Our British Cousins

One wildly different aspect of a Med Cruise (compared to a WestPac combat tour) was the amount of time spent in port in the Med, usually about half of our time there.  Typically in-port stays were a few days to a week, and we anchored out from shore for convenience and ability to make a fast sortie if need be.

No one objected to the time in port, but some visits were much more memorable and even educational in a naval sense.  Our visit to Malta was one such.  

there was a Roya Air Force reconaissance unit based on Malta and we exchenged visits.  they flew recce Conberra, which had a outstaning reputation in the medium jet bomber class, though it was supersonic.  One feature of the recce conversion was the that the navigator's position was located in hte nose section, forward and bneath the pilot's position.  Avionics seemed on the weak side, with no nav radar for example. Still they got the job done.  They didd have a very large and versitle veiwfinder that I envied.

When the RAF toured the Forrestal, we met in the ready room and rode the escellator the the flight deck where we give cockpit tours.  This took a while, climbing up and down the ladders one by one.  Still it was worth it The RAF navigations we very impressed (and jealous, I'm sure) of the extensive avionics suite of the RA-5C.

It was not all work of course.  we host dinner (the the formal Wardroom 3).  fine, but of course no alcoholic beverages were available so it was somewhat subdued. 

This was not the case when the RAF hosted us at their mess on Malta.  Naval aviators have a reputation for being hard partying, but we had nothing on the RAF!   Lots of energitic discussion about aviation of course, but as the lubrication proceeded (no bar on alcohol in the RAF).  They have a lot of songs and chants to keep the party going.  Was probably the highlight, party-wise, for me for the whole cruise.