Your most memorable QFI
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Your most memorable QFI
As a natural extension of the "First Solo" thread, who was your most memorable QFI?
Mine was Flt Lt Brian Skillicorn (brief bio here) - not my regular QFI at RN EFTS, but on the few occaisions I flew with him I had a real workout and came back a much better pilot.
Marcus MacDonald was one of his regular studes on my course, and worshipped him. Marcus was killed in a mid-air on March 6th 1981.
BEagle wrote:
___________________________________________________________
Edit: I've just read Brian's bio again, and see that he became a Sgt Pilot in 1963 on Whirlwinds - when did the RAF stop training NCO pilots?
Mine was Flt Lt Brian Skillicorn (brief bio here) - not my regular QFI at RN EFTS, but on the few occaisions I flew with him I had a real workout and came back a much better pilot.
Marcus MacDonald was one of his regular studes on my course, and worshipped him. Marcus was killed in a mid-air on March 6th 1981.
BEagle wrote:
"1st ever:Chipmunk WP974, 14 Jun 69, ULAS White Waltham. TVM Jerry Brown!"
'twas Jerry who also sent me solo in Feb 1970. Wasn't he a character! The ULAS professional Fg Off QFI who refused to do his 'B' exam, allegedly. Later left the RAF to join BEA, I gather.
The days when 'characters' were allowed in the RAF........
'twas Jerry who also sent me solo in Feb 1970. Wasn't he a character! The ULAS professional Fg Off QFI who refused to do his 'B' exam, allegedly. Later left the RAF to join BEA, I gather.
The days when 'characters' were allowed in the RAF........
Edit: I've just read Brian's bio again, and see that he became a Sgt Pilot in 1963 on Whirlwinds - when did the RAF stop training NCO pilots?
Last edited by airborne_artist; 22nd Mar 2006 at 08:01.
Sqn Ldr Andy Whittaker! He was ULAS CFI when Jerry was there. I think he once taught navy pilots to fly Seafires, amongst the many other things he'd done.
He'd ask you a question about flying the Chippie and then say (of your answer) "That isn't entirely wrong" in a gently teasing manner.
Or, when flying over some obscure patch of mud "I used to fly (....)s there!"
Another gem, concerning PFLs. "Don't worry too much about the checks, just fly the aeroplane. I forget the checks completely during my first 3 real forced landings!"
And I don't think I ever heard him raise his voice once.
He'd ask you a question about flying the Chippie and then say (of your answer) "That isn't entirely wrong" in a gently teasing manner.
Or, when flying over some obscure patch of mud "I used to fly (....)s there!"
Another gem, concerning PFLs. "Don't worry too much about the checks, just fly the aeroplane. I forget the checks completely during my first 3 real forced landings!"
And I don't think I ever heard him raise his voice once.
Concur with AA regarding Brian Skillicorn, top bloke. Also enjoyed being taught to fly the Bulldog by Flt Lt Bob Cole, ex TP and spitfire pilot in the BoB film. I still remember his 'Show me some of your spaz aeros' call! Whilst on the subject of QFIs at RNEFTS we must include Flt Lt Pete Freddi, sadly no longer with us, but he loved flying and loved teaching it too and must have taught a whole generation of FAA pilots the basics.
p.s. Can we include QHIs too, or should there be a separate thread??
I'll start with Trevor Lockwood!
p.s. Can we include QHIs too, or should there be a separate thread??
I'll start with Trevor Lockwood!
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Can we include QHIs too, or should there be a separate thread??
I'll start with Trevor Lockwood!
I'll start with Trevor Lockwood!
Flew with Flt Lt Pete Freddi a few times too - laid back, good laugh afterwards in the bar. A smoker of the old school.
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Sqn Ldr "Wacky" Wheeler at Cranwell... CGI when I was there in the late 80s. He scared the life out of me!!!! "Party in my office, tomorrow morning... Bring your own hat!!". Ahhh, those were the days
Also Shacky Ford... helped me out no end. I clearly remember the 45 minute debrief where he tried to tell me I was not going fast jet any more... lovely bloke!! He was so worried about it... I was just relieved to be honest
Tonks
Also Shacky Ford... helped me out no end. I clearly remember the 45 minute debrief where he tried to tell me I was not going fast jet any more... lovely bloke!! He was so worried about it... I was just relieved to be honest
Tonks
Re. Brian Skillicorn
I had the pleasure of serving with him at D Sqn Boscombe Down. Apart from being a nice bloke, his demo of reverse figure-of-eight hover taxy in the piston engined Whirlwind (manual throttle!!) was co-ordination at a level I could only marvel at. Super bloke.
I had the pleasure of serving with him at D Sqn Boscombe Down. Apart from being a nice bloke, his demo of reverse figure-of-eight hover taxy in the piston engined Whirlwind (manual throttle!!) was co-ordination at a level I could only marvel at. Super bloke.
BEagle: got to concurr on Andy Whitaker.
Now what about Ces Crook? He was a fantastic personality, A1 QFI in every sense, and the most glorious p*** artist too. There's also the matter of a missing train in Germany, on which he was either P1 or P u/t.....
Last heard of in NZ.
My most memorable QHI? Has to be Derek Jones. Derek is also one of the very few to be an A1 QFI/A1 QHI, if I remember rightly. I had the privilege of being introduced to the craft of SAR by him....not his fault I went off to be a SH pilot! Later I had the pleasure of working with him in the civilian world.
He is still instructing and examining up in the ABZ area.
Now what about Ces Crook? He was a fantastic personality, A1 QFI in every sense, and the most glorious p*** artist too. There's also the matter of a missing train in Germany, on which he was either P1 or P u/t.....
Last heard of in NZ.
My most memorable QHI? Has to be Derek Jones. Derek is also one of the very few to be an A1 QFI/A1 QHI, if I remember rightly. I had the privilege of being introduced to the craft of SAR by him....not his fault I went off to be a SH pilot! Later I had the pleasure of working with him in the civilian world.
He is still instructing and examining up in the ABZ area.
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A certain AAC SSgt QHI with a popular Welsh name was an absolute twunt.
Went out of his way to be picky about terminology in the extreme, confirmed things like windscreen wiper switches about 3 times before pressing, wrote wildly inaccurate reports at times and was generally just an all round bad instructor.
Everyone I spoke to knew about it and he was universally recognised as the worst instructor there.
He seemed to have a serious chip on his shoulder regarding young officers.
A certain AAC Lieutenant 'gripped' him though and terminated the flight because he was being massively anal.
Shame that the young Plt Offs and 'Middies' didn't have the balls to do the same, maybe that would have sorted the problem out.
I'm not bitter
Went out of his way to be picky about terminology in the extreme, confirmed things like windscreen wiper switches about 3 times before pressing, wrote wildly inaccurate reports at times and was generally just an all round bad instructor.
Everyone I spoke to knew about it and he was universally recognised as the worst instructor there.
He seemed to have a serious chip on his shoulder regarding young officers.
A certain AAC Lieutenant 'gripped' him though and terminated the flight because he was being massively anal.
Shame that the young Plt Offs and 'Middies' didn't have the balls to do the same, maybe that would have sorted the problem out.
I'm not bitter
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ULAS 1969 - 1972
I also have to concur with Beagle on Jerry Brown and Andy Whittaker, both feature in my log book, and both made a longlasting impression.......
We mustn't forget Chris Booth, either - were you there the night he drank the loving cup, Beagle. I've never seen anyone look so grey the morniong after and still be able to walk. AW sent him back to bed as soon as met brief was over. There was also Herb Sutcliff, not a QFI, but an instant party where ever he went. I believe it was his crab apple wine which gave the bath in the block a non-stick surface. Happy days!
We mustn't forget Chris Booth, either - were you there the night he drank the loving cup, Beagle. I've never seen anyone look so grey the morniong after and still be able to walk. AW sent him back to bed as soon as met brief was over. There was also Herb Sutcliff, not a QFI, but an instant party where ever he went. I believe it was his crab apple wine which gave the bath in the block a non-stick surface. Happy days!
I wonder if anyone can guess who?
Various anecdotal tales involving camels, hunters, a morgan three-wheeler, an overseas dining-in night, a shot-gun, and in the late 60s he drove a red MGA twin-cam.
My first, and most memorable QFI!
Various anecdotal tales involving camels, hunters, a morgan three-wheeler, an overseas dining-in night, a shot-gun, and in the late 60s he drove a red MGA twin-cam.
My first, and most memorable QFI!
Gentleman Aviator
Has to be D H-H! I got collateral damage the night he tested a pint pot to destruction on the PMC's head..... I was a stude on the same squadron when he was a QFI but he's not in my log book.....
No, Airbedane, I wasn't there when Boot yammed the loving cup. But I heard all about it from the guys who'd seen it!
Herb and that infernal bath - it took the skin off your bum it was so rough after he'd tried to make that $odding wine in it. Ran into him some years ago flying an F-4 back from ASI to UK; he'd made it back to F-Js after being a Herc driver for many years.
How's the Comet coming along?
Herb and that infernal bath - it took the skin off your bum it was so rough after he'd tried to make that $odding wine in it. Ran into him some years ago flying an F-4 back from ASI to UK; he'd made it back to F-Js after being a Herc driver for many years.
How's the Comet coming along?