HANGING up his fireman’s helmet for the last time was David (Bruce) Saunders who has retired after 45 years in the airport fire service.

David, who lives in Crediton with his wife Elaine, started as a Firefighter and ended last month as a Station Officer in charge of White Watch at Exeter International Airport.

He joined the service 1972 in the RAF, serving in airports around the world, including a two-and-a-half year deployment to Cyprus.

He spent two years in Saudi Arabia and then settled down to 35 years at Exeter Airport, where his service included being the Training Officer, which he loved.

He has worked with, and responded to a number of different aircraft during his career, including Concorde, Spitfire, Hurricane, Lancaster Bomber, Meteor, Hunter, Gannet, Phantoms, Starfighters, a powered Glider, Hercules, Galaxy, VC10, Britannia, the Red Arrows, Eurofighter, A10 Thunderbolt, the U-2 spy plane, Jumbo Jets, loads of Cessnas, various helicopters, an RAF airship, and even a hot air balloon.

In 2005 he was awarded the Fire Brigade long service and good conduct medal, and has the Queen’s Jubilee medal.

When David retired he was presented with a mounted fireman’s axe bearing the ribbons for his medals, plus an inscription similar to the tally for breathing apparatus to show the in and out dates of his career.

David said he has plans for the future, but this definitely does not include plane spotting.