As a staff officer in RAFSC Command Accounts, a budgie on my jumper was quite useful. I had a deal with the Boss that I did the flying stations. Almost every inspection visit to a flying unit or station I flew in something. Best trip - just over an hour in the Harvard: most satisfying - instrument approach in a Bulldog to be told that it would have been good enough for a White Card. Most fun at the expense of the "system" - car to RAE Bedford, Raspberry Ripple to Farnborough, and then on to Boscombe Down; trip in the Harvard and return via the Raspberry Ripple. Years later flying at Old Sarum the CFI asked where he had met me - since he was likely to fly my skills test, I did not let on I had been the inspecting officer on his Command Accounts Inspection. On occasions I would ask a young OC Accounts Flight how much flying he could fix for me on the grounds that when I flew I was happy, and if I was happy I wrote nicer reports - just wanted to find out if he or she ever went near the squadrons - the flying was already booked! One fun trip was due to be a repeat in 1987 or 88 of the "Ex 1" I had flown in a Gnat in 1966 with the now Station Commander, with whom as a young QFI I had flown the original Ex1. Happy days.