So nice to see you again Ma'am. Those days on II (AC) were the best days ever. Never forget the Bull dog Club Goose Bay. Glad to see you are keeping well.
Just an awesome interview- loved the stories. American non-pilot, recently fascinated with military aviation here, and your interviews w/ RAF etc. are scratching the itch!
Great chat - loved hearing how much she loved the GR4 and 100% get why she prefers the thrill of ripping along at low-level compared to the jinks and janks of ACM.
Read Her book, 'An Officer, not a Gentleman'. It is very readable. I left the RAF as Mandy was just getting started. A credit to Women and the Service. You have to ask, what took the RAF so long. History has many famous female aviation icons and groups. The ATS, The Red Witches, Amelia Earhart, Amy Johnson etc. A cracking book 'Big Bird'. Nice one.
Thoroughly enjoyed this interview. What a crackingly entertaining and interesting lady. Watched alot of aviation films recently on you tube, and recall someone saying that “Tornados don’t so much take off, as retract their undercarriage “! Having watched several films this is so true, and great to watch. Cheers guys.
I worked on the first development GR4 conversion from GR1, this was BS112 at Warton in 1992/3 and it was an incredible experience in upgrading the GR1 functionality and to see the increase in capability of the GR4 platform. We had 3 aircraft in upgrade at this time for development. I fitted the first FLIR pod which was not an easy install. The Tornado was as amazing Weapon System and an aircraft I am so sad to see out of service and am proud to have had so many years working on through the my career. A tremendous group of people were involved in the GR4 program at BAe. I managed to delay the first flight after the 2 year upgrade by a day (when all the top brass were about) which is another story and gave me the nickname "ammobox Al" but that's another story. Great interview in hearing from Aircrew of the GR4.
Bring on Part 2, certainly one of the best you have ever produced. I was wishing I could join up again, but having been out 55 years it is probably too late to rejoin, and this time instead of being Ground Radar Fitter I would apply to be a pilot.
@@Aircrewinterview these really are unparalleled. I missed out on joining, but with these, I have the next best thing. Due to these, I bought the book on the typhoon, and Mandy's book is next!
Brilliant that, I was in the ATC when they allowed girls in and we went to camp with them as well. It was good times and strange times but people adapt and it taught me that some of the cultural and social conditioning that I had grown up with was wrong. But as pointed out, its a two street, crewroom banter would change I suspect but I alos thingk that if you are in that environment that as she said, its meant in jest, its about building friendships and blowing off a bit of steam. No hiding the enthusiasm for flying though, fortunate to hit a bit of a golden period for the RAF and get out to Nellis.
Attagirl. I remember enjoying art Shoals show in the super ship Monk. Flat spin filming Top Gun. Some things are just not fair. My theory is that he got distracted from his flying doing his filming. Very sad. Did you do any air shows.
We need each other. Men in general might have. nerve but everybody knows that the female systems are generally favorable for longevity for obvious reasons. Continuing the species?
Enough of all this aviation inequality. I was a TG13 NCO repaonsible for supervising crews refinishing these birds of death, defenders of oil fields and the Petro Dollar........I mean enforcers of Western Democracy.....sorry! Forget aircrew stories. Its time for 'Painting the Tornado (GR1, GR 4 and F 3) with Garry Harriman! We could title it All Ground Crew (even Painters and Finishers) Matter'! 👍😁 Garry Harriman. South Carolina, USA. RAF, 1987- 2006. 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 (It turns out we didn't actually matter that much. All trades devoid of a definitive war role, like TG13 (B) were civilianzed. So, myself and countless others buggered off!😭😭😭)
Me too. Ignore the sycophantic criticism of your comment. Plenty of other aviation stories (including women) that don't feel the need to promote crap like BLM. My own brother produced a booklet commemorating the women of the Air Transport Auxiliary while he was in the RAF at RAF Cosford; the substance of which went a long way to eventually change the culture of female aviators without a political agenda thrown into the mix.
