Tiger in the dark-ish

[sycamore]

5 December 1976,`Under the Moon of Love`-`Showaddywaddy`, was No1 on TOTP in UK,and `Tonight`s the Night(It`ll be alright)` was No1 in USA( Rod Stewart)....

I was Duty Check Pilot at the Tiger CLUB that day,and had spent half an hour doing a check ride in Tiger`DC` with CB,and was freezing..it was ` ffffing cold`,getting late-ish,and `we` decided `time to quit,closed -up the hangar,and adjourned ,up the hill to the `pub` for some warmth ,food and `refreshers`.There were about 6-8 of us ,so lots of `war stories`,so we soon warmed up in typical waving arms in aerobatic` fashion`.About an hour or so later,it was time to `disperse` to our various homes, outside where it was now very quiet,no wind and a full Moon,rising in the East,when a voice was heard to say` What a lovely night for flying`,,,as it was,no cloud...and so,another voice chimed in...`I`ve still got the keys`, there is a load of `goose-necks`in the hangar,`,,another,,there`s a set of nav-lights there as well`...`Who is current `night rated...?, to which I had to admit I was,as a current TP at Boscombe, had been night flying in a Lynx ,a couple of weeks before...And so a `plot` was formed...!! SLAGIATT..!!!

Shortly after,we had arrived back at RH,the hangar was opened,`DC` was dragged out onto the now frosted grass,someone had got the goose-necks and was driving out to lay them and light them alongside the E-W runway,and the `nav-light` equipment had been found,a `triangular box` with red/green/white `windows` housing a battery-powered light,and fitted to the top of the Tiger`s fuel tank,with an ON/OFF switch and cable in the front cockpit....AND IT WORKED...and so did the `flarepath`...The whole airfield was illuminated by now with the Moon having risen higher and as there was a `faint` wind from the W , it would be better to t/o into the `dark` and as there were no landing lights on the Tiger,land by Moonlight...it was still only about 6pm...

To be a bit more `legal` ,one should carry a torch,as there`s no cockpit lights,and I think `someone` may have had one..I think I had one,but the Tigers`instruments were pretty luminous ,given the moonlight,anyway ,you fly a Tiger `by `feel and the draught around the cockpit....
After the usual briefing to those assembled,and as Duty Check Pilot,I was going to check out Brian Smith,and take a couple of others on a `night famil` around the area,then let BS (a TC check pilot) do the rest..
And so,now we had to start-up and get going,which went surprisingly easy,flames out of the exhaust,yellow to start,then diminishing changing to bluish red as one did a run-up,back to yellow at idle as we taxiied out to the r/way,and lined up,about a w/span away from the `flares,then full power,and off down the runway,and into the `wide black yonder`..Once airborne,one could see the lights of all the little villages,and brighter lights of Gatport Airwick,a few turns,here and there,and then back to` downwind` for my first night f/wing landing for a few years..Now with the Moon behind and above the airfield looked like a white `lake ,as it was totally frost covered,with the flarepath easily visible,easy to set-up the correct approach angle ,and one could read the ASI,altimeter and T&S quite easily,and once below about 100ft,the aircraft`s shadow could be seen on the ground,so it was a bit `magical` to judge the touchdown ,onto a 3-pointer,(the only way),and roll out,turn off,back-track,and do another quick circuit..After that I let BS have his turn for a couple of ccts,he then got out,and I then flew a couple more guys,TR,and ? J,,taxiied back,and I then handed over front seat to BS continue the flights.That had been a bit of a `magical`hour of flying at night,not only `the ` flying ,sightseeing in the ffffreezing cold,but the way that the` plot` had happened with a bunch of diverse guys,gelling together,and not `losing the moment`...

I was reminded of this event back then as I drove home from the Family Boxing Day bunfight at my Son`s house,as my car was covered in frost(before I started it)...) and a full Moon tonight...


Anyway,the reference at the top to the two No 1s is also appropriate in retrospect.....You can find them ,if so inclined,on U-Tube..I just checked the back date for `interesting things on this day`..

SLAGIATT....Seemed like a good idea at the time...as it was..!!
Merry Christmas,etc,etc to you all..
Syc..

I make no comment on `whose voice ` it was who started all this...