Contact!: A Victor Tanker Captain's Experiences in the RAF, Before, During and After the Falklands Conflict
A retired RAF Squadron Leader recounts his decades of service in Cold War combat zones across the globe, including his crucial role in the Falklands.

Joining the Royal Air Force in 1970, Bob Tuxford distinguished himself as a fighter pilot, test pilot, squadron leader and flying instructor. In this enthralling memoir, he shares his story of active service across the world. Among other episodes, Tuxford details his exchange tour in the US Air Force and his courageous mission during the Falklands war that earned him an Air Force Cross for Gallantry.

As a Victor tanker captain, Tuxford had the job of executing air-to-air refueling operations through the 1970s and early 1980s. This experience prepared him for the vital role he played in the first Black Buck mission during the Falklands campaign. Tuxford was the last Victor tanker to refuel the Vulcan piloted by Martin Withers before bombing commenced on that fateful night in 1982.

Later in his career, Bob became the senior test pilot on the heavy aircraft test squadron at the Aircraft and Armament Experimental Establishment, Boscombe Down. In Contact!, Tuxford offers an intimate look at life in the RAF while shedding light on the importance of tanker squadrons during the Cold War.
1123479056
Contact!: A Victor Tanker Captain's Experiences in the RAF, Before, During and After the Falklands Conflict
A retired RAF Squadron Leader recounts his decades of service in Cold War combat zones across the globe, including his crucial role in the Falklands.

Joining the Royal Air Force in 1970, Bob Tuxford distinguished himself as a fighter pilot, test pilot, squadron leader and flying instructor. In this enthralling memoir, he shares his story of active service across the world. Among other episodes, Tuxford details his exchange tour in the US Air Force and his courageous mission during the Falklands war that earned him an Air Force Cross for Gallantry.

As a Victor tanker captain, Tuxford had the job of executing air-to-air refueling operations through the 1970s and early 1980s. This experience prepared him for the vital role he played in the first Black Buck mission during the Falklands campaign. Tuxford was the last Victor tanker to refuel the Vulcan piloted by Martin Withers before bombing commenced on that fateful night in 1982.

Later in his career, Bob became the senior test pilot on the heavy aircraft test squadron at the Aircraft and Armament Experimental Establishment, Boscombe Down. In Contact!, Tuxford offers an intimate look at life in the RAF while shedding light on the importance of tanker squadrons during the Cold War.
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Contact!: A Victor Tanker Captain's Experiences in the RAF, Before, During and After the Falklands Conflict

Contact!: A Victor Tanker Captain's Experiences in the RAF, Before, During and After the Falklands Conflict

Contact!: A Victor Tanker Captain's Experiences in the RAF, Before, During and After the Falklands Conflict

Contact!: A Victor Tanker Captain's Experiences in the RAF, Before, During and After the Falklands Conflict

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Overview

A retired RAF Squadron Leader recounts his decades of service in Cold War combat zones across the globe, including his crucial role in the Falklands.

Joining the Royal Air Force in 1970, Bob Tuxford distinguished himself as a fighter pilot, test pilot, squadron leader and flying instructor. In this enthralling memoir, he shares his story of active service across the world. Among other episodes, Tuxford details his exchange tour in the US Air Force and his courageous mission during the Falklands war that earned him an Air Force Cross for Gallantry.

As a Victor tanker captain, Tuxford had the job of executing air-to-air refueling operations through the 1970s and early 1980s. This experience prepared him for the vital role he played in the first Black Buck mission during the Falklands campaign. Tuxford was the last Victor tanker to refuel the Vulcan piloted by Martin Withers before bombing commenced on that fateful night in 1982.

Later in his career, Bob became the senior test pilot on the heavy aircraft test squadron at the Aircraft and Armament Experimental Establishment, Boscombe Down. In Contact!, Tuxford offers an intimate look at life in the RAF while shedding light on the importance of tanker squadrons during the Cold War.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781910690772
Publisher: Grub Street
Publication date: 02/12/2021
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 198
File size: 7 MB

About the Author

Squadron Leader Robert Tuxford, AFC RAF Retd, graduated from the RAF College Cranwell in 1970. His first operational tour was on 214 Squadron on the Victor K1 3-point tanker in the air-to-air refueling role. Selected for a coveted American exchange posting, Bob then flew the Boeing KC-135A Stratotanker within Strategic Air Command at Mather AFB, California as an aircraft commander and instructor. On promotion to squadron leader, he returned to the UK to Central Flying School to undertake training as a qualified flying instructor. After a brief instructional tour in Yorkshire flying the familiar Jet Provost, he was posted back to the Tanker Force at RAF Marham as an executive on 57 and then as flight commander on 55 Squadron. Flying the Victor K2 in support of the South Atlantic operations during the Falklands war, he participated in the iconic first Black Buck mission. After qualifying as a test pilot at the prestigious Empire Test Pilots’ School in 1983 at the A&AEE Boscombe Down, Bob undertook flight trials on a wide range of aircraft including all the RAF’s tankers: the Victor, VC10 and newly-acquired TriStar. On leaving the RAF in 1987, he flew as a commercial pilot for Monarch Airlines, retiring in 2010 with close on 19,000 hours and seventy types in his logbook.

Table of Contents

Foreword 6

Author's Note 8

Prologue: My Guardian Angel 11

Chapter 1 First Solo 14

Chapter 2 'The Towers' - RAF College Cranwell 24

Chapter 3 Spreading My Wings - No 5 AFTS 35

Chapter 4 Lord of the Manor - No 1 AEF 41

Chapter 5 El Adem with Grass - Co-Pilot 214 Squadron 46

Chapter 6 The Sport of Kings

Chapter 7 California Dream - 904th AREFS 79

Chapter 8 Bird Strike! - No 2 FTS 109

Chapter 9 "Is There a Phoenix in the House?" Pilot Leader - 57 Squadron 115

Chapter 10 "Superfuse" - The Black Buck Legacy Flight Commander - 55 Squadron 122

Chapter 11 Learn to Test - Test to Learn - ETPS 149

Chapter 12 Probing the Limits - B Squadron A&AEE 167

Chapter 13 Breaking Contact 195

Aircraft Types Flown 199

Logbook Periodic Summary and Assessment of Ability 200

Glossary 202

Index 203

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