Ahhh... This thread...
I do recall a certain ALM who, with the full encouragement of three other ALM's, underslung a Landrover in two cargo nets tied together with para-cord... The solution to the problem of underslinging said load looked nothing like the authorized scheme in the book... I remember the alleged incident so well I have photos...
I remember drinking competitons involving bottles of Red Stripe and a swimming pool at midnight... IIRC, and with sufficient practice, we were all quite competent at emptying the bottle underwater in remarkably short times too...
I remember the Courtleigh Manor Hotel in downtown Kingston, Jamaica having a shiny new brochure featuring three ALM's and a pilot at the pool bar in various stages of undress with models draped all over the place... I still have those brochures too...
I remember an exercise in north west Germany near a town called Itzehoe... (really... You can't make it up...
). We were told that there was no flying the next day - relax. At 1700 while leaving the block for town we met the boss who confirmed no flying... Perfect. The four loadies found a bar called "The New Pub" and proceeded to drink beers chased with Appelcorn...
Some hours later we are informed that they are out of Appelcorn... So, after a conflab, we decide that Sambuca will be the next chaser of choice... I recall ricocheting down the corridor to the room at 0500 to find a note on my bed... "You are flying at 0700"... Looking around the room there was no-one else any better suited to the trip than me... I, Allegedly, flew that morning... Luckily for me the trip was delayed... about an hour...
I remember during the drinking session above there were three Germans across the bar from us. Two of them were obviously arguing with the smaller chap. After about an hour of drama from the other side the small chap gets up to leave which means he has to walk all the way round the bar and past us ALMs. He's followed by the biggest chap. I knew there was going to be trouble so I turned as they approached to protect myself. As the small guy came next to me he turned, pulled a gun and pointed it right in the face of the big chap. I raised my hand to try to chop down on his arm when he fired and the big guy screamed and put both hands to his face. The little guy ran. After about a second the big guy removed his hands from his face and we could all see there wasn't a mark... Then we smelled the CS gas... Panic... Dragged the two barmaids over the bar and evacuated the place... It was aired out in about 5 minutes and we were back to business...
Those were the days...