kenley happy days
ok treadders how about this for a start.
it is a bank hol mon in the early sixties.all winching has stopped due to a massed flypast of aircraft from the tiger club at redhill on thier way to an airshow at north weald (a regular happening).the reason for the lack of winching is due to the staff cadets ignoring all light signals,and standing on the winch cabs watching them go past.just as normal service was about to commence i notice a turbulent aircraft coming back very low,and making for the grass.i told the winch driver not to launch,and took off in the 4x4 austin truck to investigate.the visitor had managed to land alongside the peri track near the pill box, and was examining the vw engine.I'm sorry about this he said but the engines lost power so i had to come in.i helped move the machine on to the peri track,and being keen on vw engines started to remove the cowling.
the scene was then spoilt by the arrival of several cars from the launch point complete with assorted instructors and vrt officers.
our visitor was then subjected to a lecture on his unauthorised arrival,and then asked by one of the vrt types for his name and details.
his explanation regarding his forced landing was ignored and as in all good (carry on type farces) a paper and pen was produced to take particulars of this event.
name !! (are you sure all this is required our friend protested)
name !! 'you tiger club types are always flying too close to the airfield'
name !! our vrt type is now behaving like a traffic warden.
oh very well,i am wing commander xxxxxxxx,a hunter pilot from xxxxx currently at mod.
the silence was followed by a combined coming to attention of all the officers, hotly pursued by a most impressive display of saluting!!
needless to say i had no trouble in getting the use of a landrover to tow the turb back to our hangar,and then depositing our friend at the main gate to await transport back to redhill.
yet another victory in the never ending staff cadets v authority battle.
i think i stopped laughing about a week later.