The tale is told of a young and inexperienced Canberra crew, early 70s, running the MATO Low Level Route/Section 4 and heading out across the lower Firth of Clyde towards MoK, in a rapidly lowering cloudbase. Instructed NOT to climb up into the Prestwick TMA or they'd be hanged, drawn and quartered, they continued ever lower, with the nav singing out he could "still make out the wave tops, but go a bit lower...." A minute or three into this scenario, a cluster of small white things whipped past the starboard wingtip. There followed one of those 'Wha....?' moments, which passed. As did the rest of the sortie, with an uneventful landing at Kinloss, then a Nimrod base. It seemed odd to be told by Local to turn off the runway, stop, and shut down - and odder still when one of those green Austin Maxis came haring down the taxiway, complete with little flag. A Very Senior Wheel was driving, and he curtly ordered the two heroes into the back, then whooshed them off to the Ops Block, to a Reserved parking slot. There they sheepishly followed the Air Commode through to his plush office, where he sat magisterially, staring at them. An icy silence.....
"Were you two anywhere near Ailsa Craig, in the lower Clyde, at low level about an hour ago?"
"Er, probably.... er, yessir."
The VSW waved a piece of paper at them. "This is a signal from MoD London, from MoD ( Navy) actually, requiring the identification of whoever it was. And we've now done that, I believe."
"Congratulations. You're the first aircrew ever to have an AIRMISS filed against them - by the Captain of a Polaris submarine!"
The 'cluster of small white things', it was then realised, were the naval uniform caps of the sub's bridge team.....