In those days you got a certain amount of kudos for being an RAF pilot, but being a Battle of Britain film pilot, everyone wanted to talk to you. We got a bit precious, probably..." It's hard to believe that of John Preece, gentleman as he is, but you can understand the sentiment. In the summer of 1968 - the often cold, wet summer of 1968 - he found himself with an assignment like no other. The day job as a qualified flying instructor was put to one side, replaced by immersion in a different world. For fully four months John was among those who evoked the RAF-versus-Luftwaffe aerial combats of 1940 for the movie cameras, not then conscious of the impact Battle of Britain would have on a generation of aficionados, but well aware of just what a singular opportunity this was. John had joined the RAF in 1954 as a national serviceman. He was sent down the aircrew route, but half-way through training decided to join up with a permanent commission. This led to a decade of Hawker Hunter flying with Fighter Command, the Second Allied Tactical Air Force in West Germany and the Central Fighter Establishment. Having done the instructors' course at the Central Flying School, a QFI posting beckoned, but where? Of the four possibilities, he elected to go down the multi-engine route. John volunteered to instruct on the Vickers Varsity with No 5 Flying Training School at Oakington, "because I thought it would be really nice to try something different" Just how different he could never have guessed.
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