Peter, I have a vivid memory of watching one of you 2nd TAF Venom guys landing at Tangmere about 1953 or 54.
Four of them were staging through for customs, and the cloudbase suddenly dropped to low.
The number four, for some reason, overshot, and being rather short of fuel made a very tight circuit; so tight that he was still straightening up as he came past the caravan.
By the time the runway controller got a red Very off to tell him that his wheels were not down, it was too late.
As it skidded to a halt it was burning quite nicely, the hood wound back rapidly and the pilot hit the ground running.
He got about 20 yards away and stopped, turned round and ran back into the flames.
When he reappeared he had his SD hat, which he had rescued from the cockpit.
