Hi Drem,

I’m sure we all did! Hope u 2.

Try shoving 309 squadron polish into Google – think you’ll find what you are looking for.

cheers
Alan

I used to listen to it in Hampshire in the 50’s and 60’s, not knowing that it was AFN. Sport programs (sorry) were of particular interest. When I told a publisher of sport books about it a few years ago at the Frankfurt book fair, and how I got to know the names of some of the heroes of baseball through AFN, he promptly gave me a book on the sport, and there they all were, names I had heard of over the ether.

On an aviation note, however obtuse, I also visited a British publisher of motorracing books and mentioned in the course of conversation that I had met Mike Parkes on a number of occasions when he used to fly in to Frankfurt in a Beech (Baron, I believe), belonging to his buddy from Bulova watches. Mike was involved with Lancia at the time. The chap whose stand it was turned out to be a very good friend of Mike’s and was to be his best man, however Mike was killed the day before the wedding in a road accident.

Pete Arundell is another flyer who used to visit the office. Nice bloke, German wife, like me…told me he was going to the States to open up fish and chip shops, ‘software’ according to Wikipedia!

In order not to have hijacked the thread entirely – my daughter, soon 16, will invariably switch to AFNEagle in the car, for their choice of music.

cheers
Alan

Lovely to see your photo of ‘IIZ. She used to be cavorting around as we would be turning into the road in Chobham that had that super delicatess shop on the corner, and we would redouble our efforts to get there quickly on our bikes to see her landing. Thanks for the memory!

In 1981 I was visiting Bond at Peterhead, and my host was considering what to do with me because he didn’t really want to drive back to ABZ and back, since he was at home in Peterhead. ‘ZDC came to the rescue with a training flight, diverted into Peterhead, picked me up, and dropped me at Bristow’s, from where it was a short hop to the Skean Dhu and loads of Grouse. Next day I went out to Bidford Dolphin in the Firth of Forth in G-BMAL, thanks to Declan Dawson. I believe both rotorcraft still exist.
Happy days!

At the same airbase, in 1991, a number of MiG-21U (two-seaters) were scrapped. The useful components were collected and catalogued, although I was told they, too, would be disposed of, whereupon a certain number found their way into a certain Mazda…!;)

I’d like to offer a few Auster photos out of my shoebox:

AOP9 7432M was formerly WZ724 and was taken at the Aldershot Army show in the mid 60’s.

G-AMPA, J/5G Autocar was at Farnborough in 1952. The tail on the right seems to be of the Auster B.4 G-AMKL.

G-ASFK Autocar at Gt. Yarmouth in 1964.

Festive Greetings,

Alan

Excellent stuff Andrew, and thanks also for the DSLR reviews!

brgds
Alann