The Flamingo Magazine 1980


Caution: Woman at the Helm
A very Happy if belated New Year to all
Flamingo readers, and hello from your new editor.

As you know Graham Mills is shortly leaving us for pastures new, and I'm sure you would like to join me in thanking him for all his hard work and the many improvements he has made to the magazine during his term in office.

I have the unenviable job of taking over from him and if like" myself, you are wondering why a' non-service person, and a woman to boot, is now editing the Flamingo, let's just say I was "volunteered" into it!

Seriously though, the Flamingo is for all RAF and ARMY Servicemen and their wives and families living and working at Akrotiri, and with copies going to all RAF Stations we would be pleased to hear from any reader on their opinions of the magazine and any sugge­stions on possible articles or improvements they would like to see made.

The male readers need not fear, the Flamingo Bird is still a firm feature providing I can persuade the budding 'Snowdons' down at the Akrotiri photo-club to snap some suitable shots.

This issue has a couple of articles on holidays to set you up for the sunny days ahead! Those days may seem hard to believe in at present for as the cover picture shows (photogapher - Ray Johnson) I we have had our fair share of wet weather over the last few weeks here at Akrotiri.

HELEN MACKENZIE

What a Collection!

When the children at Akrotiri Primary school held their annual appeal for the 'Pile of Piastres' they certainly went to town. In fact there were so many little brown coins that headmaster David Apps had to call upon the services of the ace 'collection counters' Padres Brian Halfpenry and Geoff Prenton to help .with the task.

The tower was ceremonially pushed over by the padres, though j suspect some of the children would have been delighted to do the job, and the counting began. The final total collected for local charities was £C49.385 which makes a total of 9.877 little coins donated by the children from their piggy banks. Very well done, children.

Picture by John Freestone.

Flamingo Bird

This time it's Hello and Good bye to our Flamingo Bird. By the time you read this,
Fg Off Wendy Staniford will be on her way to the frozen North of Scotland to take
up an appointment at the Scottish Air Traffic Control Centre. Flamingo wishes her well.
During her time at Akrotiri, Wendy has en­tered into the life of the station in no small way and has represented the station in every sport except one. She's also ran the Tadpoles, produced a record-breaking panto, sung in the church choir and the Flamingo singers and still found time to be an active member of the Akrotiri Photographic Club. Just for a change, Wendy relinquished her trusty camera and posed for our Flamingo photographer. And very pretty too!

Photo by Graham Mills"
A Birthday Lift

Sue "Charlie" Charles of Wellingbough, (Northants) had the opportunity of fulfilling a life-long ambition by being winched into a 'whirlwind' helicopter flown by No 84 Squadron, as a 21st birthday present.
Sue, who works at HQBFC as P. A. to Head of Secretariat, Group Captain B J Lemon, has been in the WRAF for 2and a half years & in Cyprus, just over four months. She was previously working in HQ Support Command at RAF Brampton, but now lives at Akrotiri.
When asked about the trip, Sue said: "It was a windy day with choppy seas and when they first started winching me I thought the end was night" The winch took place on the 2nd January a few days after her birthday on Christmas Eve. She was airborne for about half an hour and flew over RAF Akrotiri and Episkopi Garrison after being winched from the 'Hyperion' in Akrotiri Mole.
Sue said she would like to have another go but this time from the water providing it was a lot warmer! The helicopter was flown by Fit Lt Dave Rigby, and the winchman was Fit Sgt Tony Scott. Giving Sue a helping hand aboard the helicopter is Fit Lt Mike Wilson.
Photo: John Freestone.
PSI TENTS

Polis and back in a day is one of the nume­rous car journeys in Cyprus that can prove tedious in the heat of the summer months. How nice it would be to put up a tent for a night, (nights) go out for a meal and return to Akrotiri "siga-siga" the following day.

With the PSI tents you now have that oppor­tunity at a very reasonable cost. We have two Black's Frame tents which will sleep up to 6 adults in sealed compartments (by that I mean the "bugs" cannot get at you) and both tents have an idiots guide on how to erect them. There are also two 2 man (2 ladies or even 1 man 1 lady) light weight tents which are ideal for carrying on motorbikes or even taking in a ruck sack to the Greek Islands.

The hire charges, which are very reasonable, are as follows:­
Tents
 6 man tents: £C2.000 per day or £Cll.OOOper week
2 man tents: £Cl.OOO per day or £C5.000 per week

There is a £C5.000 deposit which is refunded when the equipment is returned complete and undamaged.

We have even thought of the Akrotiri personnel who drive the smaller cars for the princely sum of 500 mils they can hire a roof rack for the duration of the tent hire period.

For those people who appreciate their home comforts ancillary equipment such as cookers, camp beds, lights etc. can be drawn from the P Ed Flights at no extra cost. Don't knock it if you haven't tried it! It's a great way to see Cy­prus!
The Eagles Nest Tavern

This months good food guide comes from your editing staff. We chose the newly opened restaurant the Eagles Nest Tavern located in Pissouri Village on the main Episkopi - Paphos road, about 15 minutes away from Happy Valley.

THE ESTABLISHMENT .
The restaurant is very pleasant and modern, and commands an excellent view of the surrounding countryside certainly living up to its name. The proprietor, Panicos is charming and certainly makes the best brandy sours we have ever tasted including frosted glass tops. The menu includes kebabs and mezes and would satisfy the most vociferous of appetites. We had a meze for five plus two bottles of wine and including liquers with the total bill coming to £cy11.
The meal was excellent with the usual courses of halumi, lunza, squid, kebab sausages, beef stew, and Iamb chops plus very tasty relishes and a good side salad and fresh bread.

FACILITIES
There is a good car park adjacent to the res­taurant with space for several cars, but don't drive too far forward as you are liable to drive off the edge of the hill! The toilets are very clean and modern and the kitchen spotless. The decor is attractive with adequate and clean modern fitments. It is possible to buy a drink the in the afternoon, and meals are served from 6.00 p.m. onwards.
For a quiet enjoyable evening meal we would thoroughly recommend the Tavern and it is well worth the drive from Akrotiri if only to sample the excellent brandy sours, but don't drink too many as the road back is very winding and requires concentration!


The Red Arrows Visit Akrotiri
From left to right: Team Sqn Ldr Brian Hoskins, Flt Lt Richard Thomas, Fit Lt Byron Walters,
Fit Lt Wyndham Ward, Fit Lt Steve Johnson, Fit Lt Malcolm Howell, Fit Lt Tim Watts,
Flt Lt Neal Wharton, Flt Lt Bernie Scott. (photograph by Lance Tomlinson)

As readers will have 'heard' if not seen, the RAF 'Red Arrows', probably the world's most famous formations aerobatic display team arri­ved at RAF Akrotiri on Tuesday March 4.
Recently re-equipped with Hawker-Siddeley 'HAWK' aircraft after 15 years of operating with Folland 'GNATS, the 'Red Arrows' worked from RAF Akrotiri until March 24, training with their new aircraft in preparation for their international display season during the coming summer. In fact Sqn Ldr Brian Hoskins, the Team Leader said of their stay: "This is just what we needed to confirm our confidence in our new aircraft and to work towards the standards which the Team has maintained since 1965 when it started" .
Rated by most aviation experts as having brought formation displays "'to an unsurpassed level of immaculate excellence", the 'Red Arrow ' team consists of nine pilots, each with his own vividly gleaming scarlet aircraft. In a spectacular programme lasting 20 minutes, the nine loop and roll through the skies at low level, constantly changing formation patterns during the aerobatic manoeuvres and often laying colored smoke trails to add to. the visual effect of their flying.
The Royal Air Force emphasise that the 'Red Arrows' are not a special elite, but a representative cross section of experienced young pilots. At age 36 Team leader Brian is the oldest of the group. The rest are in their late 20s and early 30s; most are married with children.
The eight formating airmen do not look where they are going during the high stress upside down manoeuvres but concentrate on Hoskin's aircraft alone and rely implicitly on his ultra smooth flying and ice cool judgment to. guide them safely through the climbs and dives which some times bring them sweeping within not much more than 100 feet from the ground.
After completing their concentrated training period at Akrotiri the 'Red Arrows' flew back to their home base at RAF Kemble, Gloucestershire on Friday March 14, ready to begin 'their official 1980 public display season on April 6.
JSPRS