Contact!

Contact! is an enthralling set of recollections from ex-RAF captain Bob Tuxford. The book follows his twenty-year career within the RAF and describes highlights of active service across the world, including an accompanied exchange tour in the US Air Force and participation in the Falklands war.The title, a nod to the crucial response during air-to-air refuelling, underlines the important role that Bob carried out during his career as a captain of Victor K1s in 214 Squadron in the 1970s. This experience led to him playing a vital role in the first Black Buck mission during the Falklands campaign - by being the last Victor tanker to refuel the Vulcan piloted by Martin Withers before bombing commenced on that fateful night in 1982. For this, he was awarded the Air Force Cross for gallantry. In the latter years of his career, Bob made the transition to test piloting and became a senior test pilot at the Aircraft and Armament Experimental Establishment, Boscombe Down.This book is not just for aviation enthusiasts, but for those wanting a greater insight into the importance of the work carried out by tanker squadrons within the RAF during the Cold War.