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52month but my log book reveals that I did 20 hours in April, 40 in Mayand 50 in June because we had to use everyone who could be madeavailable to keep aircraft moving down that lifeline to the South Atlantic.Furthermore, I needed to have first hand experience of the problems mycrews were encountering in flying the missions and I needed to maintainpersonal contact with my crews who were based in Ascension Island.In closing, I will highlight just two notable incidents. The first wasthe first long range flight into the combat zone which took place on 16May when Flt Lt Harry Burgoyne dropped 1000 lbs of vital stores andeight SAS troopers into the sea alongside HMS Antelope.The second was the aftermath of the death of H Jones who was killedat Goose Green. Maj Chris Keeble took over 2 Para, led them to victoryand accepted the surrender of the Argentineans at Goose Green. Onemight well have expected him to be given acting rank and continue incommand but it was decided that 2 Para should have a new CO and wewere told to lay on one of our special long range Hercs to deliver him on1 June. We did this by flying down to arrive after dark, using theaircraft%u2019s weather radar to help position the aircraft at low level so thathe could parachute into the sea to be picked up and moved forward to hisbattalion. It was a complicated and dangerous mission, right into theheart of the combat zone, but you would never guess it from the laconicway in which the literature on the war recounts the incident. Mostaccounts usually just note that %u2018Lt Col David Chandler arrived to takeover command of 2 Para from Chris Keeble.%u2019Something of an understatement, I am sure you would agree. But, allin a day%u2019s work for the RAF.An Ascension-Falklands air link was established as soon as the islandshad been retaken. This is the first Hercules taking off on its return flight.