A MAN with an RAF career spanning more than three decades has shared insight in his latest memoir.

Ron Powell, who is from Ludlow and lives with his wife Geraldine on Barry Island, has lived an eventful 67 years - he joined the RAF as a Halton Apprentice in 1973 and retired 32 years later as a group captain commanding the first stage of flying training for the Army, Navy, and RAF.

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He’s no stranger to writing, having published both fiction and non-fiction. His latest work Fat Albert is the third volume of his memoir Shropshire Blue.

Fat Albert is rich in illustrations and photographs, focusing on Mr Powell’s time flying the workhorse of the RAF transport fleet: the C-130 Hercules – affectionately known to its crews as 'Fat Albert'.

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“I joined my first squadron just as the Falklands War started,” said Mr Powell.

“It was all very exciting, not least because hardly anyone knew where the Falkland Islands were, or how we were going to support the task force sent to retake them.

“In the end, we flew most of the men and supplies they needed to Ascension Island, a tiny volcanic dot four thousand miles away in the South Atlantic between Africa and South America.

“The task force then picked up the kit and sailed on toward the Falklands, another 4,000 miles distant.”

Flying to Ascension dominated Ron’s first few months on the front line, but after that, he flew the C-130 to many places including Las Vegas, Iceland, New Zealand, and more.

Highlights in the illustrated work includes:

  • Flying into East Berlin, Beirut;
  • The mountains of eastern Turkey near the Soviet border;
  • Cape Canaveral at the time of a Space Shuttle launch;
  • Ethiopia during the early stages of the 1984 famine relief operations.

“I flew into some amazing places with an amazing cast of characters,” added Mr Powell.

“Fat Albert is dedicated to them, and to the C-130 Hercules, which is shortly to be retired after many years of distinguished RAF service.’

This title joins Mr Powell's other books available on Amazon. You can find out more about his career and writing online at ronpowell.co.uk