13 JP Course RAF Church Fenton 1966
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13 JP Course RAF Church Fenton 1966
Where are you all now ?
The last 45 years have gone so quick are any of you still flying like me or are you just about to test drive a Zimmer Frame. What about the instructors Dick Brodie, Doug Found, John Robinson, Dennis Pasco, Olly Knight to name a few from my logbook what are you up to these days. I am sure there are a few stories to tell like Laurie Hayward (RIP) famous wire strike on a low level solo navex. He is said to have reported he had a bird strike but the cable was still attached to his fin when he landed. Difficult to explain that away. Forays into York to the Hole in the Wall and Star pubs and recces into the local nurses homes ! A visit to City Hospital nurses home in 1965 on a blind date with Owen H and Mick C and hey prestow I ended up getting married to the ugliest one of the 3 nurses !! (Just kidding it's what my wife tells people about how we first met - she got the ugliest student pilot).
I knew Mike Saunders and Dave Wheeler, but haven't got a clue where they are now.
YS
YS
Last edited by Yellow Sun; 7th Dec 2011 at 09:56. Reason: Correction based upon Fly380's information
"Mildly" Eccentric Stardriver
Dennis Pasco was on 30 sqn as a C130 captain in the mid 70s. I believe he left and joined Marshalls at Cambridge. Keith Ifould went to helicopters and was on 230 Whirlwinds in '67. Can't help further I'm afraid; as you said, it is a long time ago. I tried tracing 169 from Syerston of about the same vintage, but drew an almost complete blank.
Last edited by Herod; 6th Dec 2011 at 15:45. Reason: Change of dates
What a magnificent bunch of men. We must have been the finest JP course at Church Fenton
LOONRAT - who are you? and Yellow Sun you are wrong. Now let me exercise my brain. Bob Thompson ran the Rothman Aerobatic Team for a while. Mike Saunders was CFI at Valley on Hawks as a Wing Commander. He retired but came back on a temporary contract as a Flt Lt as they were short of instructors. I met him at Valley when my son got his wings in 2003? Plenty of beers to catch up on and as for my son - he is now a Squadron Leader presently in The Falklands on a 1 year ground tour and is going onto The Typhoon in Feb 2012. He was on Tornado F3's and had to eject out of one in 2005 at 550mph into The North Sea. The last I heard of Cross Robin was that he was with Kuwait Airways. Tony Cowan was with B.Cal and BA and now I believe, retired in Spain. I am in contact with Diddy Wheeler who is retired. Mike Coldrey I met in Freetown flying for Sierra Leone Airways. He subsequently went to B.Cal and BA and lives in South Devon. Now the best till last. Lurker Laurie. Prince Charles's Captain when he 'deviated' from the runway somewhere in Scotland.
So there are the clues as Lloyd Grossman used to say. Who am I? PMs' only please.
LOONRAT - who are you? and Yellow Sun you are wrong. Now let me exercise my brain. Bob Thompson ran the Rothman Aerobatic Team for a while. Mike Saunders was CFI at Valley on Hawks as a Wing Commander. He retired but came back on a temporary contract as a Flt Lt as they were short of instructors. I met him at Valley when my son got his wings in 2003? Plenty of beers to catch up on and as for my son - he is now a Squadron Leader presently in The Falklands on a 1 year ground tour and is going onto The Typhoon in Feb 2012. He was on Tornado F3's and had to eject out of one in 2005 at 550mph into The North Sea. The last I heard of Cross Robin was that he was with Kuwait Airways. Tony Cowan was with B.Cal and BA and now I believe, retired in Spain. I am in contact with Diddy Wheeler who is retired. Mike Coldrey I met in Freetown flying for Sierra Leone Airways. He subsequently went to B.Cal and BA and lives in South Devon. Now the best till last. Lurker Laurie. Prince Charles's Captain when he 'deviated' from the runway somewhere in Scotland. So there are the clues as Lloyd Grossman used to say. Who am I? PMs' only please.
Well I passed on the information I remember. What about some info on the others? I do remember Laurie Haywood's incident but that happenned before our course started I think. I remember Harold Chadbourne doing curcuits and bumps at Sherburn-In-Elmet a disused airfield with XX' at the end of the runway when he was supposed to be at Elvington. ATC answered all his calls and watched the invisible JP doing touch and goes.
As for the entertainment side we were always being invited to nurses and teachers parties. I remember one night going to a widwives training school in Leeds and their pride and joy was their skeleton. When I woke up in the mess the following morning there were bones everywhere. Someone had nicked the skeleton. The school were none too pleased and we had to return them. I blame Laurie Haywood (RIP). He was acting very suspicially that night.
I don't think our boss, Sqn Ldr Waite was very pleased with us. York was a pleasure to go to. So many women and so few men. Stonegate was where we used to go. Ye Olde Star Inn and another I can't remember the name of. Just round the corner was Young's Hotel - birthplace of Guy Fawkes but the Fish- heads from Linton used to drink there. I saw a thread about 20 Hunter Squadron in Tengah. Well Cross Robin's father was C-in C Transport command and so when we had a weeks leave he organised a trip for me and Nigel Kirby to go to Singapore and we stayed in the mess at Tengah where we bumped into an ex ADC of his fathers. He took us flying in their T7 and made us do curcuits and bumps at Tenjah which was a bit of of a jump up from a JP! Sorry about all the drivel but it might bring back some memories. Next was Varsities at Oakington and lots of exciting stories there - but for another day.
Toodlepip
And LOONRAT - who are you? Bob? ps Flt Lt Pete Martin was the guy that took us up in the T7 in Tengah.
As for the entertainment side we were always being invited to nurses and teachers parties. I remember one night going to a widwives training school in Leeds and their pride and joy was their skeleton. When I woke up in the mess the following morning there were bones everywhere. Someone had nicked the skeleton. The school were none too pleased and we had to return them. I blame Laurie Haywood (RIP). He was acting very suspicially that night.
I don't think our boss, Sqn Ldr Waite was very pleased with us. York was a pleasure to go to. So many women and so few men. Stonegate was where we used to go. Ye Olde Star Inn and another I can't remember the name of. Just round the corner was Young's Hotel - birthplace of Guy Fawkes but the Fish- heads from Linton used to drink there. I saw a thread about 20 Hunter Squadron in Tengah. Well Cross Robin's father was C-in C Transport command and so when we had a weeks leave he organised a trip for me and Nigel Kirby to go to Singapore and we stayed in the mess at Tengah where we bumped into an ex ADC of his fathers. He took us flying in their T7 and made us do curcuits and bumps at Tenjah which was a bit of of a jump up from a JP! Sorry about all the drivel but it might bring back some memories. Next was Varsities at Oakington and lots of exciting stories there - but for another day.Toodlepip
And LOONRAT - who are you? Bob? ps Flt Lt Pete Martin was the guy that took us up in the T7 in Tengah.
Last edited by Fly380; 7th Dec 2011 at 20:05.
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T7
Hi Tony, yes I remember that trip to Singapore and the ride with Peter Martin in the T7, particularly the ride over the jungle at low level with the vapour pouring out of the screen vents. I seem to remember that Pete took you and Nigel high level to go M1. Long time ago.
Cheers, Robin Cross
my e: [email protected]
Cheers, Robin Cross
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Hi LOONRAT,
Yes, I remember seeing Laurie Hayward's aircraft out on the line when he got back. Along with the cut in the fin the canopy had score marks on it and I seem to remember that the church clock in the village close to his wire strike had stopped, indicating the exact time Laurie had passed through.
Cheers, Robin Cross
Yes, I remember seeing Laurie Hayward's aircraft out on the line when he got back. Along with the cut in the fin the canopy had score marks on it and I seem to remember that the church clock in the village close to his wire strike had stopped, indicating the exact time Laurie had passed through.
Cheers, Robin Cross
Gentleman Aviator
Keith Ifould last spotted (with beard!) as a wheel of some sort at the RAF Museum in Hendon. Must have been only a couple of years ago - he retired as a gp capt.
Well done LOONRAT. In touch with Tony & Robin (work it out Sherlock!) Joe Whitfield retired as a Gp Capt - he was stn cdr at Honington. Last heard of working for FRA at Bournmouth. Malcom Lovatt (QFI) was my desk officer at Barnwood when I retired - occasionally bump into him on the golf course
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13 JP Cse Church Fenton
Hi there LOONRAT
I was on that course and I'm in contact with Tony Cowan and Doc Denton. I last saw Graham Morton about three years ago and Mike Saunders in 1978 at RAF Valley. I last saw Mike Coldrey at Changi just before we both headed off to CFS. Overall, I think Church Fenton was a fairly good experience. Some of our instructors were good, some were OK and one or two could be quite nasty. Our course was full of decent blokes whom I will remember with pleasure. I don't think we were a popular course with the instructors, but I'm pretty sure that we didn't let that bother us. For some reason which escapes me, I remember a course night out at the City Varieties Music Hall in Leeds (home of TV's Old Time Music Hall). I remember heckling one of the comedians, but I doubt if he noticed. The smell of the Tadcaster Brewery still drifts back to me.
I was on that course and I'm in contact with Tony Cowan and Doc Denton. I last saw Graham Morton about three years ago and Mike Saunders in 1978 at RAF Valley. I last saw Mike Coldrey at Changi just before we both headed off to CFS. Overall, I think Church Fenton was a fairly good experience. Some of our instructors were good, some were OK and one or two could be quite nasty. Our course was full of decent blokes whom I will remember with pleasure. I don't think we were a popular course with the instructors, but I'm pretty sure that we didn't let that bother us. For some reason which escapes me, I remember a course night out at the City Varieties Music Hall in Leeds (home of TV's Old Time Music Hall). I remember heckling one of the comedians, but I doubt if he noticed. The smell of the Tadcaster Brewery still drifts back to me.
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13 course. Cannot believe what a good looking bunch we were.
Mention of D. Pasco - He was out on 52 squadron for a while. Our Andover lost all electrics in the middle of some Cbs, returning with a medevac from Borneo. It was the only time I ever heard of flying triangles - it actually worked. BM
Mention of D. Pasco - He was out on 52 squadron for a while. Our Andover lost all electrics in the middle of some Cbs, returning with a medevac from Borneo. It was the only time I ever heard of flying triangles - it actually worked. BM
Last edited by bpilot52; 28th Feb 2017 at 03:39.