Thanks Arfer Minnut for those extra memories. I was on `A` shift so we only met after our nights. I remember well my first wet start on the APU. I was shielding the intake with my Parka opened like a bat. I nearly s*** myself when it `lit up`. Didn`t do the Parka much good but I walked away with a full head of hair.
Fin leading edge changes were the one for the screws. Getting a new one on was a nightmare. The only consolation being we got an hangar slot, Bay 6 wasn`t it? At least we wern`t freezing to death out on the pan.
Another one was the Main u/c retraction jack. A swine to fit and on the first retraction no piddling about, full hyd pressure to ensure the down lock retracted and select up with fingers crossed because you just never knew with that u/c what was going to happen.
Oh there must be many more. Some best not talked about I guess.
I then went on to the VC10 after we lost the Belfast. Totally different.
Looking back now we used to get some stick from the 10 lads. It was a pleasure to wake them up at some ungodly hour when we got a break.
Really pleased I did it though. I came off Lightnings to the Belfast. Just swopped a small difficult a/c for a difficult `Big old Boy`. Happy days. We had it easy to what the lads and lasses go through now. I have so much respect for them.
ex rigger.