I'm fairly sure it wasn't me.
Back in 1993, Colonel Boris was a mere patrol leader in the Air Scouts and as such, we got to go to airshows for free in return for litter duties (and when older, crowd control).
We went to the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford, which meant best part of a week camping and being allowed into the airfield before and after the crowds so we could get some good photos of the aircraft wihout dozens of people in the way.
On a break from litter picking, a few of us went to see what the Ukranian pilots were selling. This being just after the breakup of the USSR, they had a lot of old Soviet kit for sale, so we all bought Russian Air Force badges so the chaps could pay for vodka. I knew two words in Russian, so said 'spassiba, tovaritch.' At this point, the chap starts talking animatedly at me, thinking I can understand him. I sort of nod, smile and walk off, the pilot looking quite happy.
Now, I sould explain that at the age of 12, I was rather tall, and looked a bit older. I was uniform and had official airfield passes on me.
A little while later, two Ukranian MiG-29s takes off and perform a manouver resulting in 50 million quids' worth of Ukranian fighter jets falling out of the sky and two pilots coming down on large silk hankies.
I heard from someone later that one of the pilots had asked a member of airshow staff if the flight controllers had agreed to them performing that particular piece of aerobatics and apparently he had nodded and smiled before walking off...
( Colonel Boris "...a desperate Buzzfeed imitation...", Thu 15 Sep 2011, 14:09, 8 replies)

I was there that year!
Also working on a free lunch ticket with the Air Cadets. We had to staff the gates of the campsite and felt very official telling reporters we weren't authorised to tell them anything about the crash.
( Draconacticus Reject shampoo. Demand real poo!, Thu 15 Sep 2011, 14:28, closed)

Nice!
We were supposed to be at that end of the runway when the crash happened, but were waylaid by a doughnought stand and didn't end up catching a facefull of turbine bits.
Do you remember the chap with the shattered legs who was assigning everyone to various duties that weekend? Ex-para, he was (last jump was with a less-than-servicable 'chute).
( Colonel Boris "...a desperate Buzzfeed imitation...", Thu 15 Sep 2011, 14:33, closed)

I was actually asleep when the crash happened. I was on gate duty the night before which largley consisted of sitting in the gatehouse drinking RAF Benevolent Fund lager that our squadron had liberated from the tents of the guys who put up the marquees, playing on someone's gamegear, and then playing light sabres with the heavy torches on the roof of everything we could climb on top of when we were meant to be checking that no evil foreign power was invading people's caravans.

Just about remember that para. Mostly my instructions were shouted at me by an evil sergeant, who got his shouted at him by an evil cadet warrant officer, who was banging the sergeant's sister.
( Draconacticus Reject shampoo. Demand real poo!, Thu 15 Sep 2011, 14:44, closed)

And here it is on YouTube
"All some lanky kid's fault", claims pilot
( Scaryduck LIKES EGG, Thu 15 Sep 2011, 14:50, closed)

What does 'spazzy toebitch' mean?

(oneinthepink is at your cervix m'lady, Thu 15 Sep 2011, 15:38, closed)

Thankyou, comrade

(anvil, Thu 15 Sep 2011, 16:01, closed)

*clicks*
I seem to remember seeing this on the news, the summer of 1993 has left me somewhat addled in my old age though.

Would have given my right arm to be able to mooch around the jets though. I did go to Mildenhall in 1989 and got to see an SR-71, but it was protected by two CIA types with dark shades and an all too obvious holstered pistol underneath their suit jackets.

And I nearly blinded myself following an F-16 with binoculars during a display...
(Bicycle Repairman "you're also a bit of a wanker", Fri 16 Sep 2011, 10:31, closed)

*clicks*
I seem to remember seeing this on the news, the summer of 1993 has left me somewhat addled in my old age though.

Would have given my right arm to be able to mooch around the jets though. I did go to Mildenhall in 1989 and got to see an SR-71, but it was protected by two CIA types with dark shades and an all too obvious holstered pistol underneath their suit jackets.

And I nearly blinded myself following an F-16 with binoculars during a display...
(Bicycle Repairman "you're also a bit of a wanker", Fri 16 Sep 2011, 10:31, closed)