LouisetheSleaz
Old-Salt

1969 or 1970 I was an air cadet for a short time, so short a time, I never got a uniform.
One of the officers was my neighbour and he used to fly a Tiger Moth above our street some weekends.
One weekend he was taking a group of the senior cadets flying, he told me I had no chance of getting a flight, but if I wanted I could come, so off we went in his Austin Healey and we ended up at RNAS Yeovilton.
Had our lunch in a small cookhouse on the base, then the other cadets disappeared into their Chipmunks and into the sky.
With nothing else to do or look at I had a wander around, there was a hanger or workshop near and it seemed to be just across the road from the cookhouse.
Inside the open doors were three Phantoms, I was immediately struck by how small they actually were.
The place was deserted and I could have done anything but I had enough self-discipline not to fiddle with any big red buttons.
Up against one of the walls was a burst tyre, I could see from the damage that the brakes had been locked up and friction had worn completely through the tyre as it skidded down a runway.
Above the tyre was a notice reporting that the tyre had come off the Phantom used in the Transatlantic Air Race. (May 1969)
Did you get to wander round the museum?