The People's Spitfire Pilot
I have just heard from the Nigerian High Commissioner that I have been selected as the people's nav radar, and I am to be honoured with a cardboard cutout of myself to stand beside an Airfix model Victor tanker in the Lagos Museum of Military Aviation. Sorry P-N, I think you were runner-up.
In addition there is a cash prize of £3m which goes with the accolade, and having provided His Excellency with my bank details I am now eagerly awaiting the money transfer. I therefore cordially invite as many PPRuNers who wish to come to join with me in flying first class to Lagos for the grand opening of the display.
Watch this space.
In addition there is a cash prize of £3m which goes with the accolade, and having provided His Excellency with my bank details I am now eagerly awaiting the money transfer. I therefore cordially invite as many PPRuNers who wish to come to join with me in flying first class to Lagos for the grand opening of the display.
Watch this space.
SNAP!
My "Peoples Met Man" award has come through too.
I regret that my award is only £!m, and my flight is economy.
My "Peoples Met Man" award has come through too.
I regret that my award is only £!m, and my flight is economy.
Cunning Artificer
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I am personally "The People's Continuing Airworthiness Management Consultant" but as there are no others worthy of entering the contest I win by default. I am currently drinking the prize right now. A fine mug of 'what the monkeys drink'. 
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The pity is ... that reading down the biographies, they are all worthy of our respect, and they are/were all amazing people in their own ways. Its a pity that the PC brigade has "excluded" from their brothers on the basis of minority status. The bios however are all fascinating.
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What a load of hoop! The aircraft has an interesting history all of its own which the RAF Museum is all too aware of. Instead, why not focus on the personal histories of the pilots that flew her? That would have far greater relevance and impact than focusing on people who are already well known or are token candidates to satisfy some liberal elite agenda.
Even better, seeing that BL614 is a Dieppe veteran, talk around that, what the Dieppe landings were about, meant to achieve and BL614's contribution. The battle damage repairs from that day are still evident and would make an interesting talking point.
Even better, seeing that BL614 is a Dieppe veteran, talk around that, what the Dieppe landings were about, meant to achieve and BL614's contribution. The battle damage repairs from that day are still evident and would make an interesting talking point.
Predictably this "competition" has degenerated into farce. Whilst meaning no disrespect whatsoever to Squadron Leader Kornicki, I hardly think that a social media campaign with the participation of the Polish embassy is in the spirit of the thing.
Polish war hero leads the way in RAF campaign to find best Spitfire pilot after massive social media campaign in his homeland
Shades of the Eurovision Song Contest
Polish war hero leads the way in RAF campaign to find best Spitfire pilot after massive social media campaign in his homeland
Shades of the Eurovision Song Contest
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What about Alex Henshaw?
Surely the nomination should go to Alex Henshaw? Without his efforts as Chief Test Pilot at Castle Bromwich the RAF pilots would never have had Spitfires to fly. He is thought to have flown over 2,000 personally and organised over 37,000 test flights and the delivery of 12,000 aircraft. What did he get for it? An MBE!
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Though I think the whole idea is deplorable, personally it is those faceless individuals that didn't survive and paid the ultimate price that should be rejoiced as the people's Spitfire pilot, though why they have ignored all the other types that took part is beyond me, another tacky tasteless idea thought up by those now running the museum with no service background.
Perhaps an aeronautical equivalent of "The Unknown Warrior" ?
In my opinion this current fandango is nothing less that an open insult to the ethos of all members of the RAF: to those serving, retired and deceased.
In my opinion this current fandango is nothing less that an open insult to the ethos of all members of the RAF: to those serving, retired and deceased.
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Apparently I was voted "People's Blanket Stacker".
Don't go looking for it, the computer says it's not there.
Don't go looking for it, the computer says it's not there.
Predictably this "competition" has degenerated into farce. Whilst meaning no disrespect whatsoever to Squadron Leader Kornicki, I hardly think that a social media campaign with the participation of the Polish embassy is in the spirit of the thing.
Polish war hero leads the way in RAF campaign to find best Spitfire pilot after massive social media campaign in his homeland
Shades of the Eurovision Song Contest
Polish war hero leads the way in RAF campaign to find best Spitfire pilot after massive social media campaign in his homeland
Shades of the Eurovision Song Contest
I note, though, that the voting panel (but not the story) on the Telegraph site now comes up as 404 not found; I thought, from memory, that the vote was going on for rather longer, so I suspect that the problems with the thing being set up for the 'vote early, vote often' approach have finally been spotted, along with the fact that the campaign had left Sqn Ldr Kornicki so far in front - by the small matter of over 200,000 votes last time I looked - that it had become just a tad embarrassing for both the Torygraph and the RAFM that the poll had been hijacked so obviously.
As I said earlier, if this has to be done, then put up cutouts of all of them, complete with information panels about their lives, and get Franciszek Kornicki - hopefully he will still be with us for a while yet - involved in opening the 'First 100 years' exhibition...
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Perhaps as they are doing a Cold War exhibition they should also included a Peoples Saviour and recognise the recently departed Stanislav Petrov without whom none of us might be here today.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24280831
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24280831
