There was no aviation on Saturday morning and Dez Melaniphy, ground-training king, managed a programme of lectures and BFIs - somehow it all got muddled and involved, and started an argument on SOPs during the course of which there appeared to be about twenty-two interpretations of the way wot we do things - rough check each pilot works out his own system; peace was eventually restored without blows being exchanged and so the day came to a conclusion……

….. and the weekend proper started …..

….. featuring the 208th in song and more noise at every       available opportunity….

Monday 21st April - Sunday 27th April

Summer started officially at the beginning of the week and with it came the excitement of donning KD and exposing naked knees to the world; fortunately with everyone clad alike the embarrassment of the Boy Scout type outfit was reduced. There were not many aircraft forthcoming from the depths of the Clarke-Sheppard empire and so only a limited programme of flying was completed.

An evening sortie on Monday to Episkopi, just up the road, was attended by quite a few prospective country dancers and it is worthy of note as the 208th recorded yet another place at which they will not be welcomed with open arms again.

A variation to the normal battle and bounce was afforded on Tuesday when several manual sorties and practice flame-outs were flown. The day was very hot and the brilliant sunshine gave those with cameras - and now it is the done thing to wander around muttering about f4 at a five hundredth - plenty of scope to practice them out. In the afternoon whilst most folk lazed on the beach heats were held for the Station Sports.

Wednesday followed the usual routine of battle in the morning and beach in the afternoon. There were rather more aircraft than of late at the start of the day but with gun tests necessitating an arming turn-round not very much flying was done because time on the ground was long. The effect of socks and shorts on knees was brought home on Wednesday by the superb example ……

Ch 2 - Nicosia/Akrotiri 11

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