Page 138 - Demo

136Even in those days, I could recognise when things weren%u2019t going too well. The immediate solution was obviously to vanish from the local area (preferably forever), and I contemplated this as I passed through the %u2018Special Enclosure for the Disabled%u2019 on my high-speed-straightline route to the display aircraft park, where I crawled into the trusty Jet Provost Mk5 and crouched low, in the hope of finding sanctuary. I mention the %u2018Mk5%u2019 bit to make the point that it was the one with the large clear canopy. Did I also mention that it was a very hot day?About two sweltering, sweat-soaked hours later, the aforementioned canopy motored open and %u2018Sir%u2019 appeared.%u201cAh, Peter%u201d he said, %u201cPeople have been looking for you%u201d.Strangely there were no repercussions from that one. I wish I could say the same for its successor.Bloop 2Towards the end of the season came the 23 Group (Training Command) Air Show, at RAF Topcliffe on a Saturday. By that time, I had become sufficiently proficient at the commentary not to have fouled up again, but I never really enjoyed doing it.All at once, an old %u2018mate%u2019 appeared. He had done the Gemini commentary two years before me, prior to actually joining the Team for the season before the current pair of intrepid aviators.Aforementioned %u2018mate%u2019 asked if the show was more-or-less the same, and offered to do the commentary for me. Stupidly, I accepted.During his old commentary, and only at air shows well away from any RAF %u2018Heavies%u2019, he used a line which he thought amusing. To my horror, he used it again here, at Topcliffe - in front of everybody who was anybody in the RAF Training organisation!He said: