Donald Campbell’s car

Whilst slightly (only just) off topic, here’s a piccy of my dad climbing out of the cockpit. For those of you who can lip read, you’ll know how impressed he was with the inside . . .

Whilst not wishing to **** on anyone’s bonfire, I note that whenever there’s an accident ‘the pilot was wrestling the controls’ to miss . . . whatever.

Fortunately I’ve only nearly stoofed in once. We were so busy trying to get the aircraft on an even keel that what was underneath was the least of our problems.

Undoubtedly some pilots have stayed put, but it’s too easy to always apply this ‘heroic’ aspect that frankly doesn’t exist in reality.

I spent some time as Flight Safety Officer (deputy) at Wyton and had to write an exercise for the Station Crash and disaster plan. We looked at the Oxmoor crash but went for another option. A few months later it happened and the Station Commander and two colleagues I’d discussed likely scenarios with were killed in it. Very spooky, I was stuck in the traffic jam without knowing what had happened, being at another station by then.

Three funerals in two days wasn’t much fun either. RIP Reg, Eddie and Dave