Page 53 - Demo

51Not me GuvDuring our flying training, the cadets of A and C squadrons were allocated to 1 Squadron and flew as A and C Flights. Those from B and D Squadrons were similarly B and D Flights of 2 Squadron. To exercise some degree of control over the flying programme, the weather dictated various flying phases. Phase 0 was no flying, up to Phase 5 which was full dual and solo flying. If memory serves correctly, Phase 3 was the lowest solo phase; only dual trips were allowed in Phases 1 and 2.On the day in question solo flying was possible in the morning, but the weather had steadily deteriorated, and by early afternoon we, the cadets of A and C Flights, were sat in the 1 Squadron crew-room feeling bored and waiting for the %u201cstack%u201d. An instructor, wearing a face like thunder, stormed into the crew-room, grabbed his student by the ear and dragged him across the hangar fire doors into one of the briefing cubicles. We couldn%u2019t hear exactly what was said across the hangar fire door access, sufficient to say we could hear a hearty b********g delivered at a very high decibel level.Once the very chastened looking student returned we all wanted to know the full story, which went something like this.%u201cYou know that the flying phase dropped to below solo an hour or so ago. I was next in line for take-off at the time, so I called the duty instructor in the tower to ask what I should do. He said that I should complete one circuit and land. And that%u2019s what I did. I called for takeoff, was given clearance, and flew one circuit and landed. Apparently