Meteor memories

Not wishing to intrude on current threads re Partridge Green and Meteor colour schemes, thought I’d start the ball rolling on memories.

With regards to hoods coming unlocked.
1 When we first re-equipped with the Meteor NF13, the first time we went night flying, our flight commander decided to indulge himself in some aerobatics. I should add that previously we had the Mosquito NF36, in which aeros were verboten. Anyhow as he rolled it the hood opened:eek::eek: It was of course the Mk7 sideways opening type hood, and it locked open. The nav lost his helmet in the kerfuffle, the pilot was not sure whether the nav had bailed out :confused::confused: Luckily he regained some form of control and landed successfully to find a terrified nav still crouching in the back.

2 When we returned to this country we had the NF14 with the superb bubble type canopy which slid back on a rail. My pilot, when I first met him, drove a Lagonda tourer which he would persist in driving with the hood down. So, great opportunity for some open cockpit flying. I can tell you that at 180 knots it was lovely for the pilot with that big raking windscreen and sidescreens. But for me, whining in the back seat, being buffeted to hell from the airflow round a decidedly unaerodynamic radar set, it was no fun at all.

3 My very last flight in a Meteor NF14 resulted in the hood becoming unlocked and sliding back several inches on the rail. This was as we were at 38,000 ft and was a rather unpleasant experience, resulting in considerable swearing from the back seat. 😀

OK, you may turn off the oxygen now, but that was how it was.