I very much enjoyed Tom Eeles' article on the RAF's last Hunters (Aeroplane April 2019). His experience on the Hunter and Buccaneer is probably unsurpassed. In one of his appointments he was a qualified flying instructor and chief flying instructor on the Buccaneer operational conversion unit, No 237 OCU, at Honington. I had the pleasure of his supervisory company as he used two Hunter sorties as a check-out before my first Buccaneer flight in December 1977. Having thus confirmed my readiness for the adventure, he committed himself to the back seat of the 'Bucc' - with no dual-control version, this was always the moment of truth for the QFI, with access in an emergency only to faith in the Almighty and one of Martin-Baker's black and yellow handles. My turn would come, several times, once I took over command of the OCU the following year.
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