Comments on: By the way … http://www.thedigitalaviator.com/blog/?p=796 Between sail and satellite exists another world Sun, 11 Jul 2010 00:49:57 +0100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Richard http://www.thedigitalaviator.com/blog/?p=796&cpage=1#comment-22340 Richard Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:12:45 +0000 http://www.thedigitalaviator.com/blog/?p=796#comment-22340 Thank you for this! I don't remember Lancasters, but in 1968 I was at Ballykelly. Almost every morning I'd be just late enough to find that I couldn't go on round the perimiter, because there was a Shackleton at the threshold, winding up for a LROFE - (full war load - no time to return and bomb up if...) each merlin winding up till the manifolds glowed dull red, and then finally leviathan would head off down the 14,300ft of concrete.. Later on I was stationed in Berlin, and laid my Corps' wreath at the Berlin Heerstrasse CWGC cemetery, and, obviously walked down the rows and rows of young men's stones, usually together as a crew. Finally, I flew in a C-130 from Leeds Bradford to Gutersloh, and as the senior (of an undistinguished lot) pax was invited to ride on the flight deck. I was staggered to see just how many airfields were still visible right down that eastern side of England. There was just one Spanish Armada - this must have been a full scale aerial Armada seven nights a week... Different days, and very different men... Twenty years later I was lucky enough Thank you for this! I don’t remember Lancasters, but in 1968 I was at Ballykelly. Almost every morning I’d be just late enough to find that I couldn’t go on round the perimiter, because there was a Shackleton at the threshold, winding up for a LROFE – (full war load – no time to return and bomb up if…) each merlin winding up till the manifolds glowed dull red, and then finally leviathan would head off down the 14,300ft of concrete..

Later on I was stationed in Berlin, and laid my Corps’ wreath at the Berlin Heerstrasse CWGC cemetery, and, obviously walked down the rows and rows of young men’s stones, usually together as a crew.

Finally, I flew in a C-130 from Leeds Bradford to Gutersloh, and as the senior (of an undistinguished lot) pax was invited to ride on the flight deck. I was staggered to see just how many airfields were still visible right down that eastern side of England. There was just one Spanish Armada – this must have been a full scale aerial Armada seven nights a week…

Different days, and very different men…

Twenty years later I was lucky enough

]]> By: Richard http://www.thedigitalaviator.com/blog/?p=796&cpage=1#comment-22339 Richard Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:05:49 +0000 http://www.thedigitalaviator.com/blog/?p=796#comment-22339 Thank-you! I remember the Shackleton's warming up for their LROFE at Ballykelly in 1969, right at the beginning of the troubles. At dawn, holding at the threshold until the manifolds were a dull red before the headed off down 14,300 ft of concrete.... Twenty years ago (my doesn't time fly!) I was lucky enough to fly in a C-130 from Leeds Bradford to Gutersloh. As (wow!) the senior pax I was invited to travel on the flight deck. I was staggered to see just how many war-time airfields there were scattered over that eastern side of England. There was but one Spanish Armada, but this was an aerial Armada every bloody night of the week! I've also laid a wreath at the Berlin Heerstrasse War Graves Cemetary, and read the incriptions on the rows and rows of young men's stones. Different times, and very different men. Thank-you! I remember the Shackleton’s warming up for their LROFE at Ballykelly in 1969, right at the beginning of the troubles. At dawn, holding at the threshold until the manifolds were a dull red before the headed off down 14,300 ft of concrete….

Twenty years ago (my doesn’t time fly!) I was lucky enough to fly in a C-130 from Leeds Bradford to Gutersloh. As (wow!) the senior pax I was invited to travel on the flight deck. I was staggered to see just how many war-time airfields there were scattered over that eastern side of England. There was but one Spanish Armada, but this was an aerial Armada every bloody night of the week! I’ve also laid a wreath at the Berlin Heerstrasse War Graves Cemetary, and read the incriptions on the rows and rows of young men’s stones.

Different times, and very different men.

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