RAF at 100

56 Sqn F4 from a Shackleton over the English Channel circa 1984

AATC Course RAF Shawbury 1983

RAF Lossiemouth Operations Wing 2009

14 Sqn Disbandment Parade

603 Town HQ Edinburgh

Red Arrows at RAF Leuchars Airshow – I was airfield manager

Receiving my Royal Warrant 2009 from ACM Sir Simon Bryant who had been my CO at Leuchars

me in an old Canberra

Normandy War Graves

Omaha Memorial

National Memorial Arboretum

Sunset RAF Lossiemouth ATC

RAF SHawbury Defence Helicopter School

Behind the Hangar Doors

Denzel Cooper D-Day Glider Pilot in Normandy aged 85 he is now 96.

XV501 23 Sqn in Falklands Trim it crashed 1988 in France both crew survived.

Denzel briefing the team at Omaha

Sarajevo Balkan War

Posing in front of a US Blackhawk perched on top of a Bosnian Mountain

RAF Leuchars Runway

So this is a blog post I have had in mind since last April but as usual had not got around to it. It’s a post which is actually more for me and a historical record than normal out and out blogging. It has a real cross-section of my time in the RAF which is as you will know by now 100 years old. I started in October 1982 completing basic training at RAF Swinderby before going to my first posting at RAF Wattisham. I finished at RAF Lossiemouth 2014 some 32 years later to change direction and realise my dream of becoming a professional photographer. Most of the images are mine, four (AATC Shawbury 1983, Ops Wg 2009, War Hero and Royal Warrant are Crown Copyright).

So there are a few aircraft experiences, remembrance (a key part of being military). I was in the world of Air Traffic Control and Flight Operations and had full access to the aircraft and airfields. I was involved in lots of operations, witnessed several air crashes. I worked with some fantastic people and met some incredible ones. I will put notes on the images by way of explaining them. Several of the images are scans from film prints so the quality is ropey.

The veteran is Denzil Cooper a D-Day & Arhem glider pilot – he was 85 when I met him and spent a week touring the Normandy War Graves – please google him one of the most incredible people I have met. Anyway, as I said this is more for me than you. In the future, I plan to publish blogs on the aircraft and Squadrons I worked with over my career so keep tuned. Happy 100th birthday to the Royal Air Force.