Plane spotter Bob Archer entertained WNAS with tales from 50 years of watching Mildenhall skies – from Blackbirds to Tiger Moths, and even Trump’s 747.
Last month, Bob Archer was a visitor to our meeting. He was ‘spotted’ and recruited and thus delivered his first talk on: Aviation at Mildenhall. Later in the year, we expect the same eloquence in a talk on Russian aeroplanes.
He became a plane spotter when he was a teenager, 50 years ago, and he presented us with evidence to prove it. Every noteworthy aeroplane since the 1930s making its presence felt at Mildenhall has been recorded in books he has published — available at the Mundford Bowls Club next month.
His pictures are showpieces, but the means by which they were obtained, and the gossip supporting them, are stories in themselves.
A plane spotter usually films through the fence but occasionally under it; sometimes from a digger bucket, and sometimes by invitation. Airmen like to show off as much as anyone else — probably more so. Bob recounted some snippets, perhaps anecdotal, with tales of Mad Mike and his rockets; SR71 Blackbird exhaust gases burning a mile aft — pilot forgot to put the choke in? Nicknames and nose art still prevalent on many machines, together with kill scores depicted now by missiles; a visit by Donald Trump in the Boeing 747 with his personal backup blood supplies; skeleton landing survivors; stolen and downed aircraft still missing; a story of the demise of a Tiger Moth which was not an accident.
Bob finished his rendition and declared that he was prepared to continue his discourse as long as he could be home for breakfast.
Bob was thanked again and so too were our hosts Val and Len for the nourishment they provided.
Nigel Tooth
www.westnorfolkaviationsociety.org.uk
Guests welcome; that includes more prospective speakers.
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