Villa Reynolds is the nest of the Argentine hawks. It was a very touching moment for me when I was able to get together again with those warriors of the South Atlantic who marveled the world. Especially when I was able to tell them out loud how proud as an Argentine I am of what they did. For the NATO planners the war was going to be a walk in the park and due to the actions of the Argentine pilots it become the Darkest Day of the Royal Navy. The handkerchiefs waved to say farewell to the largest Task Force later on dried the tears of the British people crying in front of their TV sets watching the stretchers with injured soldiers in the hell started at Bluff Cove by just 5 Argentine pilots.
“-We are going to set a missile wall between the Islands and the Argentine coast that no Argentine plane will be able to cross” claimed the especialists at the British Parliament in order to approve the sending of the fleet.
Today I felt the great satisfaction to share lunch with those pilots who got tired of crossing that “Wall” and made the fleet hide on the other side of the Islands out of reach of the Argentine aviators. The technological difference justified the expert’s claim on the “barrier” but they did not know the steadfast determination of those who were flying those old planes.
During WWII there was little to pick between a Spitfire and a Bf-109 and it is probable that the Mig23 had a slight edge over the F-18 but they did not fight during the Gulf Wars. But then…why is it that during the Malvinas war the old argentine planes that could not reach to the heels of the Harriers made Adm. Woodward admit that there was a moment when he had only 4 ships left and was about to turn around/ Why? Because of the Argentine pilots! Argentine Air Force won the aeronaval war but regretfully the Army lost the ground one.
Painting explanation:
With the arrival of new planes and the SOC of the veterans a painting to represent the spirit of that farewell. Three copies were made: one for the President of the county, another one for the MoD and the largest one for the V Brigada.
It shows the fly over the authorities carried out by a flight of 4 planes: two A-4AR, one A-4B and one A-4C. It was the last time they would fly together and their good bye. After flying over their base the A-4AR fly on towards the future while the A-4B and A-4C do the same towards a glory covered past depicted in the battles shinning in the horizon.