I always hated maths
...so like the rest of the class I'd spend the lesson trying to cajole Mr H into telling us one of his frankly rather hard-to-believe anecdotes about his life before becoming a teacher.

He claimed to have invented, among other things, the credit card but our favourite story was about how he'd helped to design the Hawker Hunter jet aircraft. He related how they were still in the flight testing stage when one day a hotshot American test pilot was visiting and was offered the chance of a flight. As he was flying, he decided that, if he went high enough and flew directly towards the ground, he'd be able to go supersonic. Unfortunately for him, the canopy was under too much strain and flew off, the turbulence pulled the eject ripcords and he was shot out of the plane at high speed...minus his feet, which were tangled up in the controls.

I have no idea if it's true or not but it and many other fanciful tales kept us all amused during what would otherwise have been exceedingly dull lessons. So, thank you Mr H!

However, I did get an E at AO level maths.
( reallywittyname veraciously conspues lexiphanicism on, Thu 17 Mar 2011, 11:39, 1 reply)

Hunters
I have heard, from a friend's Dad who did National Service with No1 Squadron, that the control panel did need to be collapsed prior to ejection otherwise kne/feet could get caught and damaged.
(kitescreech still here, Sat 19 Mar 2011, 15:38, closed)