A drunk stroll around the airfield

[Oktusha]

So I had just landed from a night raid on a railway station and was on the taxiway. I come around the corner to see a lonely solider just walking, and I do not know why but I just cracked up. Seemed to me that he was a bit drunk and clueless to the world... hahaha I guess the ol 3 day pass was revoked when we got encircled during the 4th chapter... hahaha

 

Great looking shadows though!!!

Edited December 31, 2014 by Oktusha

[33lima]

Reminds me of a story my late dad told me from his post-WW2 days in the RAF as a mechanic. He worked on various WW2 planes, tho most of his time was spent at sea, on Air Sea Rescue launches.

 

One day, he was on duty at RAF Ballykelly. He was on a break and feeling like a cup of tea, he got onto his bike and cycled across the runway, to a NAFFI trailer which was open for business. Crossing a runway in such circumstances was strengen verboten but it was quiet and avoided a long detour.

 

Having arrived without incident, he was standing at the counter sipping his tea, watching this Lancaster come in and land. To his surprise, the Lanc stopped short, on the runway, and one of the crew members got out and came over to the NAFFI van. The pilot had been on his first approach when he'd seen some idiot cycling across the runway and broke off his landing. Having made it down, he'd sent the crew member over to take my dad's name! I don't know how long he got in 'jankers' for that one.

Edited December 31, 2014 by 33lima

[Oktusha]

that is awesome, thank you for the story... hehehehe

[ACG_Smokejumper]

Reminds me of a story my late dad told me from his post-WW2 days in the RAF as a mechanic. He worked on various WW2 planes, tho most of his time was spent at sea, on Air Sea Rescue launches.

 

One day, he was on duty at RAF Ballykelly. He was on a break and feeling like a cup of tea, he got onto his bike and cycled across the runway, to a NAFFI trailer which was open for business. Crossing a runway in such circumstances was strengen verboten but it was quiet and avoided a long detour.

 

Having arrived without incident, he was standing at the counter sipping his tea, watching this Lancaster come in and land. To his surprise, the Lanc stopped short, on the runway, and one of the crew members got out and came over to the NAFFI van. The pilot had been on his first approach when he'd seen some idiot cycling across the runway and broke off his landing. Having made it down, he'd sent the crew member over to take my dad's name! I don't know how long he got in 'jankers' for that one.

 

 

 

Great story. Thanks for sharing.

[Charlo-VRde]

I have a similar story (though not as entertaining as the above) from my US Boy Scout days in the 70's.  

 

In '76-'79 I lived on Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands, a large atoll run by the US Army in the South Pacific.  We sometimes had week-long camping trips on other islands in the atoll, including one named Roi-Namur.  

 

During one of those trips we had a task that involved following a compass course put together by one of our Scoutmasters.  We were never a particularly well-disciplined or focused Scout Pack, plus it was the '70's, a time of general contempt for following authority.  :^)

 

Anyway, my small group of scouts determined (incorrectly) that the compass course sent us right across the runway.  So, off the four of went, dashing across the small military runway.

 

Whew, were we chewed out by the livid Scoutmasters who couldn't believe we would think they had designed a course that would send teenagers across an active runway!  We were very lucky the Army didn't immediately send us home!

Edited January 2, 2015 by Charlo

[Oktusha]

Carlo, I can only image what kind of "talking" too you guys got from that... lol... Thanks for sharing!

[33lima]

And they say the most dangerous thing in the Army is an officer with a map. Especially former boy scouts, it seems

[J2_Trupobaw]

Once after bicycling around a sport/argicultural airfield I've decided to take shortcut via the runway; there were no takeoffs/landings for hour or two I was there, so what was the worst that would happen?

Then this I saw a Dromader going straight at me in takeoff run   . 

 

I've got out of runway and pedaled away as fast as possible, then took extra long route when going back around   . Not sure if he even saw me, it was a tail-drager with a long nose. For his sake I hope he did not. I was 13-14 at time.

Edited January 2, 2015 by Trupobaw