Originally Posted by
NutLoose
Ahh Brize Customs..... Used to board before us, open briefcase, put in lunch from galley, pick up honesty chits and depart,
And at Kinloss too. The crews would fill out two sheets. One, fully compliant with the authorised allowances would be handed in to RAFP for HMC. The other contained everything in the event Mr Bailey from HMC met the aircraft. On one occasion he did.
We had a routine. I would meet and greet at the door and he would set up 'office ' on the Jez launchers. We then ensured that all the squeaky clean went first with Me Bailey just nodding them through.
Then came the AEO. "I'll just check this case". He opened the case, packed with undeclared goodies, Mr Bailey moved these and continued to rummage until he found the couple of items that had been declared. The AEO had gone white. Mr Bailey out everything back, shut the case and said OK.
Message received and understood.
A couple of years later we had a couple of returning aircraft a few hours apart. Mr Bailey was accompanied by a shiney new CO. After that aircraft was cleared the new sprog said he would wait and clear the next aircraft. He might have had overtime in mind. Mr Bailey however would have none of it; he knew us and wasn't going to upset the apple cart with unnecessary prosecutions.