it is only when you read this, that you see a different side to him:
Sqn Ldr BS**** of the Royal Air Force has been awarded the Air Force Cross for "displaying gallantry and airmanship equal to the highest traditions of the Service".
BS*** was an instructor with the RAF Chivenor Tactical Weapons Unit's 151 Sqn. On a Hawk training flight with navigator JP******* in the back seat. BS****** was at 250ft and 450kt over East Anglia when the aircraft hit a mallard duck. The bird smashed through the cockpit canopy and then hit BS*****. His visor was shattered, his nose, left eye socket and sinuses fractured, and his left eyeball severely damaged. His right eye was filled with blast debris, blood and bird remains, and he could not talk to his back-seater. BS**** could have justifiably ejected himself and JP**** at this stage. Instead he climbed, reduced speed, restored partial sight to his right eye, cleared an engine surge caused by ingestion of bird remains and resolved a fuel pressure problem. Having decelerated to reduce buffeting, he could now communicate with JP*****, but could barely see his instruments. The urge to eject was still strong but he resolved to delay abandoning until over open ground. BS**** informed JP***** of the problems and that he would have to fly in response to the back-seater's directions. He then instructed JP***** to transmit a mayday. Despite being in great pain and with misgivings about his failing sight, BS****** flew an immaculate precision radar approach and landed safely at RAF Wittering.
I'll see you in the bar on the next Porsche trip to the Island
