Tag Archives: Guard

Kemble Gate Guards

The trip to the UK early this year included a quick trip to Kemble or Cotswolds Airport as it is also known.  Near the tower, they have a couple of preserved airframes that harken back to the time that this was a Royal Air Force base (including it being home of the Red Arrows).  One of the gate guards (okay, they aren’t near the gate, but you get the idea) is a Folland Gnat.  I don’t know whether it is a genuine ex-Red Arrow or just painted to look like one, but it is cool either way.  It is the tiniest of jets.  I wonder what it was like ferrying one across the Atlantic as they did for a tour.

The other airframe is a Hawker Hunter.  This is a classic aircraft and one that continues in use to this day.  It is a trainer version with the side-by-side cockpit arrangement and in a grey paint job that I am not familiar with them having used in service.  Either way, another great looking jet and something cool for any visitors to check out.

Caption Competition

I have been gradually working my way through a bunch of old shots from the days when I didn’t delete anything.  These days such carelessness with storage cannot be tolerated so I am a lot more aggressive about culling out the weak.  Anyway, during the review of older stuff, I came across this shot and it made me chuckle and seemed like a great candidate for a caption competition.  In the previous shot the guy inside is not in the doorway so he miraculously appeared as the other guy went out.  Feel free to make your own comments below!