Originally Posted by
ShyTorque
Back in the 1980s a 747 was chartered by MOD to carry troops to RAF Germany. On landing at Gutersloh it was fully disembarked and unloaded in less than 20 minutes because the pax helped.
I remember a similar incident on Ex Lionheart when a BA 747 arrived at Gutersloh and the movements staff selected a chalk with the requisite numbers to be the baggage handling party. The only thing was that they were a specialist TA unit whose lowest rank was Lieutenant Colonel. Still they set to and did the job in double quick time.
And there was the occasion when a trooping flight arrived at an airport in the middle of a baggage handlers strike. The pax started to unload the baggage and the local shop stewards intervened. It was explained to them that the pax were all Royal Marines returning from a six month unaccompanied tour. Discretion being the better part of valour, the unloading continued