The Goldfish Club

[The Goldfish Club]

I would like to introduce The Goldfish Club for those of you not aware of our existence.

The club has existed since 1942 ... to keep alive the spirit of comradeship arising from the mutual experience of members surviving, "coming down in the drink".

The club is open to both civilian and military, private and commercial, rotary and fixed-wing aircrew ... the only qualifying criteria is that you must be aircrew, have ditched in a aircraft and been subsequently rescued from the water.

For more information or to join the club, please visit the website:
www.thegoldfishclub.co.uk (http://www.thegoldfishclub.co.uk)

Please help spread the word.

http://thegoldfishclub.co.uk/images/GFLogo_small.jpg

The Goldfish Club

[Tarnished]

Is ditching a mandatory part of the membership requirement ? How about those such as myself who were rescued from the sea after ejecting or baling out into it?

I guess the Porpoise Club covers those of us such survivors?

You can never be a member of too many thing, can you?

Tarnished

[Stitchbitch]

You qualify Tarnished, 'we' often have members of the Goldfish club at the RAFSE Association 'Pentland' dinner. It sounds like you have quite a tale to tell, I'm sure we'd like to hear about it (no dates though, or you might 'out' yourself) ;)

[Basil]

I've landed on the water - but took off again; guess that doesn't count ;)

[Tarnished]

Thanks Stitchbitch.

Both stories can be found here:

Penrice_Craig (http://www.ejection-history.org.uk/project/Biographies/P/Penrice_Craig/Penrice_Craig.htm)

Guess I am outed (again)!

Tarnished

[Tinribs]

Someone landed a glider in the drink last year, south west I think. He might be glad to hear from you, or not.
The BGA would know

[Avtur]

Interesting to see that two thirds of the Committee are from the Nimrod R1 Crew (XW 666) that ditched in the Moray Firth. Well done guys and best wishes.

[dagenham]

Does jumping off Bognor pier trying to fly a harrier made out of cardboard and speed tape count for membership?

[gr4techie]

How about Tornado ZE962, crashed into the sea on take off from RAF Leuchars. Does the pax qualify as well ?

Oct 14th 2005. Hope Sgt Iain Logan enjoyed his short flight in the F3. Well he got a free tie.

[Take That]

How about Tornado ZE962, crashed into the sea on take off from RAF Leuchars. Does the pax qualify as well ?

Yes, he qualifies. Recent joiners to the shoal include a pax on a Super Puma ditching and a pax on a Lockheed Ventura incident. Would be in distinguished company too, one of the most recent joiners was a certain George Herbert Walker Bush. Qualified through ditching an Avenger in September 1944.

[strake]

I had an EFATO and landed on a beach many moons ago...I think we did have a moment where the waves touched our starboard wheel but we were able to evacuate without getting our feet wet by timing the waves. If I'd only known....

[The Goldfish Club]

The Goldfish Club has finally reached the 21st Century with a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TheGFClub/
(https://www.facebook.com/TheGFClub/)
Come along to 'like' and 'share' to help us spread the word.

Thanks,
The Goldfish Club

[Wander00]

ISTR glider was from Devon and Somerset GC - cannot remember pilot's name though

[Lima Juliet]

Sadly the glider pilot you are thinking of died late last year. This is the story of his ditching on Pprune:

http://www.pprune.org/private-flying/513766-glider-devon-ditches-pilot-swims-safety.html

Here is the sad story of his untimely demise:

YouTube glider pilot dies in Dartmoor crash - BBC News (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-38214937)

LJ :(

[RS15]

Is ditching a mandatory part of the membership requirement ? How about those such as myself who were rescued from the sea after ejecting or baling out into it?

I guess the Porpoise Club covers those of us such survivors?

You can never be a member of too many thing, can you?

Tarnished

not sure if you're entitled to two, didn't think my winch man got too wet paddling to you from what I recall.
Think you left something behind.....

[Pontius Navigator]

Did all the king 's horses and all the king 's men
. . .

[wiggy]

How about those such as myself who were rescued from the sea after ejecting

You get membership (note to self, lost contact years ago, so must re "enllst"....)