OPERATION OUTBACK
Raymond Hankin reports on the Highlands and Islands operation in Scotland
THE STORY goes that when BEA first took over air services in Scotland back in 1947 there was a certain captain who, dressed in civilian clothes (uniforms had not then been issued), would sometimes board his Rapide with the passengers, ease himself into a vacant seat at the back and complain when it looked as if the flight would be late departing because no pilot had shown up.
After a few moments pause and, to the bona fide passengers, apparently still no obvious sign of the pilot, the tweed-jacketed character in the rear would then begin muttering that if someone did not soon appear he would take the aircraft off himself. Another few moments would pass and then with an audible “Oh well” he would clamber up to the cockpit, run swiftly through the checks and taxi out. When all was explained before take-off and the passengers realized that they were not to be whisked away by a headstrong amateur but were in the hands of a professional, the looks of horror would fade and be replaced by wry grins.
BEA does not really play practical jokes on its passengers. The story undoubtedly has an element of truth bu…
