This evening we welcomed back club member John Blakeley, a member of both our group and the Norfolk Aeronautical Group.

His reminisced about his time in aviation. John’s first experience of flight was for 2/6d (12 1/2p) for a flight around the IOW in 1956. This decided his future course of action and career. Having sat his A levels, which enabled him to remain within the care system which back then brutally discharges you at age 16 into the world as an ‘adult’ he joined the Royal Air Force (RAF). He soloed a RAF Chipmunk aircraft totally unofficially while an engineering student (non aircrew) and was posted to various engineering appointments within the RAF from which he cajoled flights in many aircraft ranging from Hunter through Lightnings and Tornados.

He was seconded to the MIddle East when Saudi Arabia were acquiring the Tornado and tells of the hazardous trips on the excellent roads at night where camels slept because the tarmac was relatively warm compared to the surrounding desert. Retiring from the RAF as a senior officer in moved to Flight Refuelling Aviation again flying with them on various sorties. He told of his time on the Falkland Islands and arranging for some onions to be delivered in exchange for some accommodation in one of the further outposts. As he was unable to take them with him they were delivered by Chinook the following day, a story that entered the annals of legend in the Falklands.

Thank you to John for his enlightened and enlightening talk on his aviation experiences over nearly 70 years!