Blind BEA Viscount Captain.
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Blind BEA Viscount Captain.
Working for BEA S.1-11 division in the late 60's early 70's I remember a Viscount
captain, who, after making his outside checks during the loading of the pax, would
re-enter the a/c by the rear door. He would then take out a collapsible white stick,
and walk through the cabin, knocking the stick on the seat legs, before entering
the cockpit. Can anyone put a name to his man ? I am sure the pax would not
forget the flight.
Lance Shippey.
captain, who, after making his outside checks during the loading of the pax, would
re-enter the a/c by the rear door. He would then take out a collapsible white stick,
and walk through the cabin, knocking the stick on the seat legs, before entering
the cockpit. Can anyone put a name to his man ? I am sure the pax would not
forget the flight.
Lance Shippey.
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I believe it was a Captain Thompson - he'd hang a sign on the cockpit door saying "Blind Flying Tonight". There were several stories about him I recall.
Was he the same person that would come out of the cockpit door with two lengths of string and give them to a passenger and ask him to hold on to them whilst he went to the toilet?
One of the lecturers at the College of ATC in the '70s would tell us these tales although in this case it was a Dakota in the late '40s at Northolt; the name he mentioned I believe was a Captain Welford.
The legendary Doug Shoulder. They don't make them like him nowadays, either !
After breaking a femur and a small (!) operation to insert a pin, seven weeks later I went back to the North Sea flying 212s based on the Treasure Finder in the Brent Field. Fairly intensive flying, there was some concern with me wandering around the rig using a walking stick.
Easy solution, paint the stick white and wave it out of the window at the passengers when they weren't paying attention.
Easy solution, paint the stick white and wave it out of the window at the passengers when they weren't paying attention.
Can't answer the question posed in the opener but as a Trainee Crewing Assistant (wanabee pilot) with Caledonian in 1966, I was SLF in the back of the company DC7 outa Jordan, for fun on my days off. Anyway, inbound ops crew were deadheading back to Gatters. Outbound crew, we were told, had their uniforms stolen from the hotel during previous nightstop. They sat with pax, in civvies. Lots of trolling as they mumbled things like ;"Why are we waiting...Where the hell are the pilots...." etc, when Capt stood up, loudly exclaimed," Oh, had enough of this, You (points at Flt Eng) and You (points at SFO) come with me !". The three, all in civies, walked up to the FD, closed doors and soon after first of the big props started bursting into life. Magic.
On a UK domestic I was standing at the door with a blind passenger with his dog waiting for assistance to arrive the Captain was standing outside the FD door saying his goodbyes.
An enthusiastic American passenger stopped and said to the Captain “great landing did you do it?” As quick as a flash he pointed to the blind passenger and said “No he did”.
Even the dog was amused!
An enthusiastic American passenger stopped and said to the Captain “great landing did you do it?” As quick as a flash he pointed to the blind passenger and said “No he did”.
Even the dog was amused!
Was this the same captain who would sit with the passengers after loading, with a civvie overcoat on. He would start muttering about "yet another delay" and that, if they didn't get going soon, he would fly it himself. He said that he used to fly fighters in the war and was sure that he could handle a simple Viscount. "That's it," he said, " I,ve had enough I'm going to have a go." Thereupon, he gets up, marches into the cockpit, the engines started and it took off with the passengers wondering if their end had come.
I was told that this kind of thing was not unusual in the Highlands because the older wartime flightcrews up there knew that they were unlikely to be trained in jets and had nothing to lose.
I was told that this kind of thing was not unusual in the Highlands because the older wartime flightcrews up there knew that they were unlikely to be trained in jets and had nothing to lose.
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FF
Working for BEA S.1-11 division in the late 60's early 70's I remember a Viscount
captain, who, after making his outside checks during the loading of the pax, would
re-enter the a/c by the rear door. He would then take out a collapsible white stick,
and walk through the cabin, knocking the stick on the seat legs, before entering
the cockpit. Can anyone put a name to his man ? I am sure the pax would not
forget the flight.
captain, who, after making his outside checks during the loading of the pax, would
re-enter the a/c by the rear door. He would then take out a collapsible white stick,
and walk through the cabin, knocking the stick on the seat legs, before entering
the cockpit. Can anyone put a name to his man ? I am sure the pax would not
forget the flight.
The late, great Harry Mills, forced to retire at 55 from the job of Captain of a BA VC 10 went to Abu Dhabi to fly a BN2A Islander for Gulf Air. At that time (earlyish 1970s) Abu Dhabi has a nice new airport with a glass wall between the apron and the departure lounge. Harry, who had grown a long white beard, had the habit of emerging from the traffic office next to the departure lounge to tap his way slowly across the apron with a white stick over to the the Islander while his passengers watched in horror. We had the task of persuading them that they were quire safe, before they would agree to board, and it wasn't easy..
Viking
Story was a glasgow based skipper who wore a deer stalker on the viking.
String trick seen done. Participated in the hide in the underfloor E&E compartment on the Trident whilst the new girl searches the aircraft for the first officer who is needed urgently.
1978 skipper and I walked through Dubai airport dressed in thawb,keffikeh and abal all the way onto the flight deck of a super VC10...still have my gear which I wear occasionally. Thawb as a dressing gown in the summer Mediterranean morning and the keffikeh climbing irish hills in winter to fly.
String trick seen done. Participated in the hide in the underfloor E&E compartment on the Trident whilst the new girl searches the aircraft for the first officer who is needed urgently.
1978 skipper and I walked through Dubai airport dressed in thawb,keffikeh and abal all the way onto the flight deck of a super VC10...still have my gear which I wear occasionally. Thawb as a dressing gown in the summer Mediterranean morning and the keffikeh climbing irish hills in winter to fly.
String trick. Heard of this attributed to RAF Transport Command on Army charters. R/O, Nav. F/Eng. Co-Pilot would obviously leave the flight deck and start playing cards at the rear, Captain would then walk slowly backwards out of the cockpit keeping the string tight, and hand it to the first row aisle seat pax.and tell him to keep it tight as he joined the crew.
Co-pilot hiding in Lower 41, electronics bay. Stewardess called and -told to get him to hurry back after visiting the toilet and eventually returned to say that she couldn't find him. "Oh dear,"said Capt. we must have left him behind. After landing flt. crew asked ground crew to delay positioning the rear steps, co-pilot ran down the front steps, then up the rear steps and pounded on the door, when the stewardess opened it he feigned shortness of breath and said " Christ, you left me behind, I've had to run all the way" Stewardess fainted.
All I ever did was agree to let a curious stewardess look through the sextant, but not right now, come back in 10 minutes. Burned cork smeared around the rubber eyepiece and when she said she couldn't see anything, try the other eye, and press hard against the eyepiece. Sdss. then walked bacl through the cabin with two black eyes. Such fun.
Co-pilot hiding in Lower 41, electronics bay. Stewardess called and -told to get him to hurry back after visiting the toilet and eventually returned to say that she couldn't find him. "Oh dear,"said Capt. we must have left him behind. After landing flt. crew asked ground crew to delay positioning the rear steps, co-pilot ran down the front steps, then up the rear steps and pounded on the door, when the stewardess opened it he feigned shortness of breath and said " Christ, you left me behind, I've had to run all the way" Stewardess fainted.
All I ever did was agree to let a curious stewardess look through the sextant, but not right now, come back in 10 minutes. Burned cork smeared around the rubber eyepiece and when she said she couldn't see anything, try the other eye, and press hard against the eyepiece. Sdss. then walked bacl through the cabin with two black eyes. Such fun.
One of the best stories in this vein was told by Reg Levy (Gaining An RAF Pilot's Brevet). Just after the war he was employed by what became Air India. He was flying DC3s with 2 pilots and an air hostess. On one trip. the hostess came into the cockpit to take away the empty coffee cups. One of the cups still had some coffee in it so she went to open one of the side vents to throw it out. The pilots shouted to stop because the other vent was already open and they explained that, if both vents were open at the same time, they would all be sucked out. On a subsequent trip with the same crew, the pilots opened both vents, turned on the AP and went to hide in the luggage compartment which was just behind the cockpit. When the hostess entered the cockpit to remove the empty coffee cups, she was met with and empty cockpit and both vents open. One can imagine her feelings.
Doug was manning the runway caravan (RCV) at Northolt (which was civil for a short time while Heathrow was still being prepared).
Dakota (or maybe Viking) taxys out and stops to do power checks. Cockpit window opens and an arm comes out with the hand waving a familiar 'V' sign.
Doug sticks his hand out of the window and returns the gesture.
Voice on radio says 'Tower, your runway controller is making rude signs at my passengers'.
On another occasion, (maybe the same skipper?) I was training in Glasgow Tower when the Viscount inbound from Campbelltown/Macrihanish reported downwind; myself and my mentor searched the sky but couldn't see it - until it climbed to pass over the Erskine Bridge as it had been flying below the banks either side of the Clyde valley until that point .
Last edited by chevvron; 20th Sep 2020 at 09:17.
Trooping charter, British Eagle DC6 to Bardufoss back in the 60s; shortly after take-off the captain gave the usual briefing and ended with an invitation to visit the flight deck if anyone felt like it. In those days this was probably their first flight for many of the Commandos on board.
Eventually one brave soul stood up and asked a steward if he could have a look. The steward went to ask, and came back to tell him just to go though the door. He did that. After a good 5 minutes he reappeared looking slightly anxious, came to the back of the cabin, leant down and said very quietly "Excuse me, Sirs, did you know that there are no pilots up there?".
We told him to go back there without telling a soul, and fly the aircraft until we could sort out what to do. He went back to the flight deck determined to do his best. He returned after a while to say that all was well, the crew were just having a laugh..
The entire flight deck crew had hidden in the crew bunk.
Eventually one brave soul stood up and asked a steward if he could have a look. The steward went to ask, and came back to tell him just to go though the door. He did that. After a good 5 minutes he reappeared looking slightly anxious, came to the back of the cabin, leant down and said very quietly "Excuse me, Sirs, did you know that there are no pilots up there?".
We told him to go back there without telling a soul, and fly the aircraft until we could sort out what to do. He went back to the flight deck determined to do his best. He returned after a while to say that all was well, the crew were just having a laugh..
The entire flight deck crew had hidden in the crew bunk.
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Love these replies. I remember at flight from BER/MAN via FMO.
on board a BA ATP. with German cabin crew, The British captain
hissed down his microphone during the stewardess showing how
to pull the toggle to inflate your lifejacket.
Also a German male flight attendant with Deutsche B.A. after
landing at TXL. announcing "Ladies and Gentlemen, When opening
the overhead bins, be careful that nothing falls out, and knocks you
senseless".
Lance Shippey
on board a BA ATP. with German cabin crew, The British captain
hissed down his microphone during the stewardess showing how
to pull the toggle to inflate your lifejacket.
Also a German male flight attendant with Deutsche B.A. after
landing at TXL. announcing "Ladies and Gentlemen, When opening
the overhead bins, be careful that nothing falls out, and knocks you
senseless".
Lance Shippey
