Sad news from Rotorheads

[Cim Jartner]

Those older AAC helicopter and RAF Puma chaps might be interested in this post from rotorheads.

http://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/431549-helicopter-missing-mourne-mountains-6.html#post6023375

As far as I was concerned - a damn good pilot, truly one of a kind and no one fitted the "tells it like it is" description more.

A sad day!

[Seldomfitforpurpose]

Very sad indeed, flew with him many many times and he was a pleasure to be crewed with, a pain in the bum with the TV remote control but a true gent.

[jayteeto]

AJ features in my log book many many times, he taught me tons about flying and tons about diplomacy :ooh:
I had the pleasure of accompanying him on his 'leaving' detachment to Malta, you can imagine how taking a Puma through France, Corsica and Italy with him went!! I have relived the trip this week, thinking about how he handled Italian ATC :mad:
He took a Puma to Monahan (blame the TANs), he had no 'O' levels (proud) and he could annoy a saint if it took his fancy. The world has lost a great character :sad:
RIP mate

[m+m]

Never short of an opinion but a man with a big heart, AJ will be missed.

RIP

[Henry09]

I am very sad. Seems to be dust in my eyes at the moment. AJ was one of the great aviation characters. He was my first instructor on Puma. A loyal friend, devoted family man and had very few vices! Didn't smoke, didn't drink but loved a go on the fruit machine! I spent many many times in his company, normally laughing my head off. Watching him on the sim trips in Norway when he would unpack his suitcase full of pot noodles so he could save the rates and have lots of money when he went home. There was never a dull moment with him. My first trip in the sim with him he turned to me and said in his legendary accent "Right then you just sit there, watch me and don't touch a f****g thing" still has me in stitches now. He was a genuine Tigger type.

Ang and the kids, please know that AJ was a much loved character in our world, and his passing leaves a void in the flying world as it surely does your own. He was a fantastic mentor, knew his stuff and would always fight the corner for his men. The bosses would run for cover when they knew AJ was inbound to take them on head to head. I want to cry, but cant help laughing at all the times we had in NI and yes all the stories of remote controls are true. he had a heart of gold. Sincere condolences to you all.

[miles magistrate]

Viz

I flew a Lynx onto SPTA for AJ during your course and allowed him to fly it from the RH Seat with your course mates and the DS. I understand it went down very well. I can remember to this day how well he flew the Lynx – great hands. I have known him since 1997 – what a sad day

RIP old mate

[miles magistrate]

Could someone please PM me with Angies address? I am happy to supply details of my connection, but Liz my wife and I desperately wish to write to her as very old friends.

Thanks

[rmac]

I was on IOT with AJ. The wings on the pully thing really got quite serious as I recall, and there were even threats of putting him on R Squadron because of his "attitude".

... and he didn't back down for a single second :D

One of my early "role models"

RIP AJ, Vio Con Dias

[seafuryfan]

AJ, after a run-in with the engineers, venting off in the crewroom to all, (who had to listen if they wanted to or not!) describing his displeasure after a similar 'engineering' confrontation in Germany some years earlier....

"So I said to this engineer, 'I could walk out to the runway, drop my flying suit, do a **** on the centreline, and IT would have more sense than you!' ...******n' engineers, I **** on 'em!"

We knew it was (mostly) tongue-in-cheek, but no one could make a point like 'Ehh-Jehh'.

Demonstrating a zero speed auto in a Puma...

"Loook, she's perfectly happy, perfectly controllable, yoo can poot 'er where yoo want 'er...this '70 knot' business... what a load of b*******s!"

...and demonstrating Puma stability during NVG sloping ground...

"Just stay light on the controls, it'll fly itself, STOP FIGHTIN' IT!...loook, see?....just touch the cyclic, that's all..."

Whatever his style of delivery, I think most pilots will always remember AJ's flying skills. Few could fly the Puma as he did.

[jayteeto]

What about the famous: "How many O Levels have you got?",
"Err, 5 AJ",
"Then that's 5 between us!"

[oldbeefer]

On detachment in Portugal with him. Totally refused to come out and eat with us in a local restaurant " I don't eat f@***** fancy foreign food". Real character. Condolencies to Angie and the family (we brought Angie back from Gut for kids half term. Cor, can she talk!).

[teeteringhead]

When AJ was refreshing or something at Shawbs, just after having become a light blue zob, a panicky junior beefer came into the office and said:

"That new ex-Army refresher bloke is talking to the basic studes!!"

"Your point is???"

"He's telling them how to barrel-roll the Gazelle!!"

"AJ - my office - now!"

RIP - what a character :(

[lsh]

Very sad. Great guy. lsh

[Raincheck]

Sad news, a true character indeed. We served together in both the AAC and the RAF, the only difference was the colour of uniform. His humour and presentation was always the same. An absolute expert in winding someone up, especially those more senior than himself.
Safe journey to the stars AJ.

[AlanM]

From the tasking cell at Gutersloh (89-92?) when I answered the direct line:

Me: "Syd (Hutch!) - it's "f00kin' AJ for you" (in my best Yorks accent - trying to cover the phone)

I hand the phone over and carrying on my CH47 blah....

Phone call finishes. Syd yaps on for 30 secs explaining the problem followed by "oh yes, and AJ is going to kick you all the way to the runway the next time he sees you!"

So sad to lose these genuine characters.

[TheWizard]

One of life's true characters and someone who will be sorely missed.
God speed and RIP AJ.

[MOSTAFA]

Simulated Scout tail rotor control failure in manual throttle, eventually on the ground 2 pints of sweat and NR all over the place and a circuit an SR71 would have been proud all AJ could say was

"Ayyyyyuup lad dont be cu*t alllll yaaaa life be gentle with her"

In later life I will always remember how we regularly had breakfast in the mess at Aldergrove together - AJ you were always right - they never get the foooking eggs right, for fooksake, how difficult is it to cooook a fooking egg.

Godspeed mate.

[Green Bottle 2]

One of life's true characters. I had the privilege of knowing him in Germany. A sad loss.:sad:

RIP AJ.

[Compressorstall]

A sad loss. He was one of those people who could inject common sense when some of our higher-ups were having some incredibly fanciful plans. A true character and one-off in a world where people see conformity as being like the next guy.

[Seymour Belvoir]

A flock of geese flying overhead Y453.

AJ: 'Look at them, perfect formation and not a degree amongst 'em'.

RIP, mate.

You see, I thought I knew but I didn't.

[WASALOADIE]

No doubt we shal raise a glass or two to AJ on the 26th.

It was good sport at Benson to take a contrary point on a matter being discussed by AJ. Just drop in a one liner and retire, he would still be muttering when you came back later and he would then start again to make sure he got his point across.

But a great pair of hands - the man could fly!

God speed AJ

[Dunhovrin]

Watching brikkies build the new Ops bldg at Aldergrove.

"See them lot, that's the job fer me. You don't get some bastard coming up to you every six months asking you what yer immediate actions are if you drop a brick. Or asking you the cubic capacity of yer fookin' trowel."

Someone at Fenton must be able to verify the trying to go under power lines in a JP story. As well as 'I didn't sign for it, I didn't over-stress it' to a creamie during aeros.

And someone from 230 get the linebooks out and share the rest..

I guess there's door gunners all over the world putting the batteries back into their TV remotes.

[Dundiggin']

My sincere and heartfelt condolencies to Ang and the kids...

Despite having a 'golden side' in his character - he really was the most Royal pain in the arse I have ever known...he cocked up the ATP slot at Benson through his abject selfishness causing unnecessary 'grief' to several of his closest colleagues despite being advised to the contrary. :ugh: His unwillingness to conform lost the UTP/UTC slots at Benson which from a personal viewpoint was unforgiveable.

Rumour has it that the Omagh TV dibber was in his nav bag!! :E

Yes the World is a poorer place without AJ; a fantastic pilot - but what a selfish git! :hmm:

[Dundiggin']

Does anyone know if AJ was flying for Kudos Aviation at the time of the crash?

[Without Care]

Very sad news. Condolences to his family and friends.

AJ taught me a trick or two during my first tour in Germany - the zero speed autorotation and the (virtually) hands off autopilot out landing - 'loook, it's joost flying itself'.

Later, I was (notionally!) in command of AJ as he passed on his skills to a new generation of pilots.

Infuriating as he could sometimes be(!), he always generated a barrage of amusing moments. We shared a visit the Puma Simulator in Norway where I came very close to saving more money than he did. In the simulator, I'll always remember him practicing a tail rotor drive failure where the company instructor attempted to offer advice only to be told to 'foookin shut-up, can't you see I'm busy...'.

He was ever the Crewroom philosopher who would freely offer his opinions on life - his solution to the 'troubles in NI' was novel, if somewhat controversial. I remember that one of the best 'sports' of the time was to go into a packed Crewroom containing AJ and throw in a provocative comment that indicated that the political leadership of the time was doing a good job - then leave!

AJ, a genuine individual, good pair of hands and someone who could be guaranteed to make you laugh, RIP.

[Thud_and_Blunder]

Condolences to the family - a rare character has gone the way of all things.

No-one's yet mentioned the AJ method for removing insects from Gazelle pitot tubes - the one which involved leaving a ring of scorched lip around the nearly-red-hot item in question.

I reckon the BMW sales-volk around Laarbruch had nearly as hard a time of it as any of the hierarchy - d'you remember the grief he gave them when his brand-new 1-Series was found (after purchase) to be unable to take snow-chains?

[heliboy999]

Dondiggin I tried to PM and Email you but you are not able to receive.

Kudosaviation went belly up last year and was disolved earlier this year.

Did you work for them for a short time?

HB999

[Dundiggin']

Many thanks for that...yes I was AJ's LHS at Kudos. Pity about Kudos (and AJ of course) it was a good company to work for..:{

[heliboy999]

Good to hear from Mr H. I will let you know if I hear anything about the arrangments from my end.

[Epiphany]

Dundiggin,

Please accept my sincere condolences for the loss of your UTP position at Benson. It must have been such a tragedy for you.

Who is the selfish git now? :mad:

[xenolith]

Epiphany,

Hold your horses pal, Dundigin has spoken his truth and you have no way of knowing what effect AJ’s actions had on his quality of life; I know that from the content of your post.

AJ was not afraid of anybodies truth. He said it how he saw it, and loved for others to do the same; mainly because it gave him the chance to say more.

He was, in all fairness, a Marmite kind of guy, on an hourly basis! He could put your back up or a big smile on your face at any given moment, he could be belligerent or incredibly accommodating, irritating or endearing just like most folk in fact but, he did it all more intensely and, dare I say, a bit louder and with more style than most!
If anybody from: a NI sectarian organisation, ethnic minority, diverse cultural group, transgender, transsexual or cross dressing group, Police, RAF Police, Provost Officer, ac Techie, SEngO, JEngO, Senior Army, Navy or RAF Officer, any of the UKs political parties, or indeed any one from the society of people who like to watch one programme on the television for more than 10 seconds, were to have crept up on AJ and done something despicable, his untimely demise may have drawn a sage nod from those who knew him. What is hard to take, is that it happened whilst those incredibly capable hands were on the sticks.

There is a little less colour in the world now, but not in our memories of AJ, a good man.

RIP old soldier.

P.S. When did he start dyeing his hair grey?

[Epiphany]

I am well aware of AJ's human failings - in fact I even have some myself. There is a time and place for Dundiggin's truth and by not observing those restraints he is demonstrating his own failings.

[Dundiggin']

Well said brother - that's about the size of things...:D

[Henry09]

Dundiggin

I am with Epiphany on this one. There is not a single person out there without faults, but the simple thing is, if you can't say something good on a condolences thread then have the good grace to say nothing. As you are aware AJ's family and kids have been reading this thread and the one on Rotorheads, and no matter how much I dislike you right now, were you to suddenly pop your cloggs at this moment I would not tell your kids what a complete c**k you are at a time of immense mourning for you. So I tell you what, you delete your comment along with xenolith and I will delete this. AJ may always have spoken what he saw as the truth to you, but at the end of the day he said it when people were in front of him to stand their ground and answer back. For you to bitch and moan about the fact you lost a UTP slot (and you would have made a crap one anyway) is out of order, and frankly AJ did Benson a favour. Now would you like this post again along with your real name in public! C**k!

[c130jbloke]

I had the pleaseure of flying with AJ on 230 at Gut.

He told it the way it was. After a really bad ride, he invited me to walk around the hangar looking like a buckeroo loaded up with about half the Sqn's nav bags to prove a point ( ie: get to the target - humping a MILAN post across the German plains is not a joke ).

Hated it at the time, but with hindsight everything he told me was 1000% correct and as a teaching point he was spot on - AJ style.

20+ years on, you remember stuff like that and you respect the messenger because of it. So if you cannot be positive for his family then please be quiet.

RIP AJ

[Hell Man]

Henry - I like your style dude! :ok:

[CrabInCab]

Even from beyond the grave AJ has got you lot bitching at each other - now that's a skill!

:ok:

I remember the first time I met AJ, it was the just before he returned to 72 for his last stint. He was working for someone out of Blackpool (might have been rigs or air ambulance - don't recall) I was leading a pair of Pumas on a NICO and we stopped there for a suck of gas (well it was a Puma!). Having shut down all I remember was this random civvie wandering over to the cab and shouting "who the fook are you then, I'm coming back to teach you monkeys to fly soon!" and then disappearing without so much as an introduction - legend!

I also received the geese lecture but I think it concluded with "and they didn't brief for 2 hrs before hand did they?"

Certainly had my fair share of run ins with AJ but then didn't we all, I recall one time despite AJ being firmly in the wrong and having admitted it, he managed to persuade OC 72 to give me the hats on bollocking as it would be "character building" for a junior monkey like me who thought he'd got one over on a old hand!

At the end of the day he was a gifted pilot who taught me and the vast majority of my muckers most of what we know and that was a fraction of what he knew. I'm just amazed that he popped his clogs at the controls of a helicopter.

RIP and condolences to family and friends.

[Q-SKI]

A legend, clear above and behind my friend, thoughts with Angie and family.

[Jazzyg]

A great guy, who brings back many memories of my times in NI. As a Tizwoz operator, AJ was a character never to be forgotten! Although abrupt at times and sometimes critical of our cooking abilities at Omagh, he ALWAYS made sure we were looked after and didnt get too much grief from the resident Battalion. Always offered us a flight so we could actually get off the base for a brief spell and see what you guys got upto... Always into the top seat in the crewroom and TV the handset firmly in his grasp, mammoth STAR TREK next generation episodes were the norm for the next 24hrs. A great character who will be missed! My thoughts are with his family and friends.

[PhamousPhotographer]

No military career photos yet, so here’s one of AJ in his Crabair office on 15th August 2003, just west of The Deanery in Clogher (Y532), heading for Grosvenor -

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx299/PhamousPhotographer/Image0115-08-2003PhamousPhotographer.jpg

and a Lough Erne view of XW231 from the Aldergrove-bound XW237, with Angelo civil runway in the background and Navaar viewpoint on the horizon.

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx299/PhamousPhotographer/Image0215-08-2003PhamousPhotographer.jpg

A***n L*****r in the doorway, Ade P*******n in the rh seat and Flt Lt Smith monitoring two rotor spans separation. Understandably, none were keen to face the camera as I wasn’t Phamous enough on 230 Sqn for them to be certain of their own security, but I was made welcome for an enjoyable and entertaining hour or two in the Yellows & Greens.

My condolences to his family.

[MightyGem]

Just received the following from AAC RHQ:

Ladies and Gentlemen

Further to the notice sent below I have just been informed that Anthony Smith’s funeral will take place on Thursday 25 November at 1530 at Amersham Crematorium and all are welcome to attend. This is all the information currently available.