I was fortunate and privileged enough to be given a flight in a Lightning in the mid-80's courtesy of LTF at Binbrook (OC LTF at the time, went on to become OC CFS was my pilot), not long before the aircraft was retired.
It leaked like a sieve (drip trays everywhere in the hangar). The smell in the cockpit of hydraulic oil and fuel was very similar to being in the back of a Chinook.
But a 20 Min flight, seemed like 20 seconds at the time. The awesome feeling of the thrust pushing you back into your seat. I had control for a short time, so sensitive on the controls, very slight movements required. Got the Tie for supersonic flight. An experience I am unlikely to forget for the rest of my life.
There was a brilliant mural on the LTF crewroom wall of a Lightening depicted in cartoon form in antiquated/ Heath Robinson format, did that ever survive? Does anyone have a photo of it?