CAA Flying Unit Doves
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: UK
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Heathrow Director - would that be Bernie Sercombe by chance? He did my initial IR at STN and, although I had been warned, was on that occasion at least very pleasant. Perhaps I grovelled sufficiently ....... 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: At home, occasionally
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Around 1963, Dryhurst and Belsen were the names of CAFU examiners to take note of. I much later flew with Belsen's son John when he first joined Caledonian from the RAF. John explained to me the rationale behind the rigid standards expected on all tests by his father and others, but I think by that stage I had already worked that one out......( I believe Dryhurst, died sadly, in a CAFU DH125 mishap at Luton )
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: UK
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I was an ATC cadet during the mid seventies at Ferndown. I used to go to the college on my pushbike and wait in the crew room. I would then ride in the doves normally in the cabin but from time to time if the cadet didn't turn up in the right hand seat, it was absolutely brilliant as much flying as I wanted in a fantastic little aircraft with pilots whose skill I did not realise until long after they had moved to all simulator. In no small way are they responsible for my subsequent career as an ATCO since 1977 to date. My fondest memory is flying over Bournemouth Bay in a Dove I was in the RH seat and the pilot said have you seen a Dove on one engine? He promptly shut one engine down and we continued to operate over the bay on one engine, the ATCO cadet on the other end being completely oblivious. Great fun...
