Top Stuff Navy Recruiting!

[Benjybh]

I'm not sure whether this is strictly the correct place to post this, but hopefully this is one of many steps to a future career in military aviation! I guess it could probably be merged into the OASC thread, but I felt it deserved it's own. ;)

Yesterday afternoon I returned from a three-day Royal Navy Potential Officer's Air Acquaint Course at RNAS Culdrose. Most of our time was taken up with being Powerpoint-presentation-ed to death by the various based squadrons (not a bad thing, most were very interesting), but there was always the reward of having a prowl around the aircraft and a chat with the aircrew in the squadron buildings. On Tuesday afternoon, we went flying in a Jetstream T2 courtesy of 750 NAS, whereby we were run through the basics of navigation (dead reckoning), using the radar and doppler. We also had about 20 mins of stick time; great fun!

Anyway, here are a few of the photos I took whilst plotting our course and feeding bearings to the pilot. I'm sure he was just humoring me by pretending to fly on the inevitably wrong course I had just given him :}

Enjoy!

Takeoff

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2701/4117977994_ed18b30d53_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bhughesphotography/4117977994/)

View from 6000'

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2754/4117207775_343ae79eda_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bhughesphotography/4117207775/)

We stalked some ships...

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2752/4117979350_94ed9320d2_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bhughesphotography/4117979350/)

Our pilot, Roger McDonald, keeps a watchful eye as one of my course-mates makes a turn:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2792/4117978686_186fb62c69_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bhughesphotography/4117978686/)

And again...

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2736/4117978266_a09eb03d9a_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bhughesphotography/4117978266/)

The same 'pilot' beginning our descent to run an attack profile on...

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2648/4117977870_27014085cc_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bhughesphotography/4117977870/)

...this! The RFA Fort Austen.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2662/4117208461_1642d1b9b6_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bhughesphotography/4117208461/)

Returning via the Scillies

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2556/4117207033_89cf7fccaa_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bhughesphotography/4117207033/)

Thankyou everyone who helps organise these things, it was a tremendous experience and the information gleaned for all sources will be a huge help at AIB, not to mention the motivation factor.

All the best,

Ben :)

[L J R]

Military Flying is great, isn't it mate...!:ok:


Good Luck..!:)

[Thud_and_Blunder]

Well done Royal Navy - good effort.

Would that Roger MacD be the same one who did an exchange tour on 72 at Odiham around 77-79? WAFU, with a fishhead brother who also flew Wessex (when the wires didn't get in the way)? If so, it's nice to know that one of the good guys is still committing aviation.

[mad_jock]

Sorry for slight thread drift.

I have operated the civi J31/32's


And what's the Vmo you guys can operate up to? It looks to me up to 15k its 270knts we are limited to 220knts.

And that overhead panel :D

What are they like to fly? And do they arrive with a bang and "offf buugger" unless all the moons of Jupiter are aligned or the runway has been de-iced.

[NutLoose]

Cool, here was their previous recruiting tool

YouTube - In the Navy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InBXu-iY7cw)

[Union Jack]

I guess it could probably be merged into the OASC thread, but I felt it deserved its own

BZ - It should certainly ensure that more people see your excellent photographs.

Good wishes for AIB.:ok:

Jack

PS Looks like good training for "tracking" pirates .....!:)

[aw ditor]

Great to see Handley-Page still flying!

[Two's in]

Fantastic to see the Navy understanding exactly how to get would-be aircrew hooked and keep them hooked. Great to see this still happens somewhere amidst the sea of hi-viz H&S jackets and equal opportunities lectures. Thank Christ for sanity.

[Matt Skrossa]

Yes it's the same Roger McD. He took me flying in a Wessex V from Yeovilton in 1975 when he was a Sub Lt and I was a Cadet Warrant Officer in the ATC, so it looks like he's still passing on the message about flying to the yoof of today!

This was part of a week at Yeovilton flying in Hunters and jungly Wessex and that came about after me and about 12 other ATC cadets from London and SE Region spent two weeks on HMS Hermes, with visits to Gib and Malta earlier in the summer. In fact this trip opened the way for ATC summer camps at Gib and Malta thanks to Sqn Ldr Dennis Jackson (a hugely influential figure on many of us, and who could have his own thread). So much more fun that a summer camp at Colerne/West Raynham and yes I did join the FAA on the back of it, so these sort of visits are worth keeping.

[Beancountercymru]

Thread Creep....

"In fact this trip opened the way for ATC summer camps at Gib and Malta thanks to Sqn Ldr Dennis Jackson (a hugely influential figure on many of us, and who could have his own thread). "

Later Wing Commander as OC Kent Wing ATC whose motto was , when seeing an aircraft flying over his Kentish Home "Why aren't my cadets flying in that?" and then tried to ensure they did. As a result I flew in a DC3, HS125, Chinook, Wessex and Wasp.

He once arranged for two RN Sea Kings to come to Kent and fly cadets all day and then overnight in a Maidstone hotel for the Wing Dining In Night -one flown by his son - a Navy pilot.

I'm not sure HQ Air Cadets would credit him with Gib and Malta camps - they were long established

[Gainesy]

So that's where the flying gloves go.:)

Good pics Ben.:ok:

[doubledolphins]

Best of luck. Slightly envious as I wish I could do it all over again and I never had the opportunity to do an aquaint like that. (Though I did enjoy the week at BRNC one summer hol and my RNFS did get me a terribly cheap PPL.) Looks like you are going to mke the right choice. My boy is dead set on going light blue. :eek:

[rogermcd]

Yes it is. Still flying.

[rogermcd]

Thanks to all for your complimentary dits about my recruiting skills. I'm no expert in this medium but yes to all who asked if its McD from Wessex VL and Odi. Thanks for the pictures benjybh.
Rogermcd

[Benjybh]

Thanks for the flight! :ok:

[4Greens]

Better than the Sea Prince I flew out of Malta in the sixties for 750 sqdn.

[wobble2plank]

rogermcd,

Oi, Roger, you wouldn't be the same miscreant as that of the infamous 'McDonald/Douglas' Gazelle one time only flying display were you? :}

Haven't seen you since the 705 days in the 80's!

Nice to see you still blundering skywards.

Take care.

Nice Piccies!

W2P.

[Fly3]

Spent three happy years on 750 when the Jetstream's first came. Nice to see they are still going strong. Thank you for posting the pictures. Great job.

[doubledolphins]

Baby Dolphin wants to be a Wafu. :{ How do I get him on one of these aquaints to put him off?:eek:

[airborne_artist]

How do I get him on one of these aquaints to put him off?Your local recruiting office will have an allocated Royal Navy Officer recruiter (they tend not to be office-based, as they cover quite a large territory) who will be able to arrange acquaints ashore/afloat.

VL aircrew acquaints normally involve a full dunker run, which may do the trick!

They are managed/based (on paper) from Peterborough I think - 01733 568 833.

[c130jbloke]

What a top man he was and a fine example of what the ATC was really about - flying and the RAF. On top of that he had a policy of every cadet going for the Duke of Edinburgh award, which was a no brainer when you think that the ATC syllabus pretty well covered the requirements all the up to gold.

Finally a special mention to the staff from 2520 ( Tonbridge) Sqn ATC in the 1980's the " Tonbridge free airforce" who again were only interested in getting kids flying - epic stuff and thanks for all the help :ok:

[Bigtop]

Cool, here was their previous recruiting tool

YouTube - In the Navy

Don't knock it - I've had some great runs ashore in Village People rig and the chicks love it!! :p