Page 59 - Demo

57Learning the Colour SchemeWe had waited patiently. Finally, some eighteen months after arriving at Cranwell%u2019s hallowed portals, we were allowed to start our specialist training in September 1967. My chosen subject was %u2018becoming a pilot%u2019, and my log book tells me that I took my first steps with a Flt Lt Kirby on 25 September.I needed rather a lot of steps. It was on my Dad%u2019s birthday %u2013 6 October - that the dry, laconic Kirby said I had to fly the next one on my own: %u201cI%u2019m not coming with you!%u201d he said. This was after 12 hours %u2013 I think I was nearly the last %u2013 or the longest %u2013 in the squadron.Three days later I repeated the experience: a sortie of circuits under instruction, followed by doing it again on my own. But, the differences were starting to stack up: on my first solo, it was just a single lap %u2013 a five minute trip. The second was ten times that. It seemed to go alright, and after several circuits and go-rounds, I finally landed and taxied in. I signed the log book and went to find Kirby for the de-brief. He wasn%u2019t in the Instructors%u2019 Crew Room, but I was told he was in one of the briefing rooms waiting for me.I knocked on the door. %u201cShut your eyes and come in!%u201d he shouted, %u201cand keep them closed for a minute.%u201d I did as he suggested and felt and fumbled my way to a seat. %u201cNearly done,%u201d he said. Sure enough I was soon allowed to open my eyes. This is what I saw on the blackboard:He had drawn and shaded a large green chalk rectangle, with a smaller rectangle in the middle, which had white chalk smudged, to give a grey result. His hands were covered in chalk dust.