The tanker controlled the forward speed and general direction, the "operator" could change the direction of the nozzles by about 15-20 degrees either side, the height of the nozzles, and the power output.
Too much power and you upset the tanker driver

add that to too little height and what you
thought was slabs of ice flying away was actually lumps of tarmac !!! (followed by giving OC Ops a very good "listening to") !!
It was EXTREMELY noisey and uncomfortable, when in use the "operator" sat down between the engines on a little seat .. not like those 2 guys in the picture at all. You had a headset to talk to the tanker driver .. but the noise was so bad you couldn't hear his answers. You had an emergency cut off ... a piece of cord that run down the side of the tanker to a valve at the fuel outlet. On activation of the "emergency cut out" there was enough fuel in the pipe for about another 90 seconds !!!!
Very, very ... NOT NICE job .. given to the junior air engineer on the section .. unfortunately as I arrived on the sqn there was a recruiting ban so I did 2 winters before a more junior guy got posted in .....
Those were the days ...... I think !!!
