OCU and Flying Training
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Courtney is indeed well skilled in the rotary arena..
His ability to stop ceiling fans in Cyprus using only his head was second to none.
Plenty of blood & headaches from others who dared try
Skid
His ability to stop ceiling fans in Cyprus using only his head was second to none.
Plenty of blood & headaches from others who dared try
Skid
Ah, Skid. I was trying to get that taken on as an Olympic event. They said it would have to be in the Paralympics.. Not sure what they meant. 
Last edited by Courtney Mil; 28th Aug 2012 at 20:24.
Nonsense t7 - listen to those that matter, ie THGITF, always!
Reminds me of the Bucc pilot that had two [repeat 2] navs bang out on him!
Now I know it wasn't you - but it could have been !!
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The SFC was not known for its leniency
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The SFC was extremely proud of the high failure rate.... Their attitude appeared to be to find all the weaker ones and get rid of them asap rather than to teach the weaker ones to be better. Evaluation rather than positive instruction seemed to be the flavour of the month.
Certainly, that was my experience of the SFC in the mid-90's, the foundation course was a 6 week assessment exercise. Once you were chopped you were, quite literally, thrown off the station. Following the final interview of the Friday you had to be off the station by the Saturday so you didn't "contaminate" the next course arriving on the Sunday. Given that the chop rate averaged well over 60% there were a lot of people frantically trying to sort out somewhere to go at very short notice (helped by copious notes left by those unfortunates from previous courses).
Looking back, as gutted as I was at being chopped, I've had a much more varied career that the few of my mates that made it though. I even had the pleasure of working with BEagle; though as a fully paid up member of the "telephone answering branch" I doubt he'll remember me (even if he did sign my leaving print TWICE!).
Certainly, that was my experience of the SFC in the mid-90's, the foundation course was a 6 week assessment exercise. Once you were chopped you were, quite literally, thrown off the station. Following the final interview of the Friday you had to be off the station by the Saturday so you didn't "contaminate" the next course arriving on the Sunday. Given that the chop rate averaged well over 60% there were a lot of people frantically trying to sort out somewhere to go at very short notice (helped by copious notes left by those unfortunates from previous courses).
Looking back, as gutted as I was at being chopped, I've had a much more varied career that the few of my mates that made it though. I even had the pleasure of working with BEagle; though as a fully paid up member of the "telephone answering branch" I doubt he'll remember me (even if he did sign my leaving print TWICE!).
Wallah, go on, give me a clue?
Sorry if I messed up your leaving print - but at least you were given one...
It was a shame that so many keen young folk were binned off the SoFC courses back in the 1970s - but commiserating with them at Biggin did at least have some advantages....
Then there was the ridiculous navigator course at Finningley. There were so mant recourses that it was once proved that most baby navigators did something like 1.4 x the normal course. "So why not make the normal course 1.4 x its current length and save yourselves all that paperwork?", I once asked a staff navigator...
But then again, they were only half-wing half-brains.....
Sorry if I messed up your leaving print - but at least you were given one...
It was a shame that so many keen young folk were binned off the SoFC courses back in the 1970s - but commiserating with them at Biggin did at least have some advantages....
Then there was the ridiculous navigator course at Finningley. There were so mant recourses that it was once proved that most baby navigators did something like 1.4 x the normal course. "So why not make the normal course 1.4 x its current length and save yourselves all that paperwork?", I once asked a staff navigator...
But then again, they were only half-wing half-brains.....
Make your mind up....
On the one hand you generally slag Navs off as being rubbish. Now you're complaining that they did 1.4 x the normal course length. Surely, given your low opinion of them, you should logically have been advocating that they all did the training course at least twice in the hope of improving their ability!
On the one hand you generally slag Navs off as being rubbish. Now you're complaining that they did 1.4 x the normal course length. Surely, given your low opinion of them, you should logically have been advocating that they all did the training course at least twice in the hope of improving their ability!
it was once proved that most baby navigators did something like 1.4 x the normal course
A noble sport, I'm sure. Are we laughing at someone not completing a phase of training. I always thought that was one of the Junior Srvice's taboos. Still, as you see fit.
EDIT: And before you say they was what he was doing, I don't think that was the case. If I understood correctly, the point was the the COURSE wasn't up to the job.
EDIT: And before you say they was what he was doing, I don't think that was the case. If I understood correctly, the point was the the COURSE wasn't up to the job.
Last edited by Courtney Mil; 29th Aug 2012 at 18:48.
I will no doubt pay for it with a severe keyboard lashing about the standards and etiquette of the yoof of today (of which, of course, I am not one!).
Edited to add - not laughing at all Courtney. Just pointing out that if 1.4 of the course meant a higher pass rate at the OCU / sqn then perhaps that should have been the norm in more than just nav training ......
Edited again : Bu88er - crossed post!!
Edited to add - not laughing at all Courtney. Just pointing out that if 1.4 of the course meant a higher pass rate at the OCU / sqn then perhaps that should have been the norm in more than just nav training ......
Edited again : Bu88er - crossed post!!
Last edited by Wrathmonk; 29th Aug 2012 at 18:51.