Totally not what you’d expect an aviation blog to be titled but let me explain, if I were to shorten Fresh Fruit Salad to just the first letters of each word (FFS) it can take on a totally different meaning as Im sure most of you are aware…
Lately life and work have meant spotting at the local bases has taken a bit of a step back, sad but true.
So this brings me to the FFS. Im sure most of us are all too painfully aware that being in the right place at the right time ( even if you are genuinely walking the dog ) plays a massive part in this hobby.
I have been fortunate enough times to be in position to see various oddments arrive/leave and be able to document it, but this doesn’t ease the pain and “anguish” when others are there and Im not.
Let me just be very clear, I do not begrudge anyone being at the base when things happen in that way lol, but its a bitter pill to swallow being away from the hobby you enjoy and seeing what you missed.
It just seemed over the last few weeks, life decided I needed to be somewhere else, not at the fence line, which is a shame as seeing three AC-130 gunships arrive into and depart Mildenhall would have been quite a nice day all round , similarly the imminent arrival home of 48th fighter wing squadrons will not be featuring on my camera roll or social media feed, and thats ok, I think…..but it does make me mumble about fruit salads.
But ask yourself this… would you want to be at the fence week after week or would you become oversaturated with it all, and lose some of the passion for the hobby, the hunt so to speak and the shot? I have found myself feeling that way at times and this year I’m challenging myself to try and get further afield than just Suffolk, rather than just frequent the same areas taking the same shots of the same plenz.
At some point also, the beloved CV22 Ospreys I’m sure will return to the skies, having been cleared to resume operations after the horrific incidents last year. No doubt folks will just happen to be at the fence on the day they stir their engines and unleash the power to get airborne again, and I for one am very much looking forward to hearing “KNIFE XX, cleared to launch ” over the airwaves.
So where does this ramble go…. am I bitter that others have the opportunity that I don’t currently… in a way yes, however majority of the posts I’ll see are great friends and I wish them all the best and am glad they are there to document the goings on, id surely love to be there with them all. Although right now life is a little chaotic, there are those in far worse situations to me and a little pause to reflect on the good will no doubt keep me motivated to be back at the fence soon enough. But first I need to go dice some fruit….!