Skydriller , 'fraid it was said in Berlin ... We had 10 jets and 4 t/props based in Tegel , plus PanAm , and Air France , Dan-Air .
Standard ops in good wx on 26 , was join downwind LH pattern. Approaching downwind at 3000' and 320 kts , trick was to close throtts at correct moment , descending , slowing , aim at goalposts [ Berlin Interconti hotel ] , which took you up the Ku'Damm , past Zoo , dropping gear and flap as necessary , turning finals at 3- 4 nm , inside the 'Onion' [ in the East ] , opening throtts at 1000' final.
If not lucky , speedbrakes needed pronto , or go outside the Onion .
Thus lots of Speys , JT8-15s , Darts or PWC127s jet/T/Prop noise over city centre .
Pink Floyds 'The Wall' concert , summer '90 in [ I think ] Potsdammer Platz had 200000-300000 people attending whilst in the summer dark a PanAm 727 turned low base with everything hanging out lit by a searchlight , and preceded by a lit AAC Gazelle hovering over the foam wall . Both were noisy , I did not have electric ear plugs then , but need them now .
For more than 40 yrs Berlin kept open by the air corridors . Even 'til the '90s , UK had 2 RAF crews trained up on 737s , every 3 months would do Sim training followed by 2 days cct bashing at Gatow , and some supernumary line flights up and down the corridors .
In the event of tension , civi crews and pax would get off , and RAF crews fly empty civi jets to keep corridors open . Until the end , 'buzzing' by eastern block Migs would happen one 500' ft above , another 500' below flying across you in the corridors .
2 years after wall down , no LH vis ccts ... RH big radar pattern over countryside of the East .
PS
,''''' I used to love seeing the A10 lazily wheeling in pairs low in the Norfolk skies . Duffields Mill at Newton Flotman on the A140 was right next to our house and was an IP for many of their exercises- they were so low you could clearly see their sunnies /visors glinting in the sun ''''
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Didn't know you were a Naarfick 'Boi. 'Fraid I'm a Caistor St Edmunds lad , but know Duffields at NF . '80s having a pint with dad at the Kestrel ? now Countryman A140 by Tasburgh . A pair of A10s flew up the valley underneath us .... and that for others , is in flat Norfolk where I went to the High[est] School in the county [ Poringland ]...80' AMSL .
Was not Approved 'tho .
rgds condor .