Scurrilous songs sung by alcoholic aircrew...
Just dreaming up a good title for an RAF songbook. Does it exist ? I remember years ago there was a Rugby Song book which went pretty near the mark. I am sure that there would be a pretty good demand for one. I remember that , rightly or wrongly,( apropos that last phrase ; why not wrightly if wrongly is wright ?) Noel Coward was supposed to have written some of the best ones. "Craven A" being one.
I am going back to the 60's
to continue my ramblings. I had joined Sabena in 1952 and had flown as a first officer for a couple of years before becoming a Freight captain on DC3's , From then on I had risen rapidly to becoming a Captain flying the European sector on Convairs, DC4's and DC6's and then progressing as a senior Captain flying DC4's, DC6's and then DC7C's on the "Long Courier" routes which comprised the Belgian Congo, New York, Montreal, Mexico , Johannesburg and one Tokyo per week (on DC4's). I had flown 3,850 hours on joining Sabena in May 1952 and in Jan. 1964 I had the total of 14,500 hrs. all on piston engined aircraft.
Around July/August of 1963 I was called in to the Chief Pilots Office and told that there would be the possibility of two or three Captains becoming neccessary for the farly new Boeing 707's that the Company had been flying for some time. I was in line for one of the vacancies and was told that I would have to study for the required examinations in my own time as the company could not spare time off . I would be given a definite date later but was I prepared to start the course there and then.? It was not an easy decision. I was then 41 years of age so could count on another 19 years of flying as long as I could pass the medicals. Sabena had no hard and fast "sell by date " but it was considered that 60 would be a good age to retire and qualify for the extremely generous "Golden Handsakes" and Pension. Certainly there was time to enjoy the challenge of a new career so I discussed the matter lengthily with my Wife and agreed to put my name down for the Jet age.
Another of the British Captains, Charles Wait, had been given the same chance and had accepted so as our two families were the best of friends we agreed that we would try and do our studying together. The transition from piston to jet aircraft was a huge step and Sabena, rightly, always laid great stress on a very sound theoretical background for it's pilots.. This standard was the highest that I had ever met in aviation and contrasted enormously from the American practical approach which was then the alternative answers form and was based on the theory that "If you can't do anything about it , then there was no need to know about it ." We were given brief day courses on various subjects when they could fit it in between trips but we had to spend most of the rtime studying in Hotels and at home to the dismay of our respective Wives. They took it in turns to prepare gigantic meals for us as we studied and so we put on many kilo's before the final, all Oral examinations took place.
Sabena were fortunate in possessing a Flight Engineer with one of the finest brains and teaching skills that I have ever encountered. Yves D. was a tower of strength in putting over formulae to two ignorant ex-Grammar School educated pilots who had only just discovered that a formula was more than what Americans gave to their babies.
Last edited by regle; 9th Mar 2010 at 18:26.