How were you "Chopped?"

[BANANASBANANAS]

Having just replied to a thread on another forum about airsickness I thought there may be some (rose tinted through time) stories about being chopped that might be worth sharing. I was binned at Valley and the first I knew was when my struckie wrote "DNCO Student Cat 5" in the Auth sheets back in Ops.

We also had a guy chopped on his famil who was about 6 feet 6 tall and his right knee kept on trying to turn off the HP Cock. Subsequently talked his way onto an extended Bulldog Course and then the Kipper Fleet I think.

Anyone else?

[FFP]

Right knee and HP Cock ? Thought that, along with LP Cock was on the left ?

Anyway, got chopped for "failure to listen to instructions, advice, guidance and orders"

Or something like that. Wasn't really paying much attention at the time ;)

[BANANASBANANAS]

On the Hawk, yes. I dont think I made it clear that the right knee/HP Cock interface problem occurred at Cranditz on the JP5A.

[Pontius Navigator]

Couldn't navigate as long as he had a hole in his *rs*.

Needless to say this was before PC and other sex navigators. Also I don't think he was told to his face unless late at night in the bar.

Oddly they usually were quite cheerful 2 or 3 days later after the pressure came off.

[StopStart]

I wasn't a very good helicopter pilot

:ok:

[Brain Potter]

I was worse

:D

[Impiger]

Wasn't Chopped myself but .........

Had to deliver the final blow to a few both at OCU stage and later. It was never a pleasant task but I agree with Pontius once the pressure came off nearly every one of them was happier.

There was however one waste of rations who wouldn't accept that he would eventually kill himself and his navigator if we didn't remove him from the course. Even got his highly placed pa on the case and following considerable pressure he was reinstated for a remedial package - biggest waste of flying hours ever!

So Bloggs what did your mother call you? 'Cuddles' Sir. Well Cuddles you're chopped and Ginger would like your maps.

[shaky]

My instructor wrote " Bloggs flies formation with verve, elan, enthusiasm and complete lack of skill." They didn't pull their punches in those days! Wasn't chopped though and later found myself in a couple of 60 (sixty) ship low level Albert formations. But that was back when we had lots of aircraft and they were all available to fly. Happy days.

[nurjio]

Beat this - Got medically chopped at Brawdy, half way through Tac Weapons Phase (early 80's). Reason? - during a 1 V 1 combat training session on the Hawk, my right kidney exploded giving excrutiating pain. I 'knocked it off', (my instructor said it should have been a 'stop, stop, stop'), returned to base, and pis*ed blood for a fortnight. The Medical Branch decided to remove the offending organ and that was that. Grounded. The Chief man at CME even used the phrase 'you're chopped - bad luck'. However; 3 months after surgery, the medics decided I was OK to fly on 1 kidney! I was re-coursed at Brawdy and ended up on Harriers for 18 years, with a mid career sojourn on the Red Arrows!!! Interestingly, during my time with the Reds, a fellow pilot only had 1 bollock. If only the public new.

I'm now with a British Long-haul carrier, testing my remaining kidney to destruction downroute.

Cheers, Nurj

[TURNBULL]

I too was chopped, but ended up in a different role still piloting on a another type - and I am grateful!!!! I've had a much more varied and interesting career as a result of that fateful 'chop'.

Can anyone else say the same?

[Dan Winterland]

Yep, my lack of ability was realised at an early stage - to my benefit!

[chinny]

Nurjio.
:confused: :confused: :confused: how is it you know that he had one ball-or should we not go there ??? :sad:

[Guy Willesley]

I was told that I needed to show a consistently good performance through Gp1Phase1 on the JP5 in order to go to Valley. Unfortunately despite doing just that until the very end, when I flew the FNT I got a 1.

On a scale of 1 to 9.

Where 1 wasn't the highest score available..... :(

Still never been to Valley by road! :\

[nurjio]

chinny - because he used to take his prosthetic out and play marbles with it in between displays!

[Kouncil House Kid]

I was chopped 'cos I was hoop.:8

[Lionel Lion]

I was chopped due to regulary finding the best places at low level

Malham Tarn
Gamston Airfield
Leeds Bradford (ooh yes!)

And no doubt a lots of other places I never even realised (spent my entire time in the JP5 at 300kts looking at the fuel gauge, not out of the window).:=

Southpiece (RIP) was so correct in his debriefs. Just amazed it took him do long to hold the axe.

[5 Forward 6 Back]

I'm reliably informed that if you bong Gamston from the south east, the tower faces the wrong way; hence with no traffic in the circuit they won't see you.

Good job the Tucano's quiet..... :* :ok:

[Constable Clipcock]

Eyeballs. The FAA over here doesn't have a prob turning me loosed with their MC1 though.

Over 40, still not even close to needing bifocals!

[BANANASBANANAS]

I did feel very sorry for one of the guys on my Valley course. He had done his basic training in Fort Worth Texas on the Euro Nato Joint Jet Pilot Training Scheme (at least I think thats what it was called), then came over to do a UK Famil Course at Valley where he was chopped and sent to the Herc, while guys that he finished well above on the course in the states were posted F16.

Where are you now Tex?

[Jerry Can]

When I was on the RN MAOT, I asked the boss why he was chopped from Hunters in the late 60s. He said it was because it was a 600kt aeroplane and he only had a 200kt brain! :p

[Constable Clipcock]

ENJJPT is correct, BANANA BANANA, except insofar as the location. Sheppard AFB is situated just outside the city of Wichita Falls. Quite some distance from the DFW area if you have to drive it!

Spent several weeks there back in the mid-1980's and sometimes wonder whether the BX (the Colonial way to spell NAAFI :p !) still sells those "Shuck Feppard" T-shirts.

[wessex19]

well this is sought of on the same topic, I know of a bloke who was a C-130 pilot in the RNZAF in the 1970's who was "chopped" (probably better words to describe this action) for having a dump in his CO's cap after a night on the sauce!! :yuk:

[Argus]

Slightly off the pace, I recently requested and received copies of my Annual Confidential Reports Form S206 from my long since served time with the RN (FAA).

Back in the 60s, by way of annual debriefing, all a young jock received was a so called "flimsy" signed by one's Captain that said either: "Bloggs has conducted himself to my entire satisfaction", or "Bloggs has conducted himself to my satisfaction". If the former, no problems; if the latter then one's Annual Report contained some reported shortcomings. You didn't see the S206 but the senior officer signing off that form had to certify that he'd informed the subject officer of any adverse comment.

On reading these annual reports from around 40 years ago, I noted that all were complimentary save as to one. Then I recollected that, late one evening whilst in the grip of the grape, I'd given a certain Captain some frank and fearless advice. I heard no more - certainly my "flimsy" indicated all was well. Yet 38 years later, I was surprised to read for the first time that Captain ***** had been of the view that I lacked judgment, was immature and unreliable under pressure, given to irrational outbursts, had a problem with alcohol and showed no respect for senior officers. My scores reflected his comments. He'd even ticked the box saying he'd told me so - news to me when I read the document the other day for the first time.

Such an adverse report would undoubtedly have had career limiting implications had I remained in the RN. Thankfully, I left.

But how many other promising careers have been limited because of malice and cowardice on the part of senior officers who truly shafted their subordinates, and lacked the intestinal fortitude to look their juniors in the eye and say so?

[The Ferret]

I am amazed that nobody has yet mentioned Sooty! A certain President of the Naval Air Advisory Board (NAAB) and also Chief Instructor at RNAS Culdrose used to use a glove puppet of Sooty to deliver the bad news.

If Sooty appeared from below the desk during the interview you knew that you were going to be "chopped" - he never came out for just a Warning!

I always wondered why Sweep never made an appearance?

:p :( :ugh:

[allan907]

Argus,

Tried it once with an educator who was a total waste of skin. Wrote up a bad 1369 and then gave her the good news without leaving anything out. It shouldn't have come as a great surprise having spent most of the previous year bollocking her for a host of different reasons (no - it wasn't a personality clash. I really did try to help her out and bent over backwards but she just wasn't listening).

The result of the 1369 debrief was a host of tears. The stn cdr got the same treatment and he then tried to get me to change it. I refused. Then Group tried the same thing with the same result. At the end of the day there is probably still a very disgruntled ex (I hope) educator who still believes that she was right and dines out on the story.

After that I told people their faults but broke it to them a little more gently and probably pulled a few punches. The good 1369s/6442s were dead easy!

It don't pay to be too honest!!

[Dan Winterland]

I found it amusing that five years after being chopped from Gp1 Ph1, I was sitting in the back of a Tucano teachng students on how to pass a course that I had failed!

[J.A.F.O.]

Only ever so slightly off topic - I learnt that I was leaving Auntie Betty's Flying Club when a secretary from the Education Centre phoned me at home and said "I'm trying to arrange your resettlement course but I don't seem to have any details from you."

I took the hint.

[Ya Zi]

Dan, not so much amusing but amazing!

I met one of my ex studes on the bus from the car park to the airport last year. He thanked me profusely by helping his flying career by chopping him, while a the same time pointing out that we were both in the same airline - but he was more senior.

I look forward to being his FO one day. Such is life!

[Argus]

Try "oxygen thief"!

Hear what you say. If I'd been "counselled" on my perceived "shortcomings", I wouldn't have cause to complain.

Like most junior officers of the day, I had few dealings with the Captain - he was some remote figure that occasionally came to the Mess by invitation. As I recall the evening in question, it was a Taranto Night Mess Dinner. Well into our cups, I got into quite an argument with him over a burning social issue of the day – free love, I think, and jealousy was a curse then as it is now! I thought no more about it. The next time I spoke to him was when I left the Air Station about six months later on posting - and he didn't mention any adverse comments. Neither had my CO.

In those days, one was advised of one's "shortcomings" via a "heavy brief" from one's CO, usually conveyed with a smattering of the Anglo Saxon vernacular. In the absence of same, I didn't give the matter any further thought - until three weeks ago when I read the report!

His meanness of spirit didn't affect me as I decided to try my luck elsewhere. However, I wonder how many other careers were mangled because Captain ***** RN didn't like the individual concerned, and put the written boot in while sheltering behind a closed reporting system?

Incidentally, you can find out how to obtain RN Service Records at http://www.mod.uk/contacts/rn_records.htm There are links to RM, Army and RAF records.

[allan907]

Offending piece now edited:O

Did my bit in pre PC days:ok:

[RRAAMJET]

Mike Jenvey - check your PM's
Cheers

[delta96]

I was chopped at Culdrose after failing the rotary conversion on the Hiller 12E.
Like many before and since, I had been struggling for a while and what was once thoroughly enjoyable was becoming a daily dread; the feeling of icy water reaching one's neck and not knowing how to swim. 'Failure in Airwork' was the term used, but the written comments of the instructor still ring: "xxxxx constantly yawns during my flight briefings. I didn't realise I was so boring" .
It was many years later that I learned that yawning is a reaction to stress. Maybe they teach instructors to recognise this sort of thing now.

[SirToppamHat]

Yawning is a reaction to stress?

That explains so much ... I just thought I wasn't getting enough sleep! I will let my instructors know!

Regards

STH