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Sam Rutherford
22nd Jul 2017, 07:28
I was idly wondering this morning how many people are active on both here and the Facebook page - ex Army Air Corps.

I suspect lots here, but not so many on FB?

Any thoughts/feedback?

Cheers, Sam.

paco
22nd Jul 2017, 12:09
Course 238....... :)

Didn't know there was a facebook page - will check!

phil

diginagain
22nd Jul 2017, 14:19
1978 to 1996. Rarely post on here, more frequently on the AACVA page on Facebook.

hihover
22nd Jul 2017, 14:22
1979-1999

Tam

Davey Emcee
22nd Jul 2017, 15:15
Jim B-- 239 course

check
22nd Jul 2017, 18:21
Course 207 1968

Nigerian Expat Outlaw
22nd Jul 2017, 21:20
Oh dear. 292, 1985. Last of the "old pilot" courses before the P2 thing started. I know, I'm a Nig. But I'm not on FB.

NEO

22nd Jul 2017, 21:55
Perhaps look at ARRSE

Sam Rutherford
23rd Jul 2017, 06:18
Mine was 343, looks like I'm the junior on here so far!

Hadn't thought of ARRSE - but at the same time that's clearly bigger than either the AACVA or the mil-aviation part of this site.

Sam Rutherford
23rd Jul 2017, 06:19
https://www.facebook.com/groups/AACVA/

HEDP
23rd Jul 2017, 07:52
329 for me....

Non-PC Plod
23rd Jul 2017, 08:06
Sam,
Phew! wasnt going to post until someone else was the "nooby". APC 340

23rd Jul 2017, 08:45
Not actually AAC but spent 7 years on exchange from RAF instructing on Lynx and Gazelle so AAC by association?????:ok:

ericferret
23rd Jul 2017, 10:39
Not much on Arrse at all these days.

handysnaks
23rd Jul 2017, 11:39
288 vintage :)

Sloppy Link
23rd Jul 2017, 13:20
ACM(O) 62
APC 326
Don't do FB

diginagain
23rd Jul 2017, 15:52
GC 42
ACM(O) 52
APC 312

Little input on here since I ceased commuting offshore in 2015, follow the AACVA page on FB.

Letsby Avenue
23rd Jul 2017, 19:04
Crab, were you at Shawbury 97 to 2000ish? flew to Kiel with Stumpy?

24th Jul 2017, 07:02
No, not guilty. Shawbury 90 - 94 on 2 Sqn then CFSH. Then Wallop for 7 years.:ok:

Sam Rutherford
24th Jul 2017, 07:41
Hi Non-PC Plod,

We must have overlapped (just!)!

Still makes me the nooby - nobody more recent?!

Michael Gee
24th Jul 2017, 15:59
Hi Sam
Real names suit me
Going back a bit, 218 - along with Buck Koldeway Malone Stansfeld Wilson Young Buisseret Stirk Morgan Courtenay Russel-Roberts.
Wonder if they still are hands on.

paco
24th Jul 2017, 17:03
Would that be Bob Malone, Mike?

phil

Michael Gee
24th Jul 2017, 19:06
Correct, Bob Malone, he and John Stirk were good friends

MightyGem
24th Jul 2017, 20:33
284 APC: 50% chop rate :eek:

Nigerian Expat Outlaw
24th Jul 2017, 21:47
Yup. They were ruthless. We had 22 that started, 9 finished. Of those 4 are dead from flying accidents.

NEO

paco
25th Jul 2017, 06:13
I took over from Bob at WPD.

Phil

25th Jul 2017, 06:32
284 APC: 50% chop rate QHI's motto at MW - Chop early for job security:E

Same again
25th Jul 2017, 09:04
40 Aircrewman
40 Airgunner
286 APC
Happy Days :-)

Mustapha Cuppa
25th Jul 2017, 16:13
286 APC

Same again, I'm guessing you must be PC, SG, IH or CA?

Am staring at my "Pring" print as I write.

JD

Same again
25th Jul 2017, 17:30
It was a moffelous course JD with some outstanding people. Hope all is well with you. I'm the one in the car ;-)

parabellum
26th Jul 2017, 06:08
Army Pilot Course 173 - 1964/5 !!! :)

JimL
26th Jul 2017, 07:05
Army Pilot Course 197 - 1967-68

JimL and Ambidextrous

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/d_IV3eou9ms4pYCyPQr3WQjpXmUC9FdM7VoOeFEUKQ9L2363NRt1NVLqN0-GWWPKPcxda2ByOcf-g-w1eBsWgm35WjtCxtiidHc6-tNQ4i60OWrAf3yzgiXeq_ZE_uV3EyOgQwz9cSIO6DalL7ZsKEc5CtjMMyDhk PURl1gLt09bHmU8ic03-sCZTLffqLDKHOgXOkmH8h0Hpt9t6_DyhmiYP94qLDJAiinN3nvJ8O0TRxdwZ x4lDLfQgDloipNb3BZkvApgipIzKEK145DkvC0JsQW7EQnTNr4TDw_cp-g7YWdNCKxO5ht1B1VeLoGp5PfRTbqlZHcGDaR1TpyNnv3wgwf5AYpXM4oMR5 Eagk98osK4V_ak3kF1AUFd2rrtvDVFOgmIQlWsOJ8dRHq4QUnx7yMiVMlo-n1GSQHXXc8NOlVfAnKclNzgmwGmyCXoj_YZc_F4Vy3Vz2mpPAA1lBz24oVCN _6Lf1mBEXYIRglDhn21CdI6PKqf0Ql3lTjFYymcx7K949ekQzrvZI2cbkmvw yP0CZFEa6Hb79DSDJusP0GrGmL1e4oG-ZtcX1kJgMwTmWj3BABppLQGwS8gNNQ3zSCvVFX9ncqmaaalLL3YfD0WaQ=w1 227-h920-no

A.Agincourt
26th Jul 2017, 09:59
APC 275 the last 'proper course'

Attila
26th Jul 2017, 11:20
APC 216, 1970 - 1971.

Started with 20 or 22, & 13 finished. I know that one for sure is dead, killed in a car bomb in NI, Pip Cox, Cpl of Horse.

Prawn2king4
26th Jul 2017, 11:59
I think the car bomb fatality in N Ireland was a Royal Marine on 225 APC.

Michael Gee
26th Jul 2017, 15:31
I know for sure a Military Police pilot killed by explosion opening car door in Omagh was Sheridan Young 218 course RIP

Attila
26th Jul 2017, 15:36
I think the car bomb fatality in N Ireland was a Royal Marine on 225 APC.

Yes, his name was Derek Reed, and we were both Drill Instructors before our respective flying courses. He died alongside Pip Cox.

Derek was on exchange/attachment to the Army. Standard honey-trap car bomb.

oldbeefer
26th Jul 2017, 16:45
'We had 22 that started, 9 finished. Of those 4 are dead from flying accidents.'

So was the chop rate too low?

MightyGem
26th Jul 2017, 21:27
APC 275 the last 'proper course'
What do you mean by "proper course"?

Nigerian Expat Outlaw
26th Jul 2017, 22:15
'We had 22 that started, 9 finished. Of those 4 are dead from flying accidents.'

So was the chop rate too low?

One was a Main Rotor blade detachment in a Lynx. One killed the Chairman of Chelsea F.C. (that was maybe due to the low chop rate). One was a large bird strike. The fourth was somewhere in the USA.

NEO

Two's in
26th Jul 2017, 23:47
One killed the Chairman of Chelsea F.C. (that was maybe due to the low chop rate)

Was the that the 1996 crash or the 2007 crash? Both disturbingly similar. The 1996 pilot had been a former QHI, so "chop rate" was not probably a factor, especially if you read the AAIB report.

Nigerian Expat Outlaw
27th Jul 2017, 17:34
It was MG in 1996. He had a charmed life until he left the mob.

NEO

Mustapha Cuppa
27th Jul 2017, 18:48
It was a moffelous course JD with some outstanding people. Hope all is well with you. I'm the one in the car ;-)

'Twas indeed a moffelous course..... and what a car!

Stay safe

A.Agincourt
28th Jul 2017, 14:22
What do you mean by "proper course"?

After 275 the courses were 150 hours?? Not sure on that but there was no basic rotary [Bell 47]

Nigerian Expat Outlaw
28th Jul 2017, 17:30
After 275 the courses were 150 hours?? Not sure on that but there was no basic rotary [Bell 47]

My course (292) was 200 hours. BFW, BRW, ARW.

NEO

MOSTAFA
28th Jul 2017, 18:12
After 275 the courses were 150 hours?? Not sure on that but there was no basic rotary [Bell 47]

Courses after 275 were 200-210 hours and BRW was done on the Gaz as was ARW. That continued until the P2 system came along several years later.

ewe.lander
29th Jul 2017, 18:02
258 APC very happy days, finished on a Friday, Scout Conversion the next Monday.

Twinpac
30th Jul 2017, 07:47
210 APC , started with 12 and finished with 12 and am still flying.

CyclicRick
1st Aug 2017, 15:14
ACM(O) 59
Left before they could rope me into an APC, did it civvie in the end, still flying. I knew MG in 653 when he was an AG, certainly a character.

Sloppy Link
1st Aug 2017, 19:41
Don't do FB but know I'll have to. There are some vintage APC numbers appearing here, I am heavily involved in the Historic Flt, keeping you reminded of the aircraft you used to fly is our raison d'etre. If we can take you on a trip down memory lane and perhaps bring a tear of nostalgia, we will try our best. Sadly, some of our trips are too late, this week we are doing a memorial flypast for Tim Taylor, a founding father of the original Blue Eagles, a task undertaken with a heavy heart but always with a respectful smile.
PM me if you think it appropriate.
SL

paco
1st Aug 2017, 19:57
I keep volunteering to fly that Beaver......

Sloppy Link
1st Aug 2017, 20:19
Hmnnn....
Surprised it took that long....

Bertie Thruster
4th Aug 2017, 16:33
Not often on here anymore. 65 came along. Still managing to get paid to go flying, though and happily maintaining a Class 1 med.

272 APC. 1980.

Sam Rutherford
7th Aug 2017, 06:17
A fair few, but not many 'youngsters'!

Cheers, Sam.

Nigerian Expat Outlaw
7th Aug 2017, 16:51
Depends what you view as "young" ! I'm young(ish).

NEO

Two's in
8th Aug 2017, 15:21
You might think I was a relative sprog, being on APC 318, but I was a "mature" student at the top end of the range when I went through. Not saying it was harder being closer to 30 than 20, but I was on review that many times I nearly had enough hours for ATPL(H) when I finished! Needless to say, after the course I was able to prove old age and treachery will always beat youth and exuberance.

Sam Rutherford
10th Aug 2017, 05:46
Anyone 343 or later?

MightyGem
10th Aug 2017, 17:44
Sprog. Do you think anyone's going to admit to that?:E

Wizzard
11th Aug 2017, 14:13
255 then straight to Scout then to 662 at Munster

aytoo
11th Aug 2017, 15:24
55 ACM(O), 301 APC, 260 QHI - happy days :)

nowherespecial
12th Aug 2017, 19:58
I'm a newbie (relative). A few of us on here are from the last 15 years or so.

parabellum
13th Aug 2017, 23:38
I know what an ALM is but what is an ACM(O) please? In 1964-68 we did have a few trained observers but that was it.

Two's in
14th Aug 2017, 01:13
ACM(O) is an Aircrewman Observer. He was the smart person with a map who always knew where he was and often shared that information with the Pilot. This was as opposed to the ACM(G) who was an Aircrewman Gunner. Gunners started (I believe on the Westland Scout), which could be fitted with the SS.11 Anti-Tank missile system. This was a dustbin sized wire-guided missile with the speed of an arthritic miner, but could deliver a reasonable punch. The gunner had to optically track the target (Ferranti AF120 Sight), squeeze the trigger, and then when all the smoke had cleared, try to fly the dustbin full of HE to the same grid square as the target. One hand tracking the target, one hand flying the missile, those Gunners certainly had some awesome hand-eye coordination.

All this changed with the introduction of the 2 pilot system, after someone realized that the entire armed action capability of Army Aviation relied on a small number of well-motivated Junior NCO's in the left seat!

14th Aug 2017, 06:15
Which then led to the debate - on Lynx - as to which role the Officer should play; should he command and fly the helicopter while the gunner fired the TOW or should he have direct control of the weapons while the corporal flew the helicopter. ISTR that went round the buoy a few times;)

diginagain
14th Aug 2017, 09:32
As Ross Mallock had it in the song, "The Right-hand Man in the Left-hand Seat."

Same again
14th Aug 2017, 09:46
Another arthritic miner on it's way to oblivion with the Gunner about to find out if this particular one is a rogue.

parabellum
15th Aug 2017, 00:26
Thanks Two's In. Yes remember the SS11, did some trials using 26 flights Alouette 2s in Germany late 1967. Two pilots operating, I, ('gunner'), sat next to the Alouette pilot, (flying), took the target details over the R/T, gave instructions to pilot, used a pair of binoculars with a bloody great gyro attached to stabilize them, called 'fire', recording equipment plus officer in back giving commentary, called 'hit' when time of flight achieved. All done with no missiles at all! Went on for about a week, never did see a report though. Left Army Feb. 1968.