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Photographer: Jean-Michel Lefebvre ©
Date: 16
June 1972
Size: B&W
135 negatives
Subject: 12th
Tiger Meet
Place: BA
103 " René Mouchotte ". Cambrai
Country: France
Caption:
From original official TM 72 booklet cover.
EDITORIAL
This second part
of Tiger Meet confirms that it was definitively a Water Tiger
Meet during all the final air show. And after the last aircraft
landed it was not very long before a bit of sun came back over
Cambrai, as before the first demo of the afternoon!!! Sure it was
a good exercise in adverse conditions for pilots and also
photographers and this day remains a good one in memories.
Two anecdotes to conclude. During the tactical low flight with a
twin-boomed N.2501 Noratlas to com back from Cambrai to Paris-Villacoublay
I discussed into cockpit with an efficient and nice pilot seating
right who explained me he liked all except to pilot... Sure, it
was the first and last time I met such a man...
He explained me he was a flying mechanic and, due to lack of
pilot, was choosen by hierarchy to undertake a complete pilot
formation. He did, he got his wings and, I knew this several
years later by his former squadron C/O, was a rather very good
pilot but unable to find real pleasure even when doing cross-country
flights with the big plane...
Try to understand the human nature!!!
I remember, early 1981, another discussion with two pilots of
Patrouille de France of which one was a former instructor and the
other a former squadron C/O. They spoke about a boy who knowledge
test after test and flight after flight was limit in all. No
strong point in any domain, no enthusiasm, no negative attitude,
just he worked quite seriously. He was a true question mark for
instructors and other staff members of the Flying School always
thinking to evince him such they were pessimistics about his
future due to their knowledge of the big amount of required
qualities to become a fighter pilot. And so, from week to another,
from month to month he was kept, his level always being "acceptable".
And he became fighter pilot. Happily, someone asked him the one
billion dollars question?
-What did that you were always so tight during your whole
formation?
-Why sir ? Because I always thought it was enough for me to give
just what all of you asked me, nothing more.
And during air-combat training and exercises, this boy always was
a winner, nothing more...and surely he became a four stars
General, nothing more...
The quiete strength of a true tiger!!!
JMJ Lefebvre
