For The Archives -- For The Grandchildren -- March 11, 2023

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

*******************************
A Musical Interlude

A throwaway song? Perhaps, but if one really listens to the lyrics, there is some pretty amazing writing.

Chapman and Chinn. 

Link here.