RAF Pilot training in the UK
George Cooke was an elderly pupil (approaching thirty), married and with a young daughter. He was a real countryman and a joy to be with on a country walk for his knowlege of birds, animals and plants. George arrived at the camp gates one day in a civilian car, from which he descended with his open parachute draped over his arm. He said he had flown into a bird which had broken his windscreen and thrown his Oxford into a spin. Oxfords were said to be un-recoverable from a spin, -at least, that is what pupils were told. Probably they took far too long to recover from the heights at which they were generally flown.
George described how he had managed to get out of his seat with great difficulty and claw his way to the rear door. He described, very graphically, the tremendous G forces he had to fight to reach the door, (later we found Oxfords fitted with a rope on the port side from the cockpit to the door.) He had managed to jettison the door and jump.
Later, an irate farmer appeared at the camp asking for compensation for one cow killed by the crashing 'plane. From the height at which George had been flying there was some doubt about the flock of birds, and one theory was that he had stalled the Oxford and that the fire extinguisher had fallen off its bracket and ejected foam all over the cock-pit. George had mistaken the foam for feathers, which he said had filled the cock-pit. The instructors presented George with a "Bill".
To:- L.A.C. George Cooke.
Statement of Account.
To One Parachute Ripcord Handle 2s..
To one COW (dead) £ 40.. 0 .. 0
To One Oxford A/c (lost) £3,000.. 0 .. 0
Total £3,040..2s..6d
Will L.A.C. Cooke pay cash, or have it deducted from his pay?
Signed....................................S/Ldr. Accounts.