Originally Posted by
BEagle
Recruiters were rather more plentiful 'back in the day'! At my prep school, a young pilot from Chivenor enthralled us one summer evening with the various things he'd brought with him - flying suit, bone dome, mae west, dinghy etc. and politely answered lots of little boys' questions. "I'll be back to say hello again soon", he concluded...and a few days later a single seat Hunter roared over the school! A few years later the 'schools liasion' officer for the region arranged a formal interview with a Wg Cdr and a Sqn Ldr for me, which was very friendly and went very well. Both were aircrew.
I was fortunate to do well enough at OASC to be given an RAF Scholarship, which included a 30 hour Special Flying Award as the school only had an army section of the CCF. I was too young to start PPL training that year, so my father tried to arrange an AEF trip for me. "No - we only take ATC and CCF(RAF) cadets - and your son is CCF(Army)" came the sniffy reply. But Dad had a rather special friend who was an FAA Squadron Commander at Yeovilton..."Let me see if the RN can do better", he said......
Which they did - at 15 years old, I flew in the 'coal hole' of a 'Vixen at the 1966 Farnborough Air Show. Sick as a pig for much of it, but loved every minute.
But back then the main difference was that 'air mindedness' was more prevalent! Lots of military jets in the skies over Britain, flight deck visits on airliners, lots of air shows and open days......
Whereas now?
Do you think Beagle, that you would have gone for the Dark Blue service, FAA, if it wasn't for the Wilson/Healy plans to dismantle the fixed-wing side of things? Oh, and when you were in the Coal Hole, was the Perspex painted out Black? Or could you moved a Blind back and forth? Trivial question I know, but I was always curious.
FB