Neptune at Dubbo

"Thomas A. Hoffer" wrote in
:

Actually, until 1970, all naval reserve Neptunes were stationed at the
former NAS Seattle (Sandpoint). VP-69 was established at Whidbey after
the closure of the airfield at Seattle.

(Delayed response - me 'n' the cat have had a ~really~ bad week, but think
survival is in the offing)

I've only lived in Seattle since 1963, so I was naturally unaware of this
fact...

It does, however, explain an experience I had one winter evening in 1968
or '69 as a kid of 13 out on my paper route in the area along Lake
Washington a couple miles north of NAS Sand Point. Typical northwest low
clouds lit by city lights when a loud rumble was heard overhead. I looked
up to see the unmistakeable silhouette of a Neptune, complete with blue
flames visible from the engine exhasusts, at an altitude that couldn't
have been much more than a thousand feet or so, heading south. Makes
sense to me now that he was on approach to Sand Point, as the next closest
airport of consequence was Boeing Field - way too much farther away and in
somewhat the wrong direction.

And to think they laughed at me when I had that Brain Clapper® with a
built-in 38 year time delay installed...

Bob ^,,^