Page 90 - Demo

88Also, braking was courtesy of accumulator pressure only and therefore very limited. My mind was trying to evaluate all the possibilities and combinations of circumstance, and one of the least attractive was a wheels-up landing on the only runway at Tangier International. I voiced this concern to Brian; I said the Moroccans would, in all probability, bulldoze the Canberra off the runway to allow their 727s to land ASAP. I said that, if it came to it, perhaps we would be better taking the aircraft out to just off Europa Point, heading it east, and ejecting. %u201cNot with my back, you%u2019re not!%u201d said Brian%u2019s voice from the hole. I heard the sound of seat straps being unbuckled and, like the good trooper he was, he appeared by my side, saying, %u201cI%u2019ll pump the bloody gear down don%u2019t worry. Just head for the Tangier VOR2%u201d. Needless to say, the gear duly came down, and Brian stood by my side, admiring the view of the Straits of Gibraltar, whilst I made a real flapless approach to the easterly runway at Tangier off a left hand downwind position. All went well, and we touched down at about 160 knots and I applied the brakes. Sure enough, we slowed down and, when under control, slipped off the runway on the first high speed exit to the right. We stopped. Instructions came over the radio: %u201cTake first right, second left, up the hill and parking on the left with the marshaller%u201d, or something equally impossible given our situation. %u201cWould the crew please report to the tower?\comply. We have no brakes! %u201c At this point, Brian said that he was looking at the ground plate3 for Tangier and confided, rather comfortingly, %u201cI don%u2019t think they are going to be very pleased with us stuck here. It%u2019s the main exit off the runway to the terminal and Royal Air Maroc are very busy%u201d. %u201cStandby%u201d said the tower. Wheels chocked with Brian%u2019s navigation bag, we waited. A few minutes later, a fire truck appeared at the aircraft. I got out and went to meet the Chief.He introduced himself, and said, %u201cWe will tow you to dispersal.%u201dWonderful, I thought, and replied, %u201cI am surprised that you have a tow bar to fit a Canberra.%u201d %u201cWe don%u2019t%u2026..we have a rope%u201d. OK, I thought, I have no choice, having parked the thing here; I am in their hands. A cursory inspection of the outside of the Canberra revealed a very new coat of something red all over the fuselage, roughly the