SPA Modeler

Great finish Bish! You really get the feel of a miserable campaign looking at your build on that base here! Bravo!

Wow, that is stunning! Way to go!

Thanks guys. I am glad to finally add a build from the Falklands, i have a few more to follow. I remember watching the war on the news when i was 12. I am also lucky to have been down there 3 times so have a real interest in subjects from there.

Well done, Martin.

Thanks John.

I'd seriously love to to the Falklands, you're lucky to have been three times!

That is a blooming awesome build Bish, you've really nailed the look, it looks like it's come right out of a period photograph.

Bish wrote:I can well imagine some of the words that came out of its mouth. And now after spending £400,000 on the next upgrade, they decide to scrap it. I actually shead a tear when i heard that, bloody disgracful.

I had a rant at the project manager and said pretty much the same thing. It was a bloody farce.

Stuart wrote:I'd seriously love to to the Falklands, you're lucky to have been three times!

That is a blooming awesome build Bish, you've really nailed the look, it looks like it's come right out of a period photograph.

Its an amazing place, so remote. I was part of a team that worked with the helicopters so we traveled around most of the Islands.

That's really interesting Bish - was that a long -range patrol type situation?

No, i was in the Joint Helicopter Support Squadron. We were trained as Helicopter handlers, known as hookers. Our main task was rigging and hooking underslung loads, which in the Falklands meant taking and bringing supplies to and from the main range complex as well as to some of the settelments. Also to the outposts such as the radar site on Byron Heights. I first went in 2008, at which point the Chinooks had been withdrawn and we works mainly with the civvie S-65's operated by Brintels but also RAF Sea kings. Since i got out the Chinooks have been sent back.

Once a week Brintels ran flights out to various places around the islands, penguin colonies, sea lions and so on. Because we worked with them, we always got a heads up and where they were going and an early chance to book a seat. So as well as going around the islands for work, we got to go out on day trips as well. This is my ugly mug at Volunteer Point, the most northly colony of King Penguins in the world.



This is the sort of work we did. This was on Sea Lion Island picking up building equipment after some work had been done.



And this is the war memorial in Stanley for the 82 conflict.



And an Argentinian recoiless rifle still sittying at the western end of wireless ridge.