Janice our resident aviatrix and artist in residence let slip today that Tuesday is her birthday. I thought that I would make her a present of being my twenteth journal entry and so qualify me for annother badge as thank you for her support and friendship since I joined the Goodie gang. Its not everyday that you get to meet a lady who has as big if not bigger interest in Warbirds as me. Most girls would be lucky to tell the difference between a Spitfire [WW11 hero of the Battle of Britain and beyond] and a F 14 Tomcat [as "flown by Tom Cruise" in "Top Gun"]. Let me assure you that Janice could certainly tell you the difference and a whole lot more besides. In all probability she would also tell you of the different aircraft she has painted and the nose art she has done on some Warbirds. Yes she is also a damn fine painter to boot, I know as I have some examples of her work sitting in my computer and once I get set up I will put them up on my walls. So HAPPY BIRTHDAY JANICE.
Mood - Jovial
Music - Happy Birthday to Janice of course
Thank you! There's a funny story: I was sitting one night, looking at aircraft photos with two of my (male) aviation mates, (one is now my boyfriend) and a discussion came up as to the identity of an aircraft in a photo taken in a museum in the UK. "B" looked over and commented it was a Buccaneer, (it was his photo!) and I got all up in arms, saying it couldn't be, as the intakes were the wrong shape and Buccaneers have oval intakes... The guys found this most humorous. "S", (now my boyfriend), made a comment about the fact that with any other girl, they could've said that and she would just have believed them! I demanded "B" go and get a book out to check. He couldn't find anything suitable at short notice, so when I went home I immediately found a reference and smsed him. Meanwhile, he was doing the same!
Like I said Janice is certainly unique and definitely no wallflower or easy pushover. I could certainly picture her being born in time for the Battle of Britain and getting a job as an aircraft spotter and sticking it to any other spotter who miss identified an enemy or friendly aircraft. Now I think that the Buccaneer referred to was a late first or early second generation, late 50's early 60's, Royal Navy carrier based jet fighter. I could be wrong as I am working without reference books and going by memory.
It wasn't a Buccaneer. I think it was, by memory, a Sea Vixen. It just wasn't immediately obvious in the photo and I would not have been able to identify one of those anyway. I just knew that it wasn't a Blackburn Buccaneer (as in the warbird variety). ( I'm not referring to the GA version, which is a Lake Buccaneer.)