There is a reference to 101 Sqn earlier. Something about 'nothing illegal' etc?
Well, when 101 were on Ex sunspot in Malta (Yes, yes, Vulcan days, I know and it could have been 50 or 44 I guess) IIRC there was an aircraft returned to Waddo which was impounded for a comprehensive customs examination. Despite the rear cockpit being full of some very sensitive ECM equipment, the 'officials' removed some of the equipment control panels to discover several cartons of 200 ciggies taped behind them. The cartons were wrapped in bodge tape and camouflaged to resemble the 'black boxes' associated with ECM gear. Despite being chaperoned by security cleared bods, the officials had gone straight to them....
At the same time all aircraft carried 3 packed brake parachutes on detachment positions or ranger fights. One installed, one in the nose and the third in the pannier. The idea being that if an aircraft was diverted on return, the crew chief could fit the replacement from the nose, the streamed one would replace the one in the pannier which went up into the nose. Great plan. Worked well for years The guys packing chutes at Luqa for the detachment knew this and some of them decided to pack some 'extras' into the 3rd chutes as they would be removed from the aircraft nose on arrival back at base even if a diversion had taken place.
All went well (for years allegedly) until a Jet diverted into Italy. Streamed on arrival and had the chute from the nose fitted on the crew chiefs AF. Still not a problem. However at the time there was a temporary 'OOP installation' period imposed on all brake chutes (something to do with doors freezing shut?) whereby all installed chutes were deemed unserviceable and had to be changed after a certain period.
Suffice it to say, rectification of the jet took longer than the mandated period. Of course, the crew chief did his job and replaced the timex chute. The jet later returned to Waddo and performed a faultless chute assisted landing.
The runway inspection teams thought christmas had come early.