Bonjour,
TT! Yes, the hire car was indeed 'Buffed' - he hated the fact that there was a photo in the sqn album shortly afterwards. But other AARCs were scarier - one with a wooden name frequently so. Driving from Punta Raisi to not-Mondello with him once, I remarked as we reached the hotel that I was rather concerned - he hadn't scared me once during the drive. But tradition was restored when he switched off the engine with the car still in gear and it bumped into the kerb...
Another tried a U-turn on the main road into Palermo in the rush hour...
The trail I described is the second training exercise for certain new tanker crews, so is quite basic as you suggest.
Critical areas and pieces of string - tell that to 't folk of today, eh? We've actually included a 'critical area' option in the software after hearing about an RAAF tanker crew which took some F-18s on a trans-Pacific trail with a segment beyond max diversion range.
Time for a glass of chilled pink soon?
I hope that trails are as entertaining these days as the ones we remember (rather more in your case, of course) - perhaps without the joys of Lightning T5s back from Akrotiri, or the Harrier GR3 'Sondi' out' plan from Goose though!