As a final postscript to the Saudi side of it. Airwork were off the Saudi contract from April 1973. The British Ambassador at the time said to a senior AW rep that he hoped Airwork would complete the contract in a spirit of goodwill on the basis that there might be other work there for them in the future.
The Magic Carpet part of the contract referred to the first part of the Air Defence Scheme for the urgent requirement to have 6 Lightnings and 6 Hunters up to operational status as fast as possible. All this is in files at the National Archive at Kew

I will be meeting a few pilots who flew KAF Lightnings on Thursday if anyone has any specific questions they’d like asking – let me know
Kind Rgds SF

SF I would like to know who carried out their maintenance/ground crew back up and also whether Airwork were in any way involved. Firebird has given what looks like a conclusive answer but it would be nice to hear it from one of the horses mouths so to speak.
I think Airwork were probably too stretched in Saudi at the time to get involved but it would be interesting to find out for sure.

Many Thanks
OG

Airwork were not involved with the Kuwait operations. There may have been some very small, token BAC support in the early days, just post delivery, but lack of support infrastructure is one of the reasons cited for the Kuwait Lightning fleet being offered for sale as early as 1973, just a few years after being bought. There was no real interest, so they soldiered on with spoaradic operations until replacing them in 1977 with the simpler to operate Mirage F1.

Thank you Firebird, that is what I thought as I have not come across one instance of their involvement in all the digging around I have done.

thegypsy – Thanks also for your response. The pilot you knew being RAF suggests he was on secondment. From what I can find on Saudi operations with the Lightning, they were always stretched for suitable personnel, especially on the Magic Carpet contract.

OG