When Kelvin Rucksack was Stn Cdr at the covert Oxonian aerodrome, he decided that he needed a lift back from Cranwell one Friday afternoon, rather than being driven back.
No problem, he'd be driven to Waddo and would be picked up by VC10K on its way home after an AAR trip.
But the aircraft (ZA142), knowing that its service days were numbered, in rather a petulant mood decided to blow an engine at around FL100 after take-off from Brize, so we dumped fuel and landed on 3. We naturally assumed that Kelvin would be taking his fast-black home from Lincolnshire instead.
But no. He demanded another aircraft as he wanted to fly back for some 'urgent reason'. So at no little trouble to the groundcrew, already faced with a #2 engine change on the first jet, another was B/F'd and prepped for the task and a crew was rounded up from amongst those who hadn't already scarpered. Thus 90 min after landing back off the first trip, we were off to collect him - and an air wheel who was with him - finally getting back at 18:40Z.
Was there some urgent service reason for this extra 1:05 of VC10 time, plus an additional Friday A/F for the lads? Yes indeed - Kelvin wanted to take his air wheel to Happy Hour...
...to be driven home when his driver eventually made it back from Waddo.
Much as I like flying and it was a nice early Spring afternoon/evening, I was acutely aware of the utter buggeration this would have caused the groundcrew at the start of their weekend. Fortunately though, we were in ZA150 (now languishing at Dunsfold) and true to her normal behaviour, she was fully serviceable on landing!
It was probably the last engine change ever needed on a VC10K2, because around 3 weeks later we flew it to Scrapheap Challenge St.Athan, the last flight of an ex-airline 'standard' VC10.