Guest Columnist

The Lord Glenarthur

Reflections on a Life in the Rotary World: The final part of The Lord Glenarthur's ruminations on his long and successful career in both civil and military aviation.

We were in great demand by the two Cavalry Yeomanry regiments, one in the South and one in the North of England. Most of the flying was required at weekends and we regularly deployed two or three helicopters to fulfil our proper armoured reconnaissance role. On one occasion, appalling weather forced a diversion to the United States Air Force Base at Upper Heyford. They were particularly sensitive about our arrival at an F1-11 nuclear base. A request for fuel was accepted, a 64-thousand gallon bowser was filled with 115/145 Av-gas and drew up to refuel us on dispersal. The refuellers were not particularly amused when I said I would take 9 gallons and my fellow pilot 15! And we were denied access to either the United States Air Force meteorological people or our own people at Upavon. We did not have the necessary authorisation. After half an hour or so, we were rescued by the RAF Liaison Officer, who took us to his house saying: "Welcome back to England!"

Northern Ireland loomed again and the squadron deployed there in April 1974 for a 6-month tour, which coincided with the Ulster Workers Council strike and the collapse of...