Flying Doctors
I knew of a dentist in the early 80s who was at RAF St Mawgan who had been aircrew (I think a GD(N)) who went off to become a dentist at the RAF's expense-He wore his 'wings'---
The Pilot Medical Officer (PMO) scheme had a few difficulties in the '70s. There had been a series of failures in training and it was being seriously considered that a qualified pilot be put through medical training of some sort as this might be an easier way to fulfil the requirement. You have to appreciate that posts the PMOs were needed to fill required a good level of flying ability, it was by no means a tick box qualification. However Mike Bagshaw got through and that eased the problem.
YS
There was an RAF dentist on my JP course at Linton in 1971.
Just imagine - he could potentially have become a fang farrier carrier Harrier pilot ....
Jack
Just imagine - he could potentially have become a fang farrier carrier Harrier pilot ....
Jack
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Well I have to confess to lurking and enjoying this thread. Hello guys - and yes, I know who you are!! Just to put the record straight, since World War 2 a small number of RAF docs had been trained to and beyond wings. There were also those GD pilots whose medical degree was just an alternative to a BSc in underwater basket weaving, and very fine Harrier pilots they were too. With the doc flying training failures in the 1970s, an ex-Red Arrows pilot was sent to Oxford to study medicine but quit the course to return to flying (wimp). I passed my chop rides and went on to fly Hunter/Jaguar and then Cranwell QFI. Finished as the medical test pilot at Farnborough. My successor (and the last RAF flying doc) was Graham Cresswell who did his tour on Canberra and Valley QFI, and retired last year as British Midland Airbus captain (and company doc). The breed is no more in the RAF, but the army still trains doctors to wings. Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.
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Hi Mike,
You forgot to mention that after the Docs all 'wimped out' and departed for pastures more appealing, other stalwarts came along to continue the task
Not sure how much longer things will continue, almost takes an Act of Parliament to clear a pair of gloves to go flying these days!
lm
You forgot to mention that after the Docs all 'wimped out' and departed for pastures more appealing, other stalwarts came along to continue the task
Not sure how much longer things will continue, almost takes an Act of Parliament to clear a pair of gloves to go flying these days!
lm
Last edited by lightningmate; 30th Oct 2013 at 09:32.
Hi Mike,
Good to see you're still around, and hopefully fit and flying. Happy memories of EFS and OBOGs and other odd trials. Was there not another flying doc in the 60's called Colin Lamont Smith?
Good to see you're still around, and hopefully fit and flying. Happy memories of EFS and OBOGs and other odd trials. Was there not another flying doc in the 60's called Colin Lamont Smith?
