I've literally just stumbled across this thread.
I was fortunate enough to be 'ballast' on the last ever flight of an RAF Hastings. As an RAF University Cadet, we were sent on 2-week holding postings every year during the university holidays and in 1977 I was sent as OC Bogs & Drains to RAF Scampton. As luck would have it, I got chatting to Sqn Ldr 'Jacko' Jackson (I think he was OC BBMF at the time) who asked me if I'd like to go flying in a Hastings. Of course I jumped at the chance.
It later transpired that this was going to be the ac's last flight, to its final home at the museum at Cosford. However, owing to the short runway, Jacko was a bit concerned about keeping the tailwheel down under braking, so I was recruited (all 10 stone of me) to act as ballast. On the approach I was to take 2 pairs of chocks and anything else that wasn't bolted down and sit as far back in the fuselage as I could - no seats of course, let alone seat-belts. These days, the 'ealth n' safety ninnies would've had a conniption.
The landing was uneventful - the chocks and I will take our little bit of credit for that - but it was a great treat for a young and clueless Acting Plt Off to have been a (very small) part of a historic trip.