Often things seem like a good idea at the time, and then later you discover the fatal flaw

This has certainly been true in my life. And it looks like it will continue to be a feature for the foreseeable future.

[image source - my wife]

I had another fatal flaw pointed out to me over the weekend by @karenb54.

I (foolishly) got my dad onto Steemit over the weekend, and we put up an introductory post.

Everyone was most welcoming, thank you for that. And my dad enjoyed reading the comments and seeing the upvote counter going up.

Then @karenb54 noted that now my dad is on the platform, you are likely to be hearing stories all about what I got up to in my youth.

Bugger. I didn’t think about that. The problem is, I know the stories he’s going to tell.

So I might as well get in first.

Here is one that just couldn’t happen in this day and age.

Cleaning the 75 Squadron Hanger

When I was about 10 or 12, I used to spend my school holidays working on the airforce base where my parents worked. They had a school holiday program there that gave us pocket money for doing odd jobs around the base. It was pretty cool.

One year I was assigned to 75 Squadron, which was where my dad worked as an aircraft mechanic.

My best friend was also assigned there, so we had good fun doing small jobs that the guys made up for us.

One day someone had spilt some fluid all over the concrete floor under the Skyhawks (military jets), and someone else had put down some sawdust to soak it all up.

That’s all fine and dandy, but who’s going to sweep it all up?

You guessed it – me and my mate.

So we were given brooms and told to get to work.

We started at one end of the hanger – this is a massive building made out of concrete and steel, designed to hold quite large aircraft in it, and survive being bombed. One thing you notice really quickly when you go inside it, is how every little noise echoes. The smallest noise seems amplified, and even just walking across the floor makes you want to wear ear protection.

We swept the sawdust as best we could, using the wide brooms they had given us. Since we were kids, and not very tall, it was quite easy for us to walk underneath the aircraft and clean up all the sawdust lying around.

But it’s a boring job, and I have a short attention span and a penchant for daydreaming. But there is no harm in that right? You don’t need to focus very much when all you are doing is pushing a pile of sawdust along.

I didn’t really take any notice of the two men that climbed up to the cockpit of the Skyhawk I was sweeping under. They were doing their job, whatever it was, and I was doing mine.

I just kept on pushing my little pile of sawdust from the back of the aircraft to the front, where it would meet up with the previous piles.

Lost in my own little world, I also failed to notice everyone else who worked in 75 Squadron hanger quietly file out from the offices and stand around the side of the hanger. Even if I had, I probably wouldn’t have though it odd that they were all wearing ear muffs.

As I said the hanger echoes like crazy.

I had just got my little pile to the front of the wing of the Skyhawk, right under the bit where the 20mm cannon sticks out, when I discovered what the two men up in the cockpit were doing.

They have a particular trade called ‘armorers’, and their job is to load up the weapon systems on the aircraft.

Weapon systems like the 20mm cannon.

I was standing directly under the 20mm cannon, quietly pushing my broom, when they test fired the cannon right above my head –two blank rounds, inside the hanger - boom, boom!!

My dad says it’s the highest he has ever seen me jump, and there has been some talk about some laundry being necessary. But I think he is exaggerating just a bit.

I’ve been back to the airbase as an adult and stood under the very same cannon, (yes I can still stand under the aircraft with ease). My dad nearly had a heart attack from laughing as he told the tale to my wife.

It just goes to show, you should always think twice when you think you have a good plan, and always take note of men walking around with ammunition and crafty smiles.

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This post counts as part of @dragosroua’s Challenge30

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