Going back to the days of PRT and the ASRA drop, we flew off the Cornish coast on a beautiful Summers day with the doors open. The Sqn Captain, universally unpopular, failed to say he was briefing the procedure. On instructions from staff ALM every time the word mark was said out went the flame floats, Staff Captain commented on the pretty lines of smoke drifting across the oggsplash, with no penny dropping in LHS. Preparing to enter search area, staff ALM informed Captain we couldn't do the training as we had nil stock of flame floats left! Captain was suitably chastened for at least 5 minutes as we dropped the ASRA kit anyway (not just the containers but rope box and baseboard ) to give the simulated survivors something to occupy them till rescue !