Nimrod Crew Confirmation
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Nimrod Crew Confirmation
Hi
Just wondering if someone could point me in the right direction, I have a chap who works for my company who reckons he was a Nimrod pilot! We know he was a radar operator for sure, but he claims he was an A1 instuctor up the sharp end!
How can I find out i.e. through which channels can I go through to find out if he really was what he reckons he was>
Thanks in Advance
Me
Just wondering if someone could point me in the right direction, I have a chap who works for my company who reckons he was a Nimrod pilot! We know he was a radar operator for sure, but he claims he was an A1 instuctor up the sharp end!
How can I find out i.e. through which channels can I go through to find out if he really was what he reckons he was>
Thanks in Advance
Me
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Alfiedsavel
You have asked an impossible question to answer. Certainly not through this media anyway.
From what you say the guy works with/for you. Ask yourself a few questions.
a. Does he do a good job? If he does, why worry.
b. Refer to question a. above.
I was once in a pub in the Chilterns, I got into a conversation with an older, retired chap who was most interesting to talk to. After a while I asked him what he did in his working life. His response was "Oh, I was in the RAF for a few years", he left it at that.
After he had left the pub, I asked the landlord who the chap was, "Ahh" he said "That was Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Foxley-Norris, he was in the RAF for a few years."
You have asked an impossible question to answer. Certainly not through this media anyway.
From what you say the guy works with/for you. Ask yourself a few questions.
a. Does he do a good job? If he does, why worry.
b. Refer to question a. above.
I was once in a pub in the Chilterns, I got into a conversation with an older, retired chap who was most interesting to talk to. After a while I asked him what he did in his working life. His response was "Oh, I was in the RAF for a few years", he left it at that.
After he had left the pub, I asked the landlord who the chap was, "Ahh" he said "That was Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Foxley-Norris, he was in the RAF for a few years."
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
I knew a Herc flt eng; he was a Nimrod pilot. I knew a Nimrod radar operator; he was a nav captain on Shackletons. I knew a Regiment Officer; he was an Air Cdre Nav (at least). A Vulcan Captain; navigator.
There are many who had quite different and apparently contradictory jobs. How would you find out? And as someone said, why would you want to?
PS, just a thought, did he say he was a Nimrod Pilot or a Nimrod Captain? Now it is a common misconception that a captain will be a pilot. A radar operator might have become an AEO who became a captain. Many AEOps indeed became AEOs. He may have been an AEOp radar operator, then AEO, then Captain.
There are many who had quite different and apparently contradictory jobs. How would you find out? And as someone said, why would you want to?
PS, just a thought, did he say he was a Nimrod Pilot or a Nimrod Captain? Now it is a common misconception that a captain will be a pilot. A radar operator might have become an AEO who became a captain. Many AEOps indeed became AEOs. He may have been an AEOp radar operator, then AEO, then Captain.
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Try the Air Force List
If you can get hold of a copy of the Air Force list (local library) then you should be able to look up his name and if he was an A1 he will have CFS* after his name. At least that will give you a clue to his instructor category and I would suggest that if he has that then he has no reason to lie and may be pukka.
Red On, Green On
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I'm fairly sure that all officers get mentioned in the London Gazette, probably twice (on commissioning, and on leaving). You can search the London Gazette online here
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I like the contradiction:
Anytime someone pops up and ask "should I forget I have hay fever" when appling for the RAF said person gets shot down as being dishonest and not officer material.
Yet several here say leave it be when an ex serviceman is less than honest about his role whilst serving.
Anytime someone pops up and ask "should I forget I have hay fever" when appling for the RAF said person gets shot down as being dishonest and not officer material.
Yet several here say leave it be when an ex serviceman is less than honest about his role whilst serving.
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Very odd - the question that is.
Either he was or he wasn't. If he wasn't then, one day, he'll shoot himslf down - big time! Until then - he was what he says he was.
I have a chap who works for my company who reckons he was a Nimrod pilot!
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Because Boswell there is a difference between lying on your CV, like Lee McQueen, and at interview and 'shooting a line'.
From Alfie's post there is no suggestion that they were recruiting an A1 instructor and Nimrod pilot.
Just for clarity, the Maritime Force used to categorise its aircrew. C-cat was what you were awarded when you became operational. B-cat was the norm after 12-18 months on the sqn and an examination by the standardisation team. A-cat was walking on water. AFAIK there was no A1 or A2.
Instructional categories on the other hand start at B2 once you have completed the requisite courses progressing to B1 the following year after examination by the denizens of the Central Flying School. The following year you would be re-examined and maintain B1, be relgated to B2 or worse, or achieve A2 status. As an A2 I recall your next check would be some 18 months later. You might then be advanced to A1 and the check interval increased again.
To be an A1 Instructor on Nimrods implies either a qualified instructor certified by the CFS agents or a Qualified Flying Instructor certified again by CFS. In either case, as Wasaloadie says, you would have the post-nominal CFS*. As for the Air Force List, I think only officers would be listed and not SNCO/WO CFS*, but I may be wrong there.
From Alfie's post there is no suggestion that they were recruiting an A1 instructor and Nimrod pilot.
Just for clarity, the Maritime Force used to categorise its aircrew. C-cat was what you were awarded when you became operational. B-cat was the norm after 12-18 months on the sqn and an examination by the standardisation team. A-cat was walking on water. AFAIK there was no A1 or A2.
Instructional categories on the other hand start at B2 once you have completed the requisite courses progressing to B1 the following year after examination by the denizens of the Central Flying School. The following year you would be re-examined and maintain B1, be relgated to B2 or worse, or achieve A2 status. As an A2 I recall your next check would be some 18 months later. You might then be advanced to A1 and the check interval increased again.
To be an A1 Instructor on Nimrods implies either a qualified instructor certified by the CFS agents or a Qualified Flying Instructor certified again by CFS. In either case, as Wasaloadie says, you would have the post-nominal CFS*. As for the Air Force List, I think only officers would be listed and not SNCO/WO CFS*, but I may be wrong there.
Last edited by Wader2; 5th Jun 2008 at 11:48.
I have a chap who works for my company who reckons he was a Nimrod pilot!
A1 Qualified Flying Instructor = cfs* after his entry in the list.
Very straightforward
YS
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The guy may well have been a radar op as NCA then applied for a commission as a pilot - there are a few around.
I can't think of any A1 pilot instructors that were ex-NCA but if you PM me the name, alfiedsavel, I will search my memory for you.
MadMark!!!
I can't think of any A1 pilot instructors that were ex-NCA but if you PM me the name, alfiedsavel, I will search my memory for you.
MadMark!!!
B-cat was the norm after 12-18 months on the sqn
Ask him how many tea bags go into a standard Nimrod tea pot. Then move on to the more ticky ones such as timings for oven chips and pies. If he doesn't know, he must be a pilot.
