ORAC
RINGO - that brought back memories from 20+ years ago!
The FG1 was limited to a basic Air Position Indicator, limited to inserting 2 sets of coordinates to (Base and Target) and inserting a manual wind velocity to feed the mouse that spun the cogs and dials that made the computations. No align required, just had to remember to switch it on during the take-off roll. We used to fly with a met pack, and used that to update the wind for the area we were (or after a couple of hours, where we thought we were) at the height we were operating (which could vary throughout the sortie). Thus lots of potential for nav errors, and as BEagle has related it used to be common practice to get a position update from the tanker and perhaps more importantly a wind check to compare with the met pack (and that leads on to another story, but I'll let somebody else who was at Leuchars at the time relate that). Of course, we also had a TACAN, but often useless as were were normally out of range working in the 'Gap', but the best navaid was the radar. Its pulse mode was powerful (certainly compared to the F3's), and a quick point of the nose towards the Faroes or Shetlands coupled with a bit of back plotting was a more than acceptable way of updating one's position. Would be interesting to hear from a Fleet Air Arm FG1 Observer's perpsective because their airfield kept moving during the sortie!
Twin INs coupled with the 'God's Eye View' in the F3 seemed a luxury having been brought up on the FG1 and the mod to fit LINS/GPS speeded up the align time and led to further improvements to airborne accuracy. I understand the move to RS15 was not due to Tornado F3, but because of the overall wider political situation. I stand by to be corrected, but I certainly seem to remember RS10 when I transitioned to F3 QRA.
We did run if required (or the older types would shuffle rapidly), but if the MC was on the ball, we would be primed to meet a launch time which was always good for the hearbeats and allowed a rapid bit of personal admin before flying for as long as it took. The first time I was down south with a RAFG crew (F4 days) with a call to cockpit, it was obvious that they sprinted to the jet, even through the tunnel and into a headwind!
One day I hope somebody writes the book! I might be mad, but I actually enjoyed sitting QRA, especially with the right team.