Ah the sweet nostalgia! I flew WD390 several times but firstly on 10 Jun 69 with the Sqn Cdr, Cecil Jonklaas on my acceptance check. At the time, I reduced the average age of the Instructor cadre to around 54! I remember, wearing shirt sleeves, trying to change a pair of flying gloves at stores only to be told by the civilian at the counter that "students" were expected to make one pair last. I had to nip back to the Mess for my battle-dress top to convince him!
Sorry to burst the bubble, but I don't think it was the AOC Dai saluted. I think it was the Chief Instructor, a very nice chap called Harding, who inhabited the upstairs of the easterly hangar. As I recall, Dai had persuaded his student in the front to crouch on the floor and steer with his hands whilst he flung the canopy fully back, stood up and gave a rigid eyes right to the CI. That said, I'm afraid my lips are sealed on: the black powder fowling piece, the exploding cabbage, the confetti bazooka, the bar snatching tool and any other fanciful tales of the time!
But back to the thread, and the phantom AOTS student, APO Snipcock I think, who was always being recoursed, sent to the MO, or otherwise delayed. When he eventually turned up to fly he was late and his instructor was briefed to expect Snipcock to meet him after he had flown his first student on a running change. "Snipcock" duly appeared on the pan for the running change with visor down and ranked as an APO. You can probably guess the rest!
PS, don't forget the nav lights and the downward ident before commencing aerobatics at night.