On Saturday 8 April 1990, the Chairman, piloted by Martin ‘Hoppy’ Hopkinson, led the formation out of Akrotiri (‘Skids’ Harrison, also present at the Reunion, was also in the formation, but apparently he couldn’t remember much of it!). They carried out the simulated attack against the Egyptian ships and then approached Alexandria Harbour, at which point Colin Buxton shouted “Chaff!” over the radio. As was normal procedure, in addition to the normal chaff and flare dispensers, the formation was also carrying chaff in their airbrakes.

During the Planning Conference, the Chairman had asked for permission to overfly the Pyramids, and this had been received on the Friday (7 April), the day before the Exercise. Therefore, after carrying out the simulated attack on Alexandria, the formation climbed to 5000 feet and headed for them, past a large military airfield near Cairo. At this point, with just one minute to go, the aircrafts’ Radar Warning Receivers ‘lit up like Christmas trees’. The formation was permitted to fly past the Pyramids at 1000 feet (although it was not stipulated whether this was ‘AGL’ or ‘AMSL’), and a very good set of photographs was taken by the Japanese Photographer, which later appeared in the Squadron Calendar that year (and in many other publications since). It must be noted that the No 2 in the formation was slightly out of position. This was Tim Couston, who later went on to be a very successful member of the Red Arrows!

After the flypast, the formation returned to Akrotiri via Alexandria, where more excellent photographs were taken at 100 feet over the sea.  

Having given this anecdote of Exercise NILE 90, the Chairman then invited other members to share their stories with the gathering.

The first was Keith Griffin who, although ‘not a Buccaneer person’, had the following Buccaneer story to tell. He had been with 208 Squadron in Bahrain (a long time ago) in 1967/68 on Hunters (when Sir Rob had been on 8 Squadron).

After Bahrain, Keith had moved on to Phantoms with 14 Squadron (when Sir Rob was on 17 Squadron). It was in the time of the Cold War, with the primary mission of ‘nuclear’ and every 10 days, they would take their turn on QRA. But, most of the time, it was ground attack. That was the hard job: 4-ships with ‘bounce’ and the rest of it in the North German Plain, which was the good fun stuff. There was Nordhorn Range, firing the guns, dropping the bombs, and that’s what they did. Good fun it was. That was the mission.

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