Any body else here went to Carlisle in 1966.

I remember QFIs Cosimini (who sent me solo) and Tribe (Rosie?)(was she the one who took a cushion on to the aircraft) and the CFI, Davico who pushed me into a Civil Aviation career by asking me, after my final check out ride, what I was going to do when I left school. When I replied "Be a lawyer" he said "No don't do that be a pilot". Hamble and 34 years in BOAC/BA followed. Sincere thanks Mr Davico.

BD

Sad to say Mr. Davico and his student died in an accident at Carlisle some time ago. Was Bob Barclay there in 1966? Big chap from Dumfries.

Bob Barclay was still in the RAF in 1966, and taught me to fly the Tiger Moth G-ANEF at the RAF Cranwell Flying Club. Happy days.

beer drinker- Cosimini (the "Flying Milkman") sent me solo in Aug`67 although most of my flying was with Capt. Tod who had a massive scar on his cheek.

During my time there Cosimini did a successful forced landing onto the field.

I was there also in '67 - 20th Aug to 16th Sept. The guy who sent me solo was 'Captain Rawlinson'. I remember little Rosie, and Davico. Cosimini, I thought, was a bit abrupt and impatient.

I, too, got the bug then, and ended up in BEA via Hamble.

Guys I remember were Pete Moores, who left British Airways to go to Cathay. He and I flew in loose formation on our PPL cross-country, down the coast to Blackpool via Barrow, where the 'air traffic controller' was the Barrow fire-chief who had to row out to the island specially. The proof that you'd made Blackpool was to go back to Carlisle and present your instructor with a stick of rock!

There was a slim, blonde, quiet bloke who used to loop the 150 over the sea, and ended up in the RAF. My particular friend there was Ian Hosking, who wanted to be a copper. I've tried to track him down over the years, but without success.

Any info on these names would be appreciated.

Aileron Drag (http://www.pprune.org/members/214215-aileron-drag): Checking my old logbooks shows that we overlapped. I was there 6th - 31st August 1967 Two of the guys on my course, Bob Evens and Robin Morgan went on to Hamble (with many delays) and BEA. I did university and joined BEA off one of the BG courses after the UAS. Thus becoming a direct contemporary of the other two due to their Hamble delays. Peter Moores I knew from CX much later. Small world.......

Not sure about this but I think Cosimini had stopped flying by about 1972 and ran the two fixed intrument trainers, I was doing an IR at the time, don't you just love the Twin Commanche!?;)

Carlisle 1968.. RNFS
Rawlinson .. yes remember very well him stepping out after 4 hours and sending me off round the circuit .
It had been a real adventure as I had never been in an aeroplane before arriving at Carlisle , I can still recall looking back as we got airborne, through the rear window of the C150 at the runway below and thinking that this was OK.
The first 29 hrs went well and to round it off before the GFT , Rawlinson showed me his "special" short field landing , bring the aircraft back to stalling speed at 300ft , keep the stall warning bleeping with a bit of power, thump it down hard brakes and stop in no distance at all....so come the GFT, a reasonably good attempt was ended abruptly by the examiner as I demonstrated the short field landing ! (With the words "are you trying to kill us both!")
Work , University, Hamble followed , still at easyjet ..just.

Zorin - they must have trusted you on your first solo more than they trusted me! You had a rear window to look out of. Must have been one of the new Gucci 150s with electric flaps! Man, what technology!

They gave me a knackered old mark-one 150 called 'Foxtrot November'. Big old flap lever between the seats, and no rear window.

Like you, however, I climbed away thinking, 'Yeah - this is the Dog's Bo****ks!'

I was at Carlisle from 21/3/65 to 19/4/65. Most of my training was with Capt White although the names Whitfield, Hudspith and Davico are also in my logbook.
Most of my flying was in Piper PA-22 Tripacer G-ARAX although the spinning was done in Auster Aiglet G-AMTE. The PPL cross-country was Carlisle-Blackpool-Newcastle-Carlisle.
I recently found G-ARAX in a rather sad state at Derby.

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc193/Airclues/IMG_0039.jpg

I also got the aviation bug and Carlisle was followed by Hamble, BOAC, BA and GSS.

Dave

I was there for most of June '66. Bill More was the 'flying milkman''. Tony Cossimini was my main instructor. After one particularly challenging hour of circuits with him, he muttered about me not being 'safe to push a perambulator',.... lit his pipe, climbed out, and sent me off on my first solo.

One of the guys sharing bunkhouse was a Navy cadet called Andrew Gordon-Lennox. (his father was the Sergent of Arms in the Commons). Got some gongs in the Falklands campaign I heard.

After going down the 'self improvement' route, I found myself back at Carlisle, to do my I.R. Tony was at that time running the Frasca sim. He sadly died a couple of years later.

In 2002 I was visiting the parachute club at Headcorn when I was delighted to see, still being used, the same C150 that soloed in, and still in it's original colour scheme.

Happy memories.

Yes I well remember the summer of '67 at Carlisle and the cross country with Aileron Drag to Blackpool. I'm down route now without my logbooks so cannot help with the names.

Just about to wind up at CX this year after 10 years BA and 32 CX so it's been a blast. It was an amazing opportunity at the age of 17 to be given the chance to start flying like that- it was only when I started instructing ab-initio that I realized how little we knew back then. Our instructors were hardy souls...

I hear there is still a flying school at Carlisle, might be interesting to complete the circle and go for a pole there when I retire...

All the best to you Carlites out there.

Hi moosp,
I'm currently instructing PT out of Carlisle, have coincidentally done a couple of SEP(L) renewals for Cathay pilots this year, getting it in before EASA Part-FCL is upon us. If you do decide to visit, be very happy to arrange a flight for you.

Mrmum,

May I fly up when you are there to have look around and try to see what I can remember. I have my own TwinCom nowadays in retirement. Possibly week of Tue 18/ Wed 19/Thu 20 Sep

Cheers,

BD

I suspect it will probably seem quite familiar, some new hangars, but still one of the two wartime originals left. Also, the fire station was replaced in the early eighties I think, other than that, pretty much as you left it.;)
There's still 2 or 3 people around from that era, it was CSE then was it?

No, just the Carlisle Flying Club - I still have the tie. CSE came later.

Anyone from an even earlier era, summer of '64 and dubious pleasures of the Beagle Terrier?

YS

BD
I'll be around the 18th and 19th of that week. Happy to meet you if you do come up.

Thanks for the invite mrmum. I'm a bit late to renew my UK licence now, believe it has to be done by August and my UK ATPL is out of date too. It would still be good to look around, I'll see if I can work it out.

OK guys (no chapesses in those days, I regret)
How about the year after, 1968. Any fellow studes out there?
Self on RN flying scholarship just as the last-but-one Ark Royal's imminent demise was announced - and long before the SeaJet was thought of: "well done twinboom, would you like to come and fly helichopters with us", "No thanks, I'm off to a UAS but thank you for asking........."
I remember Cosimini and Davico and C150 "Silent Sierra" - rear windows!?!? blooody LUXURY.
Currently down-route so no access to log-book but I can verify the story of the Blackpool stick of Rock.
Anyone else there on the evening that the future founder of CabAir beat up the the field and we thought he was in trouble and broke into the tower to try and turn on the runway lights ............ Happy Days.:)
Years later I visited in my F1 racer G-BOMB and my erstwhile Cessna 337, G-AXFG which subsequently (long story) became the Cumbrian Police Aircraft, based there for a number of years.
Nowadays I fly over the CO NDB en-route EDI,GLA etc and say to my co-pilots - that's a great place, I started off in this game there - 44 years ago.....tempus fugit.

I did a Flying Scholarship at Carlisle Flying Club in 1960 or 61 (unfortunately, I have lost my civilian log book for the period). The CFI was Dave Davico who told me I would make a good commercial pilot - I joined the RAF! The aircraft were a mixture of Austers - J5F, Aiglet and Autocrat. Other instructors were Hodgson x 2. I still retain the flight met for the solo x cty - Carlisle - Woodvale - Blackpool - Carlisle. The plan was to do a stop and go at Woodvale before landing at Blackpool. However, having found myself at 2-300 feet over Morecambe Bay (below cloud but rapidly teaching myself IF), I saw Blackpool Tower and decided it might be best to land at Blackpool first. Reporting to the tower and phoning Carlisle in anticipation of a bollocking, I was told to wait there until the weather improved then carry on via Woodvale! At the time, the nuance of the relief in the voice from Carlisle was lost on me!

Anyway, all memories of the course treasured and I would appreciate hearing any other information about Carlisle at the time. Specifically, is it likely that the flight records for the time are retained anywhere?

Very interesting thread.

I knew Tony Cosimini, Dave Davico, Rosie, Bert Hodgson and George (?) Hudspith at Newcastle Flying Club in the early 1960's

Does anybody know the whereabouts of Rosie and did she get married?

Also any knowledge of Hudspith would be kindly received.

Sorry to hijack this thread.

Many thanks.

Hi
I was wondering if any body remembered Carlisle and CSE i was on the google internet and found about the forum
I was in Carlisle OCT 1977 from a group of Kuwaiti Pilots
and in 1978 i saw Mr Davico crash with libyan student pilot
i was trained by Capt Barclay
and still have very nice memories from Carlisle
very nice to read about your comments

Just found this thread and it bought back many happy memories.
I did my RNFS in 1968 with Rosie Stephenson as my instructor. Davico did my 30hr Test at the end. Went back the following year for the 10hrs to PPL. Flew the newly arrived Beagle Pups with Rawlinson doing my type conversion and time also with Cosimi, Davico and Gove. Final PPL with Davico. I think Cosimi also did my RT licence.
Taking a nearly new Pup down to Blackpool for my final cross country was memorable.
One other memory was one instructor who, on a night flight from Newcastle, decided to beat up Carlisle. General consensus was it was a aircraft wanting to land. The group went into the control tower and turned on the airfield lighting. Aircraft departed but I seem to remember that one instructor had an interesting meeting with the CFI!
Ah happy days.

Srobarts,

Rawlinson was my instructor, but I never knew what his background was, or what happened to him after my course. I suppose I was far too preoccupied with getting through the course, but in later years I wished I had known more about the guy.

Just wondered if you had any information?

Just wondered if you had any information?
Sorry Aileron Drag, I haven't any more info. I found my log book when we moved house a couple of years ago and that started the memory lane trip. I have found one of the Pups I flew is still flying and looking in remarkably good nick for its age.
I knew very little about any of my instructors. Rosie was brilliant, I remember dreading my 30hr test with Davico, he made the whole thing painless. It made my PPL much easier with him knowing what to expect.
It was sad to read of Davico's death in this thread, I dug up and read the report yesterday.

Hi, I'm Tony Cosimini's nephew and was named after him, my mother was his eldest sister Anne Cosimini, who unfortunately passed away aged 74 two yrs ago this November. I have never flown even as a passenger commercially, hence the Terra Firma username lol My uncle Tony developed Angina (allegedly due to smoking combined with the physiological stresses of flying) and that was the reason he could no longer fly and was restricted to the simulators (which he disliked). He threw himself into gardening after retirement and would not slow down, stop smoking or drinking whiskey. He had a minor heart attack and when my mother went to visit him in Hospital she found him smoking under the bedsheets := A year later he had a massive heart attack and died in 1977. I attended the funeral with my mother and Tony's younger brother my Uncle Peter Cosimini (who is now 86 and still happily living in Blyth with my Aunty Angiolina and occasionally still playing the accordion for charitable causes). Tony's wife Barbara and his children Peter, Paul and Maria (my cousins) were all devastated and seemed totally lost without him. Peter & Paul still live in Carlisle, Maria is a free spirit who seems to move around a lot, Barbara died about 12yrs ago. Tony had a son by a girlfriend in Blyth before he married Barbara who grew up as Phillip Wilson, for many years growing up I never even knew of him, but I got to know him several years ago and we keep in touch. I grew up only seeing my uncle Tony occasionally after he moved from Ashington to Carlisle, but I loved him a lot. I remember him as a strong charismatic and friendly man who always took an interest in what I was doing and gave me a lot of encouragement. He possessed a 'black' sense of humour as did my mother which I also inherited. The comment earlier in the thread about him telling someone they couldn't push a pram then lighting his pipe, vacating the plane and then sending them on a maiden solo flight is VERY typical of him and his brand of humour lol! The best and longest laughs I have ever had were with my Mother and usually centred around practical jokes played on family members, something of a Cosimini family tradition. Tony was an old school 'tough guy' who in his day fought the wrestler Jackie Pallo and boxed exhibition matches with some top boxers of the day. My Italian grandfather did not approve so he had to sneak out of the house via various fabrications with my Nonna (a big wrestling fan!) and the rest of the family making up stories to explain his various black eyes and bruises etc I have some great photos of my uncle Tony and very fond (if too few) memories. Had he lived I'm sure I would have found my wings well before now.

Aaaah, this is Pprune at it's best. Entertaining read for those of us just retired but can't, quite, let go & not into gardening. Looks like Carlisle fed Hamble & the military with some really good stuff. I was a BKS/Northeast Cadet at Oxford but three of our fellow cadets were trained at Carlisle. These rotters kept outgrading & outflying the Oxford Cadets by a mile. What was the secret ?

I can only speak for my Uncle Tony, but I think the 'secret' was the quality of the instructors at Carlisle. They were a certain 'breed'...strong and courageous men who possessed the personal qualities that would automatically seed a confidence within their pupils that would inspire them to succeed beyond their expectations and elevate them above the average. I know that this is the effect my Uncle Tony had on me, and I became a British champion in my chosen sport and have taken my business to the finals of my industry's national awards on 3 occasions. A strong character, a loving heart and a genuine philanthropic nature were what lay underneath my Uncle Tony's tough exterior. My mother said that when he had his Fish & chip shop he was always giving food away to children of poorer families who could not afford to give their children money for chips etc.. His occasional 'abruptness' or impatience were the result of a deep sadness and regret that he always carried within him over personal matters in his past that he felt he had been given no choice over, and I know that one such matter was his 'illegitimate' son Phillip, who he never met. Incidentally, I don't think there is such a thing as an illegitimate child, only illegitimate parents. Uncle Tony's escape from the 'earthly' matters that troubled him was his flying, but when due to ill health this was taken away from him, I'm afraid his days were numbered. Great men always touch many lives and are always remembered many years after they have gone, and to find that he is being mentioned and remembered so fondly in a current topic of discussion so many years after his passing makes me very happy and very proud to be his nephew and confirms the indelible impression he made on me in my youth, that he was a very special and inspirational man.

I have to confess (with great pride) that I was on a RNFS at Carlisle from Mid March to Mid April 1967. It blew a northern gale for all of the month but for very few days when we flogged the planes to death. The quality of the flying was probably down to flying in such hysterical weather conditions! My instructors were Tribe and Rosie Stephenson. Captain Davico did my final test on 14/4/67. Memories include Rosie in a 152 getting me to induce a spin which went inverted- quite alarming. So she did one to show me, and went inverted. Mr Rawlinson trying to get across 'hydraulicing' to a class of uncontrollable 17 year olds!

By September '67, ace Notso decided to crack Austers at Portsmouth. After 2 hours I still couldn't quite crack taildraggers, but off I went solo. There followed 3 circuits of terror trying to get this thing down on the ground without bouncing frighteningly, and going around twice. I survived the third violent arrival and fled. A year and a half later, I managed to fool Hamble that I was fit for it, and managed a full career in BA (and another unmentionable airline for pension purposes) flying VC10s and all Boeing jets except 767, and the landings improved immensely (except for landing into Rangoon in a VC10 with Lord Mountbatten on board in about 1972- I think he never recovered- it took me 6 months)!

Now happily retired sailing and flying a Sportcruiser whenever I get a chance. Careers will never be like that again. Flying a VC10 across the Pacific with minimal navigation aids hoping we'd find land at the other end! Surfing on Waikiki, days in Fiji with a bunch of gorgeous stewardesses, a week in Mauritius, Seychelles, Jo'burg, 4 days in LAX, SFO, Anchorage, HKG, seeing the lights of Samarkand twinkling at night, dawn over the Arctic, real Dutch Rolls in training at high altitude, flying low level in a turboprop up Loch Lomond. The flying careers now are becoming narrower and more repetetive.

Inspirational thread. . I am not young, but do sometimes feel I am just that little bit too young (when sex was safe & flying was dangerous etc etc . . .)

Notso,

You said, "and managed a full career in BA (and another unmentionable airline for pension purposes)".

Pension purposes?!!!!!!

You must be barking mad:)

I left after 30 years (three years early), and live very well on the British Airways pension. You must have one hell of an expensive lifestyle to have needed a full British Airways pension AND a second salary!:O

Then again, antifoul is a tad expensive these days!

Depends I guess on exactly how many ex-wives must be accounted for :rolleyes:

There's something about flying a big, shiny Boeing that I hadn't quite got out of my system. Those poetic moments as the sun goes down, solving problems and getting the job done, pulling off a very strong crosswind landing well and saying to the spotty in the rhs 'one day buster, you too might be able to get close to this!', the incredibly hot wimmin fussing around you..... At 55 when BA slung me out from my monthly Bangkok-Sydney, LAX, CPT (long awaited under the BA seniority system!), I wasn't ready to hang the headset up. After another 5 years with an awful unmentionable outfit, it made a difference- I was ready to pass the baton on to the spotties who were looking a little more grown up! I still find I very much miss the delights of roaring off in a Boeing (and a VC10), but the pains of simulator checks, SEP, Class 1 Medicals and all the other splinters of that stair bannister of one's career have outweighed the pleasures. The mere thought of working for a living makes me break out into a sweat! But it took to cracking 60 for that. 55 was far too young to chuck out experienced people who wanted to fly (with several hungry ex-wives!). And blow people who are hungry for your place- the rights of a 20k-hour experienced pilot trump them! If I'd had the choice, I'd still be in BA- the rest are crap, but 34 years was great. Now I am enjoying sailing, flying lights and holidaying....but just occasionally I do feel an urge to pat a Boeing, until all the implications come back!

Well, that killed this thread, methinks.:rolleyes:

....bit of juicy gossip here for you old-timers who remember the Gang at Carlisle flying school...I was talking to my Cousin Paul Cosimini about this website and the information regarding his father Tony (my uncle)...he revealed to me that his father and Rosie had an affair at one point and that his mother left because she found out and went back to Wales to her family with him and his brother and sister in tow. He says he was absolutely gutted when they made up and went back to Carlisle as he had just been signed up to play for Swansea schoolboys FC lol! :{

I was there on an RAF Flying Schol in 1967. I flew with Rosie Tribe until my 30 hour check, which I did with Cosimini. I couldn't afford the extra 5 hours for a PPL (in those days) so had to postpone my flying till UAS at Newcastle. RAF 14 years, and 27 in CX, still going but not so strong these days! Peter M has retired from CX after an illustrious career of over 30 years.
I remember the simple innocence of the atmosphere at Crosby-on-Eden, and the shear joy of getting airborne with (apparently) few responsibilities. Happy days.