While stationed in Europe for thirteen years (my wife says fourteen years, LOL), these were the two primary aircraft to which I was assigned: the F-15D and the F-111F.
I flew on not less than a dozen US Army, US Air Force, and civilian aircraft during those years including a/c very few aviators ever had the privilege of flying.
The best years of my life, 1983 - 1997.
Tail flash:
- BT: Bitburg Air Base, Germany, photo below, over the Eifel;
- LKN: RAF Lakenheath, England, photo below, nuclear capable, over Suffolk, en route to Scotland;
The bottom photo over northern Norway.
F-15 photos by Diane Huey.
I don't recall how I was lucky enough to get the F-111 photograph.
One regret: not buying a hundred more photos at the time, taken by Diane Huey, but I was strapped for cash in those days. Her photos were better than any photograph taken by USAF public affairs photographers. She challenged the pilots to get her a/c in a unique position for a unique photo. And, of course, the pilots loved the challenge. Diane was a most remarkable flight surgeon, one year senior to me. I learned a lot from her. Mostly how to get the most out of a bare-base assignment. She was married to an F-15 pilot, who was the "original" Kris Kristofferson in the F-15 community. Her car in Germany: a "baby Mercedes." Wow, those were the days.
A common fund-raiser among various units overseas: squadron cookbooks. His submission:
- pizza
- ingredient: a dime
- preparation time: 15 minutes
- how to prepare: find payphone and call Dominoes
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A Musical Interlude
A throwaway song? Perhaps, but if one really listens to the lyrics, there is some pretty amazing writing.
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