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Wheelrims Flight With The Red Arrows. by Wheelrim on 23 July 2012 8:38pm

I thought you might find this amusing...

In 1990 I was in the RAF and serving 3 years in Cyprus at Akrotiri. Every year the world famous Red Arrows display team spend a few weeks there honing their routines to be `signed off` for their UK/World displays. Its nigh-on imposssible I was informed to get a trip with them, but I tried by sending a letter in the grovelling style of `Dear Sir, I would like a flight with the Red Arrows because.. Blah Blah Blah`
I did not get the expected call. The following year I sat down and wrote `Dear Sir, ever since time immemorial it has been mans dream to fly, to soar over foam crested waves like the Albatross, to swoop like a Hawk from high, to speed like the falcon.. Blah Blah, I went on to say that if one of their great pilots would allow me the privelage...Blah Blah, that I would then allow one of them to come down to my stores `empire` and allow them to open one of the numerous boxes that I do, day-in day-out..Blah Blah Blah! Well imagine my surprise when that same day I got a call from the Officer Commanding saying "are you the loon that wrote that letter? get yourself a medical and we will take you up tommorrow" Needless to say, it was a Brilliant day and (believe it or not) I got to fly it for a while and the Pilot let me do a Loop and a Roll on my own.

And so, fast forward to 1995 (whoosh!) I thought I would get myself a flight in the RAF`S `Spirit of Lincoln`, the last flying Lancaster bomber. I dug out my old letter and wrote to the Commanding Officer Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.. `Dear Sir, Ever since time immemorial`... I flowered the letter by mentioning my admiration for our Knights of the Air in those dark days of the second world war, and for my keeness to see how the conditions were for them in those magnificent flying machines etc. I told them that my Uncle used to fly in Wellingtons during the war but that his C.O. made him change his footwear as they were not regulation and interfered with the pedals.... Anyway, I really went to town on this, as a place on this aircraft is as rare as hens teeth, so, what might secure it for me I thought.. AH! I found out that the composer of the `Dambusters` tune was man called Eric Coates, and so, on the top of my carefully crafted letter I typed, in bold print `To Be Read Whilst Listening To The Dambusters Theme, By Eric Coates.
I sealed and kissed the envelope and posted it to the O.C. BOBMF and confidently sat back. I imagined some Handlebar-Moustached Wing Commander, Puffing on his Pipe, letter in hand, with the Dambusters tune in the background, saying to himself `Bravo! what a letter! get this man a flight immedietly!`

2 weeks went by when brown envelope came through the post, postmarked `The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight` my heart leapt as I said to myself "I`ve only gone and done it" I opened the envelope, straightened the letter

At the top of the letter, in Bold Type, it said - `To Be Read Whilst Listening To -
`Another One Bites The Dust, By Freddie Mercury`

Someone had a sense of humour, I did not get the flight, but they said it was a `Damn Fine Effort`.

This was how it happened, I still have the letter and came across it today and thought I would share it with you good people.

Re: Wheelrims Flight With The Red Arrows. by johnnyBgood! on 24 July 2012 6:28am

LOL. Great anecdote John and great sense of humour from whoever sent you the letter !

Re: Wheelrims Flight With The Red Arrows. by TERRY S on 24 July 2012 9:52am

Oh, I like that! Fancy yourself as Biggles, huh? "Chocks away, Ginger!" and all that? That was a cool story! I hope you do get your flight one day! I really do.

Re: Wheelrims Flight With The Red Arrows. by Wheelrim on 24 July 2012 7:06pm

I feel Terry that the moment has now passed... however, I would still not turn down a trip on a container ship, weird eh?

Re: Wheelrims Flight With The Red Arrows. by ev on 24 July 2012 9:26pm

You can travel on container ships:

http://www.cargoshipvoyages.com/ViewAllVoyages/

Re: Wheelrims Flight With The Red Arrows. by Wheelrim on 25 July 2012 7:13am

I know you can ev, but of course I dont want to pay for it!

Re: Wheelrims Flight With The Red Arrows. by ev on 25 July 2012 8:52am

Oh, well you'll just have to become a stowaway then..

Re: Wheelrims Flight With The Red Arrows. by johnnyBgood! on 25 July 2012 9:09am

....or take your turn in the barrel.

Re: Wheelrims Flight With The Red Arrows. by suzulu on 25 July 2012 1:35pm

LOL, Wheelrim! You were SOO lucky to fly a Red Arrow!

Re: Wheelrims Flight With The Red Arrows. by Wheelrim on 25 July 2012 6:50pm

Luck??? I worked bloody hard at that letter!

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