RAF Bentwaters

By David Fisher: I was stationed at Bentwaters AFB, near Ipswich England. I lived off base as base housing was in short supply. I was stationed there between the years 1981 and 1985 where I also brought over my high-school girlfriend and married here at the town hall.

The base commander was Cornel Peter S. Miner who was also an A-10 Pilot. In fact the entire base was an A-10 base and I was Cornel Miner's crew Chief. When Cornel minor was provided a King Air Aircraft for personal transportation, he had be also become his crew chief on that aircraft and sent me to Beech Aircraft Company in Wichita where I was trained as an A/P mechanic and an I/A inspector.

Then when Cornel Minor was promoted to Brigadier General, he was provided a Gulfstream GIII and I was again the crew chief on that aircraft.

As crew chief, no work was allowed to be done without my inspection and my sign off.

I also had to travel quite a bit with the Cornel and then General from base to base and no matter what time of the day or night, if anything was done to the aircraft, I had to get up and inspect the work.

At the end of 1985, my term was up; I went to go work for Gulfstream in Georgia.