One of the tasks of a QFI was either 'Duty Pilot', or going to the Tower to watch your own students during their solo consolidation trips.
I was QFI-ing at Abingdon, but it wasn't much fun in Local at the time, with a stuffy SATCO and eager-tigger ATCO most of the time. Plus it could get very busy with 2 UASs and the AEF cowboys. So I used to go to Benson with my baby Bloggs to do their solo consolidation.... It was only about 5-10 min away and had only a few 146 corgi-carriers and the occasional Wessex most of the time, so was like a private aerodrome.
The first time I went there, up in Local was a delightful WRAF officer and her little assistant, quietly looking through some shopping catalogue and chatting. It was great, the assistant kindly fetched me a cup of tea and I explained what my student would be doing. Off he went to do his 3 circuits, taxy round, do another 3, rinse and repeat. Then back to Abingdon after turning abeam the tower windows - to see the ladies waving!
This became a regular run for me - the odd packet of biscuits and jar of coffee ensured excellent service (and that they wouldn't mention my 'spirited' departures to anyone important). Plus my students finished their solo consolidation well before Summer Camp, so I wouldn't be stuck in the tower whilst everyone else was off doing aeros. But when we arrived there, it was to find that the same lady ATCO had been posted there. She coped with Nimrods and Bulldogs in her calm, unflappable way but my cheeky students (mainly the girls) christened her '0898 Fiona'.....
QFI-ing had its enjoyable moments back then - somehow I doubt whether it's quite so much fun in the 'Kraft durch Freude' UAS world of today
