Page 60 - Demo

56time was measured in seconds. If you knew what you were doing you could alleviate any asymmetric problems if a Griffins failed by judicious use of the vipers, however some of the older pilots did not really understand this. Another of the peculiarities of the Mark 3 was the pilots escape hatch. This was in the roof between the 2 pilots. When it rained the water used to collect on this hatch and when you rotated on take-off the water would slosh backwards and then pour all over one or other of the pilots. A great way to start a 12 hour sortie.Any way after a bit I had my first conversion sortie on 5 June. After a few days I was called into the Squadron Commanders office (Wing Commander Dewer) who asked how the conversion was going. I said I had done the first one but needed another sortie by day and then a night sortie. He was a bit annoyed which surprised me as I had no control over the programming and was keen to get on with it anyway. He then asked if I had a passport and when I said no asked why not. Frankly I did not know I needed one. Not many people went abroad in those days and my childhood passport had expired. We were entitled to have a passport but at St Mawgan they said they would not pay for one until we graduated and so nothing had happened. The Wg Cdr got more annoyed and said that the father of one of the copilots who was on detachment in Sharjah had just died. The copilot was being brought home and I was being sent out to replace him. Did I have any KD, no I said. Right, you are about the same size as one of the squadrons flight engineers so go and see him and borrow some. You can get your own made when you arrive. We will get your conversion finished today or tomorrow, then you will have to go to London and get a passport before flying out to Sharjah. Somewhat shell shocked I got myself organised to go. I was being sent as I was a bachelor but knowing hardly anyone on the squadron it was all a bit difficult. Anyway, I flew the day sortie and that evening flew some circuits going from day into night. Although