RAF Akrotiri

Royal Air Force Station Akrotiri has been on Cyprus since 1956 close to a salt lake in the Sovereign Base Area of Episkopi, your Newsletter editor was stationed there in the late fifties and early sixties. Your webmaster was a frequent visitor in the early sixties as part of the process of calibrating the F49 air survey cameras used by the photo-reconnaissance aircraft of 13 Squadron RAF and their Canberra bombers (his daughter was born there in December 1961). Nick Carter when with 47 GHQ Survey Squadron RE was a frequent visitor to collect mapping material for 42 Survey Engineer Regiment RE which had been flown from the UK to Cyprus. On several occasions the material was handed direct to him by the crew., such was the urgency!!!
He took the photographs shown below during that time.

Your webmaster believes this to be a Hawker Hunter, one of the most successful aircraft produced by the UK. Still in use during Confrontation in Borneo during 1967, when 1 Topo Troop were at Bario they used to fly along the runway, light their afterburners and disappear skywards.

Your Webmaster's aircraft recognition has failed, I have just received the following e-mail

Having just looked at the above photo, I would respectfully point out that the aircraft concerned is in fact an American "F86 Sabre Jet".
They were used by the RAF in the 50's.

Kevin King
Support – IMD

These could be Vampires or Venoms, maybe the is an aircraft recognition expert among us who can identify the airplanes.

Nick failed to ask this Frenchman's name!