I was an assistant in ATC at Valley in the 80s, and I asked a Duty pilot in the VCR one day, if he had flown the Gnat..he said yes, and I asked him which was better, Gnat or Hawk?
he smiled and said " the Gnat was a handful...but it sorted the men from the boys! if you could fly the Gnat well, you could fly anything! The Hawk, on the other hand, is a lovely aeroplane, but its too good...very reliable, and the duration is fantastic...so when a student gets his wings, and goes on to TWU, he thinks he is a hot shot pilot...then comes the OCU, and he is immediately faced with all sorts of unserviceabilities, frightening corners of the flight envelope, and drilled in keeping his eye on the fuel gauge!!"