Ancient Aviator,
Name calling between pots and kettles springs to mind - YOU have not responded to post 3245.
With regard to JP, a little simple mental arithmatic should give you the answer. If he was flying Hunters in Germany/ Sicily in the 60's then it is highly likely that he has now reached the Biblical "three score years and ten" and his health may not be what it once was. On the other hand he may have gone for a Caribbean Cruise to get away from the winter.
Navigation was very much a visual art in those days backed up by radio bearings and "Rebecca/Eureka" (if fitted). If you pulled up because of weather over Sicily you then had the problem of getting down again with the assistance of an Italian operator for whom Italian (let alone English) was not his normal language of communication. You only have to look at what happened at West Raynham when they launched in fog and the clearance never occurred. The approach and navigation aids you take for granted simply did not exist back then.
JP - If you read this - my apologies for pre-empting you.