I was on No 4 Course in September 1971. I had spent the previous four months skulking over the south side preparing 33 Sqn's accommodation, building the coffee bar etc etc. Apparently I was supposed to be helping out in Flying Wing but they didn't miss me. My first flight with Dick Holmes was in XW199 but I did all the start and such as I had spent some time with Trevor Wood in XW204; the squadron's first aircraft. 33 Sqn. received XW 204 to XW 216, twelve aircraft, (no CQ) and 230 Sqn. carried on with XW 217 onwards.
In 1972 we were issued with XW227 which had a tailrotor protection skid. We were reliably informed that they would NOT be retrospectively fitted to earlier ones. This shortcoming was pointed out at Thetford when 219 brushed the ground with its tail rotor and seriously disassembled itself. Three weeks later they all had them fitted.