I will always remember waddling out to the aircraft wearing the parachute.

That brings back memories – CCF 1947 pattern RAF battledress in the early 1970’s with 7AEF at RAF Newton. The harness pulled the crotch up so the trousers went half-mast – which added to the general feeling of looking like a complete idiot when you tried to nonchalantly walk out to the Chippie doing a passable impression of the Hunchback of Notre Dame -and then you had to climb up onto the wing root….