xj900uk
Posts: 1340
Joined: 3/22/2007 Status: offline
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For me, born '62 and grew up on Avalon Hill and SPI board wargames in the 70s'. My first ever board wargame was Sinai in c. '74 and the sentimental part of me still misses them. Served in the RAF 1980-84, trained as aircrew (Navigator on Buccaneers) although spent most of my time either training ((80-83) then based in the US and Germany (83-84). Demobbed at end of '84 when squadron disbanded because of a financial cut and too tall (!) to transfer to Tornado's. On reserve 85-92. Used to have PPL qualifying me for single & twin seat propellor planes + light jets but now have given it up due to failing eyesight and poor health, although still get invited up occasionally to navigate or co-pilot. Member of Old Flying Machine Company up in Duxford UK restoring vintage (mainly WWII) aircraft to flying condition (used to get chance to try them out or ground test!) and also Vulcan Preservation Society. Have flown and logged quite a few hours in many WWII combat aircraft, particularly from Pacific Theatre (F4F, F6F, F4U, F8, Me109 both German & Spanish, B25, B26, A20, P39, P40, Spitfire, Firefly, TBF and probably my favourite of all the Val) and also managed to sit in the cockpits of a couple of the Japanese fighters (Zero, Oscar) whilst in the US
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