[Tomvart]

I recall a very memorable flight courtesy of 'Fleet Air Arm airlines', I was in HMS Liverpool in the Arabian Gulf, not long after the first gulf war. My mother was admitted to hospital with a return of her cancer and as it was life threatening, I was granted 1 weeks compassionate leave with instructions to rejoin the ship in Bahrain 7 days later. Our Pilot had agreed to take me ashore in the Lynx in order that I could catch the evening flight to Heathrow.
So at about 1500 we took off for the 20 minute flight for The UAE, however as we closed the land, there was a terrific sand storm ashore and we were forced to land on the deck of USS Fox who was operating close inshore off the UAE coast until the 'dust settled' (the other RN gulf ship being off station in the Gulf of Oman). After a hairy landing in gusty conditions we were given a really strong brew and offered food in Fox while we waited, eventually we got airborne about 2 hours later with the pilot redlining the Lynx - and as we came into the stack at Dubai, he asked ATC for permission to land at my departure terminal - in order that I didn't miss my the Heathrow flight by having to travel from the opposite side of the airfield. Sadly this was denied and we were told to land a fair distance away and then taxi to the terminal, our pilot turned the air blue at the belligerence of the the Dubai ATC and commenced a really fast hover taxi to the terminal (essentially flying but for the nose wheel tickling the Tarmac) - and more worrying - ignoring all of the calls to slowdown and use the correct taxiway......"I am entitled to get lost for f%cks sake" was his disgruntled mumble. I was terrified, but clearly the pilot and observer were having a whale of a time.
I got to the terminal (airside) and was met by an RAF 'mover' on the apron with an airport security chap - who after seeing my ID card, whisked me off to my departure gate and my waiting commercial air transport back to Blighty. They were just about to remove the air bridge as I arrived at the gate (sweating profusely), which they held and thankfully I was allowed to board.
There is no doubt in my mind that without our rapid and terrifying hover taxi antics, i would have missed the flight. Once I boarded the jet - my day was made when I was ask to turn left into the only available empty seat on the aircraft in first class! Result.......thanks to the ships flight!