HAMBLE Course 712
News of the 50 year re-union on the "Where Are They Now" forum launched me into so much nostalgia that I am thinking of pitching up for the bash even though I never went to the College ! Halcyon days indeed. I failed part one of the Selection Procedure and Mr A H Abbott's rejection letter was one of the most comforting I ever received .
You had to be good just to get on the Selection Course ! General Certificate of Education was very hard in those days. Hamble wanted at least five passes at 'O' level including maths English Language & a science subject. Two further subjects were required at 'A' level with sciences preferred. Music, Art, knitting, Cookery etc were all excluded and no-one had ever heard of Theatre Lighting . This was just a carbon copy of the RAF Cranwell requirement & much of the selection testing was also copied.
With all that and aged between 18-24, the application form was a challenge and a pre- med with your own GP was required.
Through the hoops and off you went on a rail warrant to Hamble. Met by the College bus at Southampton and whisked off for Part one of a three visit selection procedure.
Fed, watered and nicely accommodated in your own room at the College (beat the hell out of OASC Biggin), one commenced at 0900 next morning for a welcome chat by Mr Abbott. At question time, I asked what the selection rate was. 10 of us there were told that currently, only two out of us 10 would be invited for part 2. I felt immediate compassion for the other 8 who were clearly bound for rejection. Getting the nice reject letter two weeks later caused much grief but I did what Abbott recommended and applied to BUA.
As we emerge from lock-down and I lurk about PPrune on the week-ends, the news of a re-union after 50 years gave much needed uplift. I failed in 1965. Can we have a re-union for failures please. Most of us went on to enviable success as Airline Pilots elsewhere and would have much to contribute .