🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <40F21D5A.3298EFE5@yahoo.com>, Dweezil Dwarftosser <f4wcs@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Somebody wrote:
> > 
> 
> > If you have any further doubts that I have been near a flighline then take
> > a look at the pic on the following web page which I have just put up for
> > your benefit (must use IE - cannot use Netscape because of screwed up
> > changes recently made by tripod.com):
> > 
> > >> http://miscpict.tripod.com/wideawake.html
> 
> Nice pic; works fine in Opera, as well.

You may want to grab a copy of the pic while I have it posted for public
viewing because as I pointed out, it IS unique and a moment in history
that is seldom seen by those who were not there at the time. ABC News
did manage to wangle a trip to the island for a day or two during the
brief 2 month period of hostilities after making noise about freedom
of the press but I don't believe that they ever did come up to Cotar Hill
and certainly did not have the same vantage point that I had up on the
radar antenna.

> Could you point out the tarmac for me?

Well, I suppose that all depends on your interpretation of the word...

If you take it to mean all the paved surfaces on and around a runway
as and most of the people I know do, then almost all the paved surfaces
in sight is the tarmac. And I might add that during the recent extended
honors for Ronald Reagan, one newscaster (Tom Brokaw if I remember
right) also used the term tarmac in the exact same manner.

If, however, you subscribe strictly to the dictionary definition of the
word, then the only true tarmac in the picture is the thin tar and cinder
roadway that passes by the near side of the nose hangar and off the left
side of the picture. The runway itself was asphault and if I remember
right (it HAS been 10 years since I left) the parking apron was made
of concrete. The truck parking area on the near side of that hard  to see
roadway was also made of tar and cinder materials and was used for
parking of the fire trucks and JP4/JP5 (now JP8 I believe) fuel
trucks. During the Falklands campaign though that parking area was
commandeered by the British for use by their own trucks as can be
seen in the picture.

This is the way it was with nearly all facilities on base. The Brits
came very poorly prepared for war and had to make use of all the US
base facilities including our chowhall, BX and employees club. They
swarmed all over the place in large numbers and rather than showing
gratitude for our help, went out of their way to push the US personnel
out of their way while taking over our facilities. Then in the years
after the war had ended they built their own base on the island and
immediately shut it down until they happened to need it next time.
It has also been the US who has maintained the airstrip (one of the
best in the world) ever since it was originally built during WWII
to refuel aircraft being ferried to Africa to fight Rommel's troops.

Cheers,

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