A Pathe News 'short' on the introduction to service of the Hawker Siddeley Andover. I enjoyed hours of Andover flying as an ATC cadet, when 46 Sqn was based at RAF Thorney Island. youtu.be/W_JdxkXJDyA?si…

Some unpublished photos of the RAF in the inter-war years. These Hawker Hart are part of 33 Sqn in what was then known as Palestine. Today, the region is very much in the news, but it was never exactly a peaceful place.

Stairway to heaven??? 🧐
MACV-SOG team in Vietnam being extracted by a CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopter via SPIE, 1970. Definitely not for the faint hearted!

Some controversial ratings here!
The Puma is no Wessex (or Chinook🤭), but it has given 45 years of RAF service, notwithstanding it's shortcomings.
They used to be known as 'plastic pigs' in the first decade, not sure what today's operators think?
33 Squadron RAF Joint Helicopter Support Squadron

I love this job, not something that was on offer to us Brits. This young 'boomer' (refuelling a B-1 bomber, a few weeks ago) has quite a responsibility for someone of that rank. Does a USAF Senior Airman stay in the Sergeants Mess when on deployment abroad, or is he too junior?

The Miles (later Handley Page) M.69 Marathon II.
This Miles-built version, powered by two Armstrong-Siddeley Mamba turbo-prop engines, was created for (but rejected by!) BEA.
Only one prototype was built and plans to rename it the 'Snickers' was also thankfully rejected! 😂

La Spitfiore!
Widely praised as one of the best fighter aircraft to come out of Italy in World War Two, the Fiat G55 also served with the Italian Air Force (post-war) with a Rolls Royce Merlin engine. It was still being used as an advanced trainer until the late 1950s.

This is priceless! 💂
Check out the different methods of the Guards Sergeants responces, all according to Regimental tradition.
It reminds me a bit of the India/Pakistan border closing ceremony. Both of those Armies have British roots when it comes to tradition. Love the door!

I had one of these!
I spent all my time trying to get violent and smelly chemical reactions. However, I don't think I learnt anything worthwhile about chemistry. 🤭

The correct answer (but with illustrations👍) to today's question.

An interesting convoy image, but what do you think are under the tarpaulins?? 😉

The first civil airliner I flew on (British Caledonian, LGW to Luqa in Malta, for an overseas ATC Annual Camp in 1973) and one I have fond memories...apart from the noise!

Has there ever been a more 'Sci-fi looking' aircraft than this Handley Page Victor bomber?

One of my early Tweets, resurfaced to a slightly larger following today.
Not sure how people find these after, almost four years?

Spin it as much as you like, the weather here has been crap since the end of June 2023.🌧️🌂☔

How British (mostly Tory...but not always) politics has evolved since John Profumo! 😂😂

I think his maths are a bit out, two years national service from 18, would make them 82 this year! Some of the last batch were deffered graduates, so a year or two older. Conscription (for those between 19 and 30, M and F) is how it's likely to go in future, if things turn nasty.