Retired fighter pilot brings RAF memories to book (From York Press)

Retired fighter pilot Group Captain Paul McDonald puts RAF memories in 'Winged Warriors' book

7:58am Friday 12th October 2012 in News By Dan Bean, dan.bean@thepress.co.uk

A FORMER fighter pilot who served with the RAF during the Cold War has told his story in a new book.

Retired Group Captain Paul McDonald flew Tornado jets during his 34 years regular service, and now works at RAF Linton-on-Ouse as a Tucano simulator instructor.

Born in Newcastle, Mr McDonald has a strong connection with North Yorkshire, which has been detailed in his book, entitled Winged Warriors – The Cold War From The Cockpit.

He said: “One of the central chapters in the book is devoted to some very happy years at Linton in the early 90s. My family and I came back just before I retired from the RAF.

“My association with Yorkshire goes much wider. I have served at RAF Church Fenton, my first solo in a Jet Provost was at RAF Dishforth and I was awarded my wings at RAF Leeming.

“At weekends I spend much of my time admiring Yorkshire from the air with the Volunteer Gliding School, flying teenage air cadets in the Vigilant motor glider often on their first ever flights.”

The book has been released by military history publisher Pen And Sword, and also includes stories of his visits with the air force to Canada, Cuba, East Berlin, Egypt, Jordan, Kenya, Iran, Italy, Israel, Malta, Pakistan, Palestine, Syria and the United States.

Mr McDonald also met with royalty and heads of state during his service, including a meeting with Yitzak Rabin, the Prime Minister of Israel, only a few weeks before he was assassinated.

The airbase hope to hold a formal launch event for the book at a later date, as Mr McDonald has remained active there, doing, in his words “what I so much enjoyed during my flying career – instructing highly motivated and focussed trainee pilots on their way to fast-jet cockpits”.

For more information, visit wingedwarriors.co.uk