Wood, John (Oral history)

British NCO served with 38 Sqdn, RAF in Malta, Oman, Aden, Federation of South Arabia and Indian Ocean, 1964-1967; officer trained as pilot with RAF in GB, 1967-1970; served as pilot with 24 Sqdn, RAF in GB, Falklands War and Gulf War, 1970-1992

REEL 1 Background to enlistment and training with Royal Air Force in GB, 1961-1963: reasons for enlistment in RAF; pattern of training as signaller. Recollections of period as NCO with 38 Sqdn, Coastal Command, RAF on Malta, Cyprus and Middle East, 1963-1967: posting to squadron, 6/1963; patrolling during Cyprus Crisis, 1964; operations from Oman, Aden, Federation of South Arabia and in Indian Ocean; armament of Avro 696 Shackleton MR.Mk.2. Aspects of flying training with Royal Air Force in GB, 1967-1970: commissioning; pattern of flying training; comparison between flying BAC Jet Provost T.5 and De Havilland DHC-1 Chipmunk; opinion of Vickers Varsity; flying BAC Jet Provost T.5; reasons for not choosing to fly fighter aircraft. Recollections of period as pilot with 24 Sqdn, RAF in GB, Falklands War and Gulf War, 1970-1994: joining squadron, 1970; locations flown to; reception by civilians in Malawi; flight from GB to Canada via Greenland; return to squadron after retirement, 1982; start of Falklands War, 4/1982. REEL 2 Continues: first flight to Ascension Island; route flown from GB to Ascension Island via Dakar, Senegal; accommodation on Ascension Island; conversion of Lockheed C-130 Hercules to tankers; problems with old metal runways; move to Falkland Islands, 6/1982; accommodation at Stanley Airfield; ablutions and rations; relations with civilians; pace of life on Falkland Islands; change in relations between Falkland Islanders and armed forces; attitude of Falkland Islanders to Argentineans; refuelling Royal Air Force aircraft protecting the exclusion zone; suitability of Lockheed C-130 Hercules as tanker; method of refuelling Lockheed C-130 Hercules on flights to Falkland Islands; fuelling process with Lockheed C-130 Hercules tanker. REEL 3 Continues: role of air loadmaster in refuelling process; refuelling tankers and fighters; supporting British Aerospace Nimrod; proximity to tankers during refuelling; landing in Kuwait in smoke from oil fires during Gulf War, 1991; flying freight to Saudi Arabia, 1991; scale of logistical movement in airbase at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; problems of refuelling in American run bases; reasons for not in-flight refuelling of Airborne Warning and Control System (AWAC) aircraft; turbulence experienced behind fighter aircraft; reasons for recall to Royal Air Force, 1982; attitude to service in Royal Air Force.