Aces, Erks and Backroom Boys contains memories of groundcrew, aircraft factory workers, etc. Quite good, I enjoyed it when I read it recently.

Ah the memories, thanks chaps.

Remember being buzzed by two Jags around that time (I was visiting my Dad who worked for Airwork) at Sharjah. We were strolling along the road and suddenly there was two bangs as the planes shot overhead at zero feet. You could almost hear the pilots laughter. Frightened the sh1t out of me, I can tell you!

Must try and get my scanner to work and post some photos of my visit there, or rather, the planes. I’ll leave the SAS boyos out, they weren’t too happy to have me snapping away as they boarded choppers! 🙂

Especially this one…

I have an interest in the Viscount crash because (1) It crashed just off the coast here in Wexford, South East Ireland (I can actually see Tuskar Rock lighthouse from the window here) and (2) a distant cousin was one of the cabin crew on the plane.

A review into the original crash report was held in 2000 and reported in 2002, and it agreed with most of the original report’s conclusions that catastrophic structural failure was the cause of the tragedy. It can be found on the Air Accident Investigation Unit website.

Regarding the Aer Lingus history, there hasn’t been any official publication but there are loads of details, photos, etc., in the aforementioned “Pioneers in Flight: Aer Lingus and the Story of Aviation in Ireland”, or there’s “The Flight Of The Iolar: The Aer Lingus Experience 1936-1986” (The Iolar being AL’s first aircraft, a de Havilland 84 Dragon), and both are available from aeroflight.co.uk. Another good read is a more personal history by a former pilot for the company, Aidan A. Quigley, entitled “Green Is My Sky”, but I’m not sure if that’s still in print.

Hope that helps.

Try Brook’s Art’s website.

Blimey! Just spent the last two hours going through this thread and marvelling at all the fabulous photos, thanks for making my afternoon chaps!

In payment I must dig out my Dad’s shots from the Oman in the 80s (including a UH1 airlifting another one that had a bit of a mishap) along with a bent Strikemaster and one of himself beside a Mirage. Oh, and the photos from our time in Sudan and Nigeria in the 60s and 70s. Now, where is that scanner?

Moonraker! 😀

Nice collection btw.