PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Gaining An R.A.F Pilots Brevet In WW II
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Old 27th Feb 2013, 22:30
  #3546 (permalink)  
Chugalug2
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: West Sussex
Age: 82
Posts: 4,743
Received 165 Likes on 58 Posts
Danny,
Your reminder of the perils involved in the early post WW2 period of civil aviation whereby the similar ex WW1 rise in commercial motor transport was repeated with even more shaky results is well taken.
Freddy Laker was very much the exception to the general rule in that he wasn't a Senior Officer and he wasn't a pilot, perhaps that had a bearing on his ability to see the woods for the trees. He obtained a contract to provide cargo aircraft for the Berlin Airlift despite having only passenger aircraft. By having a freight door constructed and fitted to a cut-out chalked out on a fuselage side over a weekend he had an aircraft to offer the following week. The remaining aircraft were converted in similar short order. Once the airlift was over so was his airline. He paid off the staff and melted the aircraft down at Southend. As other airlines folded, unable to find other business, he melted down their aircraft too. A survivor, well that is until the old boys net folded in on him, no doubt justified between themselves with the thought that, "The man's a bloody Corporal, for God's sake!"
To be somewhat provocative I see O'Leary in much the same vein. Most of his outrageous suggestions (coin operated loo doors, standing for take off and landing, etc) aren't serious, but have two great advantages, they get him and his airline in the news and irritate the "old boys" enormously. He may irritate others as well, I'm sure, but his load factors, modern fleet, and profitability tell their own story. Oh, BTW, I never worked for him, if I did perhaps I might think differently!
Geriaviator, well done for resolving the mystery of the "occulting" thread titles. If only we could speed the effect up, what an attention getter that would be! Your post brought back memories of lining up at breaktime for my third of a pinta. No-one at our school had the presence of mind or ability to instantly vomit it up. The esteem it won you at yours was indeed well earned! I very belatedly salute you, Sir.
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