FPG
Yes, anybody who was operating Bevs would have been there and the Hastings as well. It was a big exercise doing paradrops in the North of Cyprus and I recall calling downwind on our return and being given "Number thirteen to finals"
The Hunter jocks may have been miffed but so was the Cyprus Airways crew operating the inbound from LHR. The 'arrested landing' came to a stop exactly on the intersection of the two runways so no-one could get in or out.
There was also a certain amount of consternation when one of our aircraft was being towed down the taxy track and jumped the tow bar. Guess what? ..... nobody on the flight deck!
Said Bev then proceeded to find one of its companions and bury its nose in the other machine's tail - bit like dogs meeting for the first time.
One of the ground crew tried to stop it by throwing a chock under the wheels but it just rolled straight over it.
Slightly off topic, that exercise gave me my first view of the effects of wake turbulence and very spectacular it was too.. We were lead ship of the Bevs, following a dozen Hastings. The last Hastings got into the slipstream of the one ahead and rolled to at least 60 degrees of bank before recovering!
This was at drop height of 1000' agl and at drop speed with the paras all standing in the door ready to go. Great need of the brown corduroys.
Re. the waitress at Orange, was she the young lady who used to collect the short ends of squadron ties by snipping them off? The short end of my 53 Sqn/Guiness tie went that way.
Fond memories indeed.