Unmanned Droid I recall the younger AEF pilots being a little less relaxed in the cockpit with cadets - even the week in and week out staff cadets like me. I guess the younger pilots feel the responsibility a little more keenly.
When I joined the AEF system in 1978, I had fairly recently been a Vulcan captain with all that implied in the Cold War. The Chipmunk role, in the event that Cold went a bit Hot, was in support of the civil power - meaning flying policemen around Yorkshire.I do not think we had holding pilots on the Flight then. So it greatly irritated me that we old hairies had no planned part in the war role and that students and/or newly-qualifieds were to be shipped from Valley to man the aircraft. Of course we flew the test or practice sorties, as it obviously made no sense to bring the youngsters in just to do that.