I had the unique opportunity of being a part of a group of photographers invited, on very short notice as it turned out, to visit RAF Cottesmore during the final weeks of the drawdown of the Joint Force Harrier.
We were to photograph a rehearsal for the 16 Harriers taking part in the final fly past the following week. The plan was to cover the departures and return of the Harriers. Close up. The plan didn’t quite work out as planned. As we gathered at the main gate, rumour had it that the runway temperature was below minimum for safe operations. When our chaperone for the day arrived, the Flt lt confirmed the conditions and was not hopeful that anything would fly at all from Cottesmore that day. There was to be a change of plan and as we didn’t know what it would be yet, our first port of call was ATC who were our hosts for the day. As we were being plied with tea and coffee in the crew room of the control tower, the Flt Lt was on the phone trying to see who at Cottesmore would be up for a short notice visit. The Harriers would be flying at Wittering that afternoon and and a RN Lt said he would be escorting us over there after lunch. At least we would get to see some flying. Back at Cottesmore, a new plan was forming. No 800 Naval Air Squadron came to the rescue and said we could have a look around their hangar.
The doors to No 1(F)Sqn hangar were open and from the pan you could see the red and white tail of the special painted Harrier. Again the Flt Lt made enquiries on behalf of the group and after a briefing on what we could and couldn’t photograph by the 1(F)Sqn ‘Aunty’; we had access to the hangar for a wander around.
Es el recordatorio de que ni con un mes y medio de operaciones y miles y miles de kilogramos de bombas no pudieron inutilizar un simple aeródromo.
exacto....
casi que les debería dar vergüenza tener ese cartel , siendo que por incapacidad y/o cobardía no pudieron embocar 2 tristes bombas en una pista ...
Años atrás, cuando yo jugaba al rugby, cada vez que jugabamos contra un equipo grande o difícil, nuestro entrenador nos decía que no teníamos que tener miedo sino respeto. Pero tampoco había que respetarlo tanto...
No creo que hayan tenido miedo ni incapacidad, pero si, después del 1 de mayo, demasiado respeto.