View Full Version : Air Minister Learning to Fly
Warmtoast
27th Jan 2015, 20:31
Doing a bit of research I came across this snippet dated August 1955.
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/Image2_zpstqxr95am.jpg
At least our political masters in the past showed enough interest to see what was involved in flying an aeroplane - I can't see Mr Fallon doing the same!
Lord De L'Isle and Dudley VC was appointed Secretary of State for Air under Winston Churchill in 1951 and held that office until 1955.
Always a Sapper
27th Jan 2015, 21:33
I can't see Mr Fallon doing anything close to what Lord De L'Isle and Dudley VC (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Sidney,_1st_Viscount_De_L'Isle) got up to through his life.
Shame we don't have more MP's of his character these days.
Jimlad1
27th Jan 2015, 22:02
"At least our political masters in the past showed enough interest to see what was involved in flying an aeroplane - I can't see Mr Fallon doing the same!"
that seems unduly harsh there. SofS is a phemomenally busy man, who is on call and usually working 7 days per week and doesnt realistically have time to learn to fly and do the job we actually want him to do.
Feels like some people are hellbent on finding reasons to be angry, even when its pointless to do so.
Wrathmonk
27th Jan 2015, 22:31
Not forgetting that if the SofS did decide to learn to fly there would be all sorts of outcry about wasted hours (money) for a non-deployable person, accusations of favouritism from the other two services not involved in the process and then when he is moved office in the next election/re-shuffle there will be cries of "what about his amortizing his training costs" :E:E:E
betty swallox
28th Jan 2015, 02:34
Oh come on. Not learning to fly. It's hardly a mark of the man if he doesn't find time to learn to fly. Get a grip.
GreenKnight121
28th Jan 2015, 04:05
Not to mention all the whinging that will be done on this forum claiming "he abused the power of his position to force the RAF to give him said training", and anger that "he pushed out some more worthy trainee for the slot".
ShotOne
28th Jan 2015, 06:42
"More MP's of his character..." If any modern MP were to misdirect training resources just because they wanted free flying lessons there would rightly be howls of outrage, not least from this forum!
ImageGear
28th Jan 2015, 07:20
When I needed a qualification to allow me to do a better job, I took leave, attended the relevant course and paid for it. :rolleyes:
Imagegear
dctyke
28th Jan 2015, 08:11
I'm sure I saw Rail Minister Claire Perry driving the Scarborough to York train yesterday........ Or maybe it was someone else.
teeteringhead
28th Jan 2015, 08:20
More recently wasn't Keith Mans (sp?) - ex Vulcans - an MP for a while??
willoman
28th Jan 2015, 08:54
Yes - he was on Vulcans.
He was also on my CFS course in 1972. He did not succeed.
I believe Lord Trefgarne, who was Minister for Defence Procurement in the 80s, was/is an accomplished aviator.
late-joiner
28th Jan 2015, 14:53
Weren't the old days fun. I think it was Martin Farndale who as a 2* (major general) late RHA was appointed as a colonel commandant of the Army Air Corps, as they did not have enough of their own generals. One of the first things he did was a helicopter pilot course at MW to better understand the AAC. I am sure it made travelling to meetings more enjoyable.
I think Phillip Sassoon takes the prize. When he was SoS Air
"Sassoon was Honorary C.O. of 601 (County of London) Squadron. The Squadron was nicknamed ‘The Millionaires’ Squadron' because it was reported to have six millionaire members. In 1932 he was enthusiastic about the new Percival Gull (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percival_Gull) monoplane and ordered his own model powered by a Napier (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napier_%26_Son) Javelin 111 six cylinder engine, with the interior finished in red leather. In this luxurious Gull G-ACGR he competed in the King’s Cup (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King%E2%80%99s_Cup) and the Folkestone Aero Trophy Race (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Folkestone_Aero_Trophy_Race&action=edit&redlink=1). As Under-secretary of State for Air, Sassoon carried out the first general inspection of British overseas air stations, flying the Blackburn Iris (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackburn_Iris). Afterwards he wrote The Third Route (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Third_Route&action=edit&redlink=1), published by Heinemann (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinemann_%28publisher%29) in 1929, recounting the story of the development of the air route from England to India."
from Wiki
The Third Route confirms him as a Total Aviation Person. He was minted, mind.
longer ron
28th Jan 2015, 16:36
Philip Sassoon was a great guy - he paid for my PPL course :)
MOSTAFA
28th Jan 2015, 22:26
If you believe General Sir Fartin Marndale did the Army Pilots Course you'd be very much mistaken. From memory, the present incumbent (4 Star) is probably the only one. He did the pilots course as a subaltern and served a tour as a line pilot; but that's it. The others, apologies if I missed any? Just turned up for a 3 week famil and got given a badge.
Scratching my head, General Kenny (4 Star) was also a line pilot but not sure he was ever Colonel Commandant?