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RAF Year books


Gary West

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Just bought this years year book which means I now have 40 - yep every one from 1967 to 2007. Just trying to find out now if the official yearbooks did only start in 67 as I believe.

Mid 70's was the best for value for money.

Edited by Gary West
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  • 3 weeks later...
Cool - I was born in 1967 :D

And Me!

Sounds like a mass 40th celebration at SMW then.

Have we got enough for a splinter group yet? :)

Steve.

Edited by Bennygman
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Just trying to find out now if the official yearbooks did only start in 67 as I believe.

Mid 70's was the best for value for money.

No - the earliest one I have is from '61, and I believe they started earlier than that.

Agree that the '70s ones were best - they were done by the old "Air Enthusiast" publishing house.

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Worth adding to the collection though by the looks of it - actually since yesterday, I think the fore runners of the year books were called Flying reviews, so I might just get one and see what they are like.

No - you're probably thinking of the monthly magazine RAF Flying Review - which became Flying Review, and then International Flying Review before ceasing publication circa 1970.

John

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  • 1 month later...

Many thanks Gary, I did'nt realise that I had 40 issues of the RAF Year Book. Previous to the Year book it was issued by the Stations taking part in the annual RAF "At Home" open days each September. 1967, I remember it well, seven weeks square bashing at RAF Swinderby and then our pull out of Aden - seems politicians never learn from their mistakes

Jeff

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Gosh, all you old guys!

(Born three days into 1968!!)

I wonder if you'll be quite so smug, in a few weeks, when you're 40. :evil_laugh:

Gary, I have a request; a club member thinks that he remembers an article, on painting Tornadoes, in which mention is made of using the same technology, i.e. rubber mats, as during wartime. Have you seen it, can you find it, and can I have a copy, if you do, please? I've been having a battle royal, for some time, with smart-alec types, who refuse to believe the rubber mats story.

Edgar

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Gary, I have a request; a club member thinks that he remembers an article, on painting Tornadoes, in which mention is made of using the same technology, i.e. rubber mats, as during wartime.

Edgar - you've completely lost me mate? Care to explain what this means, and an idea of what year this may feature in? Happy to look for you if you can

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Ah, well, that's the rub; my "informant" (to be polite) thinks he saw the item in a Yearbook, but can't be sure, and definitely can't remember when. :fraidnot: I suspect that it would be a fair while ago, remembering when Tornadoes were last green/grey, but please don't get into a spin over it.

:hobbyhorse: It all started several years ago, when an IPMS(US) member questioned the story that we used rubber mats, as masks, when spraying aircraft during the war. Another "researcher" took up the theme, with even more fanciful ideas, and it proceeded to deteriorate, and get rather heated, from there. Since then I've found many eyewitnesses, including the Westland historian, and a post-war Hawker's employee; this article would be just another string to the bow. :smartass:

Edgar

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  • 4 weeks later...
Worth adding to the collection though by the looks of it - actually since yesterday, I think the fore runners of the year books were called Flying reviews, so I might just get one and see what they are like.

I don't think so, Flying Review was monthly, and was being published at the same time as the year book back in the sixties.

I also have all the copies from '67 to '07, though it was being published before '67. I once saw a collection of earlier volumes for sale, I could kick myself for not snatching them up.

I've also got one from 1992 signed by John Nichol and Jon Peters - any offers?

Edited by tompot
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You beat me to Swinderby by 10 years Jeff - 1977 for me and by that time only 6 weeks bashing the square. :pilot:

And you beat me by 7 years!!! Sept 1984 13Flt. 6 weeks of polishing anything that did'nt move,Saluting anything that did!

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