My first tour was on the excellent Hastings with 24 Sqn at Colerne. The Hasty-bird did evoke the odd comment as we trundled round the world. I well remember a USAF dispatcher at Lajes in the Azores, where we'd stopped for 100-octane, saying
Say, you ain't takin that ass-draggin, milk-suckin, four-motored Goony-bird across the Pond, are ya?
"Yup", we said - "Sheesh" was his response
And off we roared for Gander, Newfoundland
airsound