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48my wings. However, at the final interview with the CFI, John Parker, he told me that Ian Dow, the winner of the flying prize for whom, as such, an automatic place at Valley had been reserved, wanted to go to Oakington - so I was in!Forty-two years later, after an outstandingly enjoyable flying career on fast-jets of many descriptions, I am able to reflect on seemingly irrelevant accidents of circumstance, and the far-reaching consequences they can have.Dim JonesPutting Both Feet In ItIt was the autumn of 1967 and, after eighteen months at Cranwell, we had finally started our basic flying training. In those days there was no pre-grading course and not a propeller in sight %u2013 straight into Exercise 1, flying the Jet Provost.The JP was a sturdy little beast (thank goodness), with side-by-side seating for the instructor and student. In our fleet it came in two guises, the Mark 4 with 2450 lbs of thrust and the Mark 3 with just 1750 lbs. Both were powered by versions of the Rolls Royce Goblin but the difference in performance was marked. Whereas the Mk4 was quite sporty the Mk3 felt distinctly less urgent, and consequently gained the description %u201cconstant thrust %u2013 variable noise.%u201d