PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Linton on Ouse : The end of an era
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Old 3rd Dec 2020, 20:32
  #32 (permalink)  
Sleeve Wing
 
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: South East.
Posts: 874
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RAF Linton on Ouse

I arrived there on frosty evening in January, 1962, after driving up from Devon.
I was on the Royal Navy's 102 Fixed Wing course to fly, first, the JP3 and then the Vampire
The Commanding Officer was a BoB Hurricane pilot named Grp.Cpt.John L.W.Ellacombe.DFC and Bar.RAF.
If you want any incentive to work your guts out, try having such an example as your CO.
Even the CFI, Tommy Blackham, had an exemplary career as a Bomber pilot. Fantastic encouragement, even for one of the dark blue persuasion !
What more could you ask ?
Linton was a legendary station, as was Church Fenton then, buzzing continuously with a great bunch of "studes" and instructors, which made for a superb introduction to any flying career.
I was proudly wearing my Wings after just thirteen months, fully equipped to go straight on to the Hunter.
Fifteen years later a fellow course member even went back as CO of the RNEFTS, part of the Linton "clutch" under Tom Eeles. It doesn't get better than that.
Subsequently, after nearly 60 years, I have managed to track down my first instructor who had a very necessary, disciplined influence on a bit of a wild, mouthy kid !
22 and a half thousand hours later, I have no doubt what the Linton effect did for me.

And now they've closed it............
Does any one at MOD actually realise what they've done ?

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