Early days of the TriShaw at Brize were indeed 'interesting'....
- The 'autoland' which could be felt in the 101 Sqn SEngO's office.... The resulting fuel leak which fell like kerosene rain over a welder in a nearby industrial estate, who wisely stopped what he was doing. The spar crack was astonishing.
- The massive engine surge when some bright spark was doing IR checks for a ba TriStar trip to Jordan with The Queen and pushed the throttles up to max..... The loud bang stopped conversation during tea in the Officers' Mess (that's 'tea' in the proper sense, not 't northerrrn werrrd for dinnerrr); a few 216 people legged it to the nearest phone.
- The held-in CB and subsequent damage when the circuit acted as a fuse for the CB.
- The PanAm jet which arrived and sat there for months and months while someone worked out what the hell to do with it.
Not an auspicious start.....