Prince Charles - Flying Career
Nemo Me Impune Lacessit
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"Honest dependability" is the royal ideal - not self-indulgent attempts to "use the media."
Now we are back to Princess Diana.
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Bassett Days
Just spotted this thread and cannot let it go by without a bit of fact thrown in. I was his his No 2 instructor while he was at Cambridge, and over a period of his study time his continuity of training was abysmal. He constantly said he would be at Oakington at .... but then at the last minute something else turned up and he did not arrive. That said, considering what a dreadful aircraft the Bassett was to fly - let alone instruct on, he did surprising well. He was sent solo in a reasonable time, and his No 1 instructor considered him to be an above average student. He suffered an engine failure during a solo exercise and recovered the aircraft safely - a bit of a wonder in that dreadfully under-powered machine. I remember being in the tower at the time - the Stn Cdr arrived and was in a panic that the Heir to the throne might go splat on his real estate. He did not - and went on to fly the JP at Cranwell with RJ. During the time I was there, he was great fun playing practical jokes on the groundcrew, and even playing "Are you there Moriarty" (and getting hit) after a dinning in night! A typical spirited student. Pity he did not stay with the RAF - his future might have been much better.
Pity he did not stay with the RAF - his future might have been much better.
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Nothing is better than a career as an officer, whatever the colour of the uniform.
The PoW unfortunately has another career. One in which actions are too often insulated from consequences - yet promotion is guaranteed. Any who mumble dissent can be intimidated into silence - and the others will be enchanted that he knows how to play Moriarty.
Along the way, he can depend on the reflex, benign deference of all those who have taken an oath to serve his family. Including any unfortunate P1, I suspect.
Those aren't the ideals I joined to defend. What price loyalty?
The PoW unfortunately has another career. One in which actions are too often insulated from consequences - yet promotion is guaranteed. Any who mumble dissent can be intimidated into silence - and the others will be enchanted that he knows how to play Moriarty.
Along the way, he can depend on the reflex, benign deference of all those who have taken an oath to serve his family. Including any unfortunate P1, I suspect.
Those aren't the ideals I joined to defend. What price loyalty?
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Goofer - "Nothing is better than a career as an officer, whatever the colour of the uniform."
Well that's put the "other ranks" in their place then!
So glad the class system isn't dead yet, and some people are still up themselves with it.
Well that's put the "other ranks" in their place then!
So glad the class system isn't dead yet, and some people are still up themselves with it.
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Goofer - "Nothing is better than a career as an officer, whatever the colour of the uniform."
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Apologies, P6 - absolutely no slight intended. The subject was the PoW's career path and - for better or worse - he's in the Cranwell/Dartmouth/Sandhurst intake.
My point would have been better made if I'd specified any Service career, on the strength that it requires commitment to a set of unselfish ideals, a life of comradeship lived by an agreed code and the ultimate readiness to "do and die." An honourable profession, regardless of the size of your cap badge.
My point would have been better made if I'd specified any Service career, on the strength that it requires commitment to a set of unselfish ideals, a life of comradeship lived by an agreed code and the ultimate readiness to "do and die." An honourable profession, regardless of the size of your cap badge.
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OMG - Misunderstanding
Did I start a hare running??? My comment about PoW staying in the RAF was just a pointer to the idea that if his life pattern had changed at that point, a lot of the subsequent problems might never have arisen! That apart, I have no doubt that a career as an officer or other rank in the military (No colour bias!) is a totally fulfilling life experience. We lost a lot when National Service was abolished, and subsequent generations never had the benefit of the experience of military training, learning personal discipline, finding respect for others, and the reward of finding out how to benefit from all the talents each individual is born with.
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Now, very well put Goofer:
And don't post in the early hours of the morning again 
My point would have been better made if I'd specified any Service career, on the strength that it requires commitment to a set of unselfish ideals, a life of comradeship lived by an agreed code and the ultimate readiness to "do and die." An honourable profession, regardless of the size of your cap badge.
VictorPilot,
You said:
"I have no doubt that a career as an officer or other rank in the military (No colour bias!) is a totally fulfilling life experience. We lost a lot when National Service was abolished, and subsequent generations never had the benefit of the experience of military training, learning personal discipline, finding respect for others.."
Looking at the disproportionately large percentage of ex service personnel among our prison population, the homeless and those suffering from mental health issues, I have to seriously question the validity of that statement.
You said:
"I have no doubt that a career as an officer or other rank in the military (No colour bias!) is a totally fulfilling life experience. We lost a lot when National Service was abolished, and subsequent generations never had the benefit of the experience of military training, learning personal discipline, finding respect for others.."
Looking at the disproportionately large percentage of ex service personnel among our prison population, the homeless and those suffering from mental health issues, I have to seriously question the validity of that statement.
I have only just discovered this thread (but I have read every single page before any of you clever sods out there suggest that I haven't).
First of all, I spent 18 years of my life as a pilot in the Royal Air Force (I never did a ground tour) and I spent around 10 years on and off based at the home of TQF, RAF Benson.
Despite being a Scotsman, I have always and I continue to be, totally loyal to Mrs Windsor and Phil the Greek. However, the way I feel nowadays in my advancing years is that the whole system should come to a halt with the demise of our beloved Queen.
In a way, I am terrified that the replacement organisation would have to be something along the lines of the American presidential style of government.
On the other hand, I would have serious problems with signing an oath to the Tree Hugger, Randy Andy, the Failed Marine or any of the others (with the notable exception of Princess Anne - who works so hard for charity).
Going back to Charlie's failed Hebridean landing; I spent 19 years of my life teaching and examining on the BAe146. I can confidently state (and hundreds of my students would agree) that if Charlie was not getting it right, then I would absolutely not have let him go any further for I was never known for being diplomatic (especially where my life and the creation of paperwork was concerned).
The man who first got me into aviation (DH Rapide) taught me the very first rule, "I don't mind dying but I would hate to lose my licence".
To end on an amusing note; the original BAe146 simulator (BC104) was installed at Hatfield. Upstairs was a reception/crewroom area. The Human Remains department at BAe had seen fit to flood the area with potted palms and, in the corner, a large model of a BAe146 on a plinth.
Enter stage left a wonderful chap called Paul Bolton who was a TRI/TRE for Air UK based in Aberdeen. (Sadly, Paul is no longer with us). He discovered that TQF were in the sim ahead of him and it was the day after the Tree Hugger's Hebridean excursion which had garnered a fair amount of media attention.
He got the large model BAe146 model off its plinth and buried it nose down in the potted palms. When TQF came out of the sim, Paul said "Ah, I see Charlie's been here"!
It went down like a lead balloon with TQF.
First of all, I spent 18 years of my life as a pilot in the Royal Air Force (I never did a ground tour) and I spent around 10 years on and off based at the home of TQF, RAF Benson.
Despite being a Scotsman, I have always and I continue to be, totally loyal to Mrs Windsor and Phil the Greek. However, the way I feel nowadays in my advancing years is that the whole system should come to a halt with the demise of our beloved Queen.
In a way, I am terrified that the replacement organisation would have to be something along the lines of the American presidential style of government.
On the other hand, I would have serious problems with signing an oath to the Tree Hugger, Randy Andy, the Failed Marine or any of the others (with the notable exception of Princess Anne - who works so hard for charity).
Going back to Charlie's failed Hebridean landing; I spent 19 years of my life teaching and examining on the BAe146. I can confidently state (and hundreds of my students would agree) that if Charlie was not getting it right, then I would absolutely not have let him go any further for I was never known for being diplomatic (especially where my life and the creation of paperwork was concerned).
The man who first got me into aviation (DH Rapide) taught me the very first rule, "I don't mind dying but I would hate to lose my licence".
To end on an amusing note; the original BAe146 simulator (BC104) was installed at Hatfield. Upstairs was a reception/crewroom area. The Human Remains department at BAe had seen fit to flood the area with potted palms and, in the corner, a large model of a BAe146 on a plinth.
Enter stage left a wonderful chap called Paul Bolton who was a TRI/TRE for Air UK based in Aberdeen. (Sadly, Paul is no longer with us). He discovered that TQF were in the sim ahead of him and it was the day after the Tree Hugger's Hebridean excursion which had garnered a fair amount of media attention.
He got the large model BAe146 model off its plinth and buried it nose down in the potted palms. When TQF came out of the sim, Paul said "Ah, I see Charlie's been here"!
It went down like a lead balloon with TQF.
Last edited by JW411; 29th Aug 2011 at 20:40.
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Looking at the disproportionately large percentage of ex service personnel among our prison population, the homeless and those suffering from mental health issues, I have to seriously question the validity of that statement