Back in the day we had a base CO (very high rank, probably = a General) who flew Meteors in the Korean War so he was well advanced in years (to be polite).
He liked to keep current, so once a month he'd come down to the flight line, suit up, take a piss, grab his helmet and climb into the cockpit of a Mirage III0 supersonic fighter.
Strapping him in, connecting all of his wires and tubes had to be done by an experienced techo. Starting the jet was done with TWO troops at the back in case he did a wet start (flooded it in car terms).
He taxied out OK (all other traffic was usually held) and off he went into the wide blue yonder.
Most times it was ok. A 30 minute trip over the local area and a fantastic landing (any one you walk away from was fantastic with Mirages) and back to the lines.
HOWEVER!
One day we got the equivalent of a "Code Red". About five knuckleheads (jet fighter pilots) came racing into the line office wanting jets ASAP! (ASAP in military terms is is an acronym for "RIGHT FUCKIN' NOW!").
We got them out to spare jets, buckled in, started and moving in less than three minutes.
It turned out that the "older gentleman" flying millions of dollars worth of Aussie jet fighter had forgotten where he was and was heading North with bingo fuel about five minutes away.
After being vectored in to the wayward jet by the fighter control unit, our intrepid rescuers politely comm'd the CO "Greetings Sir, fancy bumping into you, we're on our way back to base, we'd be honoured to escort if you like". (or facts something like that).
All ended happily and I don't remember the CO doing quals from that day on.
So ,"Generals" did fly jets in my day.
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