My father did his last tour in the Airbox in 1956/7. His department was primarily navigators and as far as I remember aircrew had to log a certain number of hours per annum to keep their flying pay. My father used to take an Anson from Northolt full of navigators to Jersey once a month and normally, despite their best efforts, he used to arrive there; and get back.
I, being a fully paid up member of the Air Training Corps, went on one and that was when I bought my first electric shaver; a Phillips two rotor job.
He would also borrow a Chipmunk and do some Instructional Continuation Training on me.