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Last Updated: Monday, 7 January 2008, 17:28 GMT
RAF jet dancer anything but plain
Dean Tabreham at RAF Lossiemouth

An RAF worker who has become an internet star by dancing as he directs jets has spoken for the first time of his efforts to raise charity money.

The fundraising marshalling footage of RAF Lossiemouth ground crew's Dean Tabreham has been viewed tens of thousands of times on YouTube.

He directs jets to tunes such as YMCA and Michael Jackson's Thriller.

Senior aircraftsman Tabreham said he was glad his efforts had raised more than �1,000 for Cancer Research UK.

The six-minute film is called How to Marshal a Jet.

We do not normally do it like that, it was a one-off for charity. I think my favourite one was the Michael Jackson one
Dean Tabreham
RAF Lossiemouth

It starts by demonstrating how other "normal" nations - the Americans, Spanish, Germans, Italians and Dutch - marshal their jets in a conventional manner.

The video then breaks into "This is how the Brits do it" with the RAF Lossiemouth worker wearing large fake hands and dancing to YMCA by Village People while directing the jets.

Filmed during a Nato exercise in Belgium, he then proceeds to dance to several tunes, including One More Time by Daft Punk, as fighter jets obey him and roll by.

Pilots knew

He told BBC Scotland of his fame and fundraising in a good cause: "It all started with a Nato exercise in Belgium, we had bad weather and the mood was down," he said.

"We livened things up with a dance and the other countries got quite into it.

"We do not normally do it like that, it was a one-off for charity. The pilots knew what I was going to do, it was safe."

He added: "I made the video and put the clips together with the music. It all turned out quite nicely.

"I think my favourite one was the Michael Jackson one."



SEE ALSO
RAF worker honoured for bravery
18 Dec 07 |  North East/N Isles
Armed forces recruit on YouTube
13 Dec 07 |  Highlands and Islands

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