During the summer of 1985 I was a staff cadet with the 12 AEF detachment at Kinloss. The job involved strapping cadets into parachutes and Chipmunks, un-strapping them, removing full sick bags and making coffee for the pilots etc. All great fun but as an aside, we were all trying to get as much gash flying as possible. Normally this was just Nimrod and Shackleton.
I had arranged such a trip in a Shackleton with 8 Squadron but on arrival for said trip I was told it was delayed 4hrs as both main wheels needed changing. So, nothing trivial then. One of the 8 Squadron guys suggested I pop over to the Buccaneer OCU for a visit while I waited. So phone calls made, I nipped over to say hello. To my surprise, as I walked into 237’s ops room I was told by a very apologetic chap that “really sorry but we can’t fly you today; we just don’t have any free aircraft”.
I thought I was just going to have a look about and a coffee but things were looking up. “How about next week” he asked. “Are you free next Wednesday” I responded in the affirmative and made an arrangement to be there 0800hrs sharp. I thought after that I had imagined it. Had I just strolled into a Hunter trip with no effort?
So on 21st August 1985 at 0800, I turned up, got kitted out and spent all day drinking coffee. There was one problem, then a meeting of staff, then an un-serviceability and I was beginning to think I had dipped out of my trip. Then at about 1500hrs a chap walked in and said “come on then before they change their minds” and off we set to the flight line where XL573 was sat.
I recall seeing a very efficient pair of white gloved hands flashing round the cockpit flicking switches, pressing buttons and pulling knobs as I got the plethora of straps attached to me by some very helpful individual. In no time, we were off and heading south low level..
We flew down the A9 and beat up a train near Blair Atholl. Then it was west along Lochs Tummel and Rannoch. Then it was north up Loch Ericht. The pilot said he liked flying along it as he was called Eric so it made it his loch. We were pretty low most of the time but the pilot indicated the point where a Hawk of the Red Arrows had taken the top of its tail off on a power line and the engineer had ejected a couple of years earlier and it seemed right down in the trees and we were not much above 300ft at that point.
Then it was up to I think 8000ft for some aerobatics south of Kinloss. Lots of “g” and graying out (for me anyway) once or twice. I was somewhat disconcerted when my legs began to inflate vigorously. I had been wearing anti-g trousers since 0830 but I had forgotten about them by this late stage in the day so it took me by surprise but it was a novel experience.
The trip was rounded off by PFL into Kinloss followed by an all too soon arrival back at Lossiemouth.
Since then I have flown over 9,000 hrs in helicopters and fixed wing but I would say that the 45 minutes in XL573 was one of the most memorable flying day of my life. I recall it as if it was yesterday and only wish I could do it again.