Retirement of John Standen
 

To all my students past a present a fond farewell. April 30th is the day of my retirement from Aviation.

My aviation career has involved Professional flying from my first job as an instructor at Wolverhampton Aero Club via the Royal Saudi Airforce to Chief Pilot aerial Survey. As I ground school instructor I have taught at SECOAT (Manston), PPSC (Bournemouth) Pilot Assist (Alconbury) Bristol Ground School, EPTA (Bournemouth) and lastly here at Oxford as subject expert Meteorology and Air Law.

I have enjoyed my life in aviation, but it is now time to do some real work, the house and garden await my attention and now I have just purchased a retirement present of a silenced shot gun my firearm collection has reached 17 guns and I shall now have time for some serious shooting and fishing.

All the best to everyone.


John Standen

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo, please don't go!

Regards
CR

I've no doubt you'll be well missed John.

I'll never forget how, during Air Law you managed to help us remember the different Annexes....

Annex 14 - wasn't that aerodromes?? Involving you, as a younger man and a young lady.....

I think there's still a video on YouTube somewhere of one of our Air Law lectures where you were trying your very best to help us understand Annex 1 or something - oblivious to the fact that one of the class pranksters had a "blue" movie playing right behind you on the overhead projector...

It took you quite a while to figure out why the whole class was p*****g themselves but your face was a picture when you turned around to see debbie being done in dallas...

All the best John.

John,
I can without shadow of doubt say that on April 30th the world of Aviation will become a little less colourful and a whole lot less fun.

God knows what I'd have done to get through air law without you - and I'm sure there's thousands of others out there who will echo that.

You will certainly never be forgotten! Nor will the "HA! Booooobs" winds....

Thanks from me and all them there others for all the help. One of the best (even if you do have a slightly worrying set of hobbies...)
Enjoy the retirement!
:ok:

Farewell
 

I feel for the poor beggers who must now learn air law and met without you!!

I have many fond memories of you lectures, pictures of your pants (if you went to OAA you will know what I mean) and videos of your stories from the brass pipe incident, to where the word 'bog' came from, and stories of your skeletons we are all eternally greatful for you time!!

I wish you a long and happy retirement.

Nick
AP275

All the best in your retirement John. I don't doubt you will still enjoy life after aviation!! You were, without a doubt, my best teacher (instructor, in the aviation bussines) ever, and this comes from someone who's been in school for the last 17 years non stop!

Thanks to you I got 100% in Met and I still remember looking forward to Air Law for the last period... that just shouldn't happen!

Now go enjoy that "manor" of yours, and shoot your weapons... but don't hurt anybody! You'll be missed in this steadily degrading bussines, I hope I come across many people like you in my career.

Farewell!!

PS: WIDE FRONTS.

Oxford Distance Learning, 2008.

John, a sad day that we hoped would never come.

All the best in your retirement, I still think of warm Y fronts in winter when I'm looking at the sig wx chart before the flight!

With best regards

David
AP271

John Standen was undoubtedly the best thing about oxfords groundschool, an outstanding instructor and an outstanding man.

Happy retirement fast Johnny!

I will never hear the word "Riyadh" and not think of this guy.

dj CBR 40.

Orrabest John.

Art thou remainin' in't Vale of Pickering?

Don't shoot the wallabies, but for Gods' sake trim the 'tache.
You will have to PM me for my ID, but you might guess.

I hate the word "Riyadh".....

hot and high is Riyadh!!

Enjoy your retirement John. You taught me at PPSC in 1997/8 in the portacabin and you were just as much a star then as now.


WWW

All the best to the only groundschool instructor to pull his pants out of his pockets!!

Wally
271

All The Best John
 

I too was in the portacabin at PPSC.......Things like Ha 'Boobs' and Lorry Fog were classics. Thanks for all the help.

Hey John

From the older Guy who sat next to your Auntie A in 293, I sincerely hope that you have a very long and very happy retirement. For getting me through Met and Law, I will always be very grateful. We all enjoyed your lessons, future courses will find life much harder and far less interesting.

All the best

CP

Hope you have a nice time now relaxing.
I have not had the privilege to be tought under your guidance but if I may ask the rest of you guys, do you know who will be taking over Met now at Oxford?

Well, Oxford - regardless of any perceived faults - are very fortunate to have the capability to replace one met god with another. In Steve Francis, they have one of the finest instructors in any subject, in any walk of life, that I've come across. Whether Steve will actively teach Met now, or concentrate on his "day" job more, remains to be seen...

Met at Oxford
 

Thanks for all your kind remarks, Steve Francis will not be teaching Met, Steve is Manager of OATmedia responsible for producing CBT materials. Stu Dawson will continue to teach the subject as he has done for many years with the addition of Martin Taggart who has sat in on a course with me and Ruston Avari who has not sat in with me, but is an ex Kingfisher Captain.


All the best


John Standen

Many thanks for everything John, and enjoy your well deserved retirement. As a former student I can honestly say I wouldn't have passed met had it not been for your teaching! I hope the wallabies and your shotgun collection will keep you busy enough, but OAT without you will definitely be a lot less colourful!!

Enjoy the retirement John

Like many others I won't ever forget your Met Lessons and many stories, especially when it comes to Saudi and all your money!

Take care

All the best John. You are a legend. I'll never forget the many stories. Take care, and enjoy the retirement.