remember The Waltzing Matilda bar in Cameron Road Hong Kong. A certain Welsh Nav was O.C. Airport Unit at Kai Tak and he invited me and my family to visit. A long indulgence flight courtesy of B.Cal got us there in time for him to say that his bro. and family had already arrived unexpectedly and there was no room. We were put up in the VIP suite at the Grand Hotel for the duration. The South Atlantic broke out and the inscrutable Chinese refused my Access card for payment because we would lose the war. Drowning our sorrows in the "Wally Mat" I espied a Herc crew then another every hour or so. One Co who had American Express paid off our bill in dorra and I then noticed Mrs.M was quite pixilated by the amount of B & Cs bought. The departure the next day was self help and conversation restored by Dubai. I never got grief for subsequent kokkinelli hangovers.

Dougie
 

That 'certain Welsh nav' was an occasional poster on here 4 or 5 years ago, be nice if he appeared again - he must have lots of good stories to tell.

BW

I believe that Welsh nav was also the one present during a met brief within the UK some years ago. The metman coudn't get hold of the Wittering TAF, but was told the crew had one with them....

There is a (potentially) apocryphal story of the same gent, who admitted, on the first leg of a US route, that his wife had packed his bags for him. Cue Loadie ransacking his suitcase and removing all of the shoes within. GT then wore DMS shoes for the entire route, only to have them returned at the start of the last leg (having moaned about his wife's forgetfulness for the entire time).

Happy days.

A similar 'kippering' was 'enjoyed' by a rather youthful Ed P****ing at around the same time....whose suitcase gradually fell to bits as we went round a Belize schedule. Having just bought it for him whilst in Dubai, I felt quite guilty, until I realised that Arthur K*****n had been loosening all of the wheels and eventually the handle on each leg.

bunta130
 

If your Welsh Nav's initials are GT then I don't think I knew him.

My version's initials are A L C******.

Brian
Yes you are right. It was Cl*m. We were on "F" together. GT is famed for other stories.
I recall Fudpuckers from Fort Walton Beach I believe whilst visiting some of Uncle Sam's finest. I bought the Tshirt for the missus emblazoned with a pelican and the motto "You haven't been pucked till you've been Fudpucked" She never wore it.

You're right Doug.....it was indeed Cl*m in HK - my nav going through the OCU first time in 84 (him having arrived back in that year), and with us on STF a few years later.

Speaking of which....remember the Sky TV cameraman who upset Cl*m in St Andrews? Pretty sure you were there too.

I see the curmudgeonly Cambrian occasionally. The last time being the inauguration of the Island Boy TWB R****s as mayor of Calne. I was expecting a bowl of Kava as a toast. Cl*m once brought to heel a deputy boss of the renowned STS, who was trying to get us all to follow the new received wisdom, with the observation. "The way to a man's heart, Boyo , is not up his nose.

That wouldn't have been the SF Xmas 'get together' punchbag would it?

'Sugar Ray' Cl****t's haymaker was a thing of surprising beauty. We did have to prevent the cameraman retaliating though, as we needed C for the next leg home...

He was (and hopefully still is) a very witty curmudgeon. Unusually taciturn for a Taff too.

Best

Pete

Clem arrived as a first tourist when I was on 30 - not sure if it was just before or after we moved from Fairford to Lyneham. We always got on well, despite my contempt for the 'Green Shield Stamp' Flt Lt situation i.e I as a second tour Fg Off having to screen a first tour Flt Lt! Whenever I meet Clem he always refers to me as the 'angry young man'.
Having spent Dec 31st 2015 at my old mate Angus M's in Little Somerford we called in to see Clem the following morning on our way to collect our dog from friends at Broad Hinton. We hope to do the same this coming New Year. Clem and I both made the ultimate sacrifice for proud navs - donating sons to the RAF to become pilots!

By the way we are still in contact with the late late GB's good lady.

Just a thought - a fellow thespian at school was a guy called Ian Henley. Years later, in 1982 I turned up at the Towers as a newly minted IOT flt cdr (albeit nearly 40 and a retread) to find Ian was OC "C" Sqn, and of the Hercules persuasion. Anyone know what happened to him or still in contact.

Were you on B or D Sqns in 82 and 83? If so, our paths would have crossed....

Bunta - I was on B - three courses, two with RS as boss and one with R B-J. Went off to Neatishead in April 84

Jenkins - aah thanks.

t's tragic to see XV177 and XV209 for sale in "Psst you wanna buy a Herc" detailed in https://ex-mod-aircraft.com/
Many happy hours in both frames. When the last 6 aircraft were up for disposal 3G Aviation were asked if they could be ferried to a "Central American country" avoiding U.S. airspace. No sweat we responded, mentally calculating the Lajes - Bermuda - Carib pond crossing. Sadly in vain. Don't think I could be happy "glamping" in a fuselage section of either frame. I could wake up panicking that I'd missed a 30West estimate.

I have a very recent picture of what has become of Kai Tak which I'd like to post. Does anyone know of a fool-proof alternative to the PhotoBucket method?

Kai Tak in Oct 2017
 

Those with long memories may recognise the Kai Tak runway running through the centre of the photo; the white building at the right-hand end is apparently a cruise ship terminal.

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It appears that the "Snapfish" method is not as reliable as the PhotoBucket method. Any suggestions?

postimage.org is getting some half-decent reviews on several forums (forii ?? :O ) that I use .... :O