Magic Carpet from Karachi

What Ho Chaps! Percy here, Prune by name, Prune by appearance.

Well as you know we came via Karachi but wasn't such a good idea was it?, anyway the idea of being stuck there in the pouring rain reminded me too much of my time as a child in Manchester, and I needed to get away, back into the blue skies.

So there you have it Karachi in the rain or go - I choose go every time.

So while I am sitting in the hotel mulling things over,  I suddenly spotted this RAF chappie come in.

"Hello ol' bean says I"

"I say" says he "It's Prune isn't it, What are you doing here?" I then explain our predicament.

"No problem," he says "We're on a goodwill mission, saying hello to the locals, letting them know the RAF is still here, no matter what they read in the papers, if you want a jolly ol' jaunt your're welcome to join us."

My crew are happy with that "keep you out of our hair" whatever they mean by that I can't think.

"We'll bring the ol' girl along probable see you in Perth - if you're lucky!"

So off goes I, the next morning in the jolly ol' Nimrod, once we are airborne with me in the right-hand seat, I suddenly realised that we are heading south not east.

Tentatively I enquire "I say skipper ol' bean  where are we heading?"

"Gan, Prune ol' boy, didn't I tell you, Ever been there?" , then across to Cocos then into Perth".

It was then that I noticed he looked a bit green round the gills

"I say ol' boy, you have any hours on this beast,?" says he.

"Well sort of" says I " Flew a few trips with John Cunningham in the early Comets."

"That's good" Says he climbing out of his seat, "You have her, I have to make a call down the back, the curry we had last night has given me the hab-dabs, know what I mean" and with that he was gone.

So here I am, up in the blue, flying a big white bird, just as if I did it every day.

Funny ol' life isn't it.

"Tally ho chaps, Tally ho!"

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"Hello Gan, Are you reading me"

"I think the comms are dead,Skipper" say's the Navigator from behind me,

So There you are! Oh what fun , Ain't it great to be alive, 200 miles from the mainland scouring little atolls  for one tiny airstrip.

"What was that?"

"Some wise guy said, he'd left the keys behind the sun visor, then it went dead again".

I try again "This is XRAY VICTOR 226 Heavy, calling Mali Centre."

"26 Heavy understand you wish to cancel IFR, Please confirm?"

"Negative! Do NOT cancel IFR,26 Heavy."

"26 Heavy I have you, turn right 260, reduce altitude to 5000, Airfield 35 miles in your 12 O'Clock, confirm when visual!"

" Say Percy, think you can get this ol girl down in one piece, that curry still attacking my guts, and my no 2 is down the back out cold, being attended to by the MO."

"Skipper"says I "In an emergency anything is possible!".

"OK Gan Tower, 26 Heavy with you 5000 feet to land".

"26 Heavy, cleared to land"

"OK! chaps hang on this could be bumpy:," Ok there's the Glide-slope, Flaps 20, Gear down, 1000, 500 throttle back as we cross the threshold, air brakes out as we touch down, short flair, nose down, idle throttles, now steady brakes as I introduce reverse thrust, back to idle, taxi to parking, pure textbook."

Big cheer goes up from crew "That calls for G & T's all round, Skipper" now where's that blasted key.

Ta Ta for now

Percy Prune