Vulcan crews
Wish I'd kept a log book/diary -I remember Al Laidler (a good geordie lad)-turned out he played rugby with my cousin up north, who I hadn't seen since I was apprehended trying to steal a cannon from HMS Daedalus 10 years before (small world), and I remember going on the survival trek? at Goose where the object(as far as I could see) was to follow a trail of beer cans to an unknown objective and return a different way.
Remember being impressed by Mick Holder's throwing arm ,who very nearly downed a crow from 50 yards when he let on he had a trial for Surrey cricket team..
I was CC from '65 to '70 and XM 657 was my bird-at least I was the inventory holder . When I signed off I was asked to explain why I had 5 engines instead of the usual 4...I didn't know as I rarely ,if ever flew with her , so I just feigned confusion (CC's first line of defence)and shipped out to Goose as C team leader.
I did a round the world jolly with Frank Bonfield and I remember flying in to Hawaii at altitude to avoid surrounding cu- nimbs and then doing a max rate descent over the island. I remember seeing the island in profile straight ahead - thought this must be a standard procedure until I read Tony Blackman's "Vulcan test pilot."
Happy days!