Late 70s, can’t remember the exact date as my log book is at home in the UK and I’m currently in the States! ATC Familiarisation flight from Luton to Milan Malpensa on a Monarch BAC 1-11. Out at 0700 due back by midday in time to take the future wife shopping in the new Milton Keynes shopping mall, flight was arranged before she told me she was coming home for a couple of days from her nursing course in Southampton.
All was well until we approached Milan, snow storm in the area when Malpensa advised they were closing, so ended up diverting to Linarte. One of the roughest approaches I have ever experienced, broke cloud at just above decision height. It was a school skiing trip and after landing the number 1 came up the front and said nearly all of them had thrown up!
Anyway, got them off loaded and then had to wait for the return load of kids to arrive from Malpensa, in the meantime it continued to snow. Eventually they all arrived and boarded, when ATC informed us the airport was closing. Following conversations with Monarch Ops, there were several flights operating into Genoa and they were laying on coaches. The crew were going to night stop and I had the option of staying with them or going to Genoa, I opted to go to Genoa.
Managed to attach myself to the school parties, even managed one of the teachers to give me some money to get a drink! Arrived at Genoa, thinking here comes the difficult bit as technically I was a standby passenger. Managed to persuade the ground crew that I was flight deck, waving the bit of paper around I had from Monarch. First part done, got to the front steps of another 1-11, waved my ID card and explained the situation to the number 1, who disappeared onto the flight deck with it.
Fortunately the captain agreed and they thought it was funny the predicament I was in. Eventually got back into Luton at midnight! Although ATC Fam flights are still allowed, I doubt if you could do what I did, could be done now.
As a footnote, my future Mrs turned up at 8 o clock next morning and I was certainly in the dog house in no uncertain terms!