Michael Rondot
Second to None
Size: 27 x 20ins approx (700 x 500mm) Medium: Print Edition: 275 Framed: No         Price S/N*   Sold Out Price AP*   Sold Out Price RM* £130       * click here for details

The unofficial motto of Number 2 Squadron Royal Air Force. It features, in typical Rondot style (and typical British weather!). Two No II (AC) Sqn Tornado GR-1A's landing on a rain soaked runway on a typically filthy and wet Friday afternoon just minutes before the bar opens, and their home base at RAF Marham in Norfolk, closes in cross winds and driving rain. (Just in time to get to the mess for a quick one!)

The main aircraft illustrated, is ZA400 (T) which was the personal aircraft of Wg Cdr R F Garwood DFC during the Gulf War in which he flew 19 low level night reconnaissance missions over Iraq.

Personally, I am quite inspired by Michael's print, and following close examination a few months ago after the first print runs, the detail is quite incredible and very impressive.

Notice the spray shooting off the main and nose wheel undercarriage legs, the distorted
reflections of red and green bouncing up from the runway from the Port and Starboard navigation lights, you can almost feel the pressure and the whole weight of the awesome
Tornado bearing down on that nose wheel as the aircraft decelerates down from its initial
150kts landing speed to the subtle gentle momentum of taxi.
But what makes it for me is the second ship just behind and to the left of 'Zulu Alpha 400' bringing up the rear, braking hard, landing lights full on in an naive attempt to try to carve out a tunnel of vision for the Pilot in an absolute impossible wall of spray behind the leader. (Try this one, Michael Schumacher?)

The Signatories

Sqn Ldr R M Pugh AFC - CO 1950-1953 Spitfire PR19, Meteor PR9 - 10
AC R H G Weighill CBE DFC - CO 1953-1955 Mustang 1944 - Meteor PR-10
Gp Cpt N R J Walpole OBE - CO 1964-67 Hunter FR-10, Swift 1957-1959
Wg Cdr D C Ferguson AFC - CO 1975-1976 Phantom
Gp Cpt R Fowler AFC - CO 1978-1980 Jaguar
AC T G Thorn AFC - CO 1980-1983 Jaguar
AVM G C Stirrup AFC - CO 1985-1987 Jaguar
Wg Cdr R F Garwood DFC - CO 1996-present Tornado
NB Dick Garwood not only flew 19 low level missions during the Gulf War and was awarded the DFC,
but has since flown over 70 'similar recce' sorties over Iraq since the War!