Helicopter missing in the Mourne Mountains, & tributes to AJ
Classic A J sayings!
"Sit there, dont touch, dont speak and breakfast is on you!"
"How many hours have you got?" Poor unfortunate pilot gives the number and AJ's reply "Is that Night flying or NVG?"
"A pint of Creme de Menthe please"
"Shut up unless you have something interesting to tell me"
"CAA!! Ive s**t better turds than that lot!!"
There appears to be a lot of TV remote stories from His Mil days but I can confirm they continued into his civvy life too.
AJ stayed at my house a few nights a week over a few months and not only did I not get to watch my TV in my front room (Had to buy a small one for my bedroom in the end) he also managed to pack my TV remote one day and flew off with it for a week!
Heard a lot about the PUMA flying, think he was pretty darn good in a Jet Ranger and a A109 too!
RIP
"Sit there, dont touch, dont speak and breakfast is on you!"
"How many hours have you got?" Poor unfortunate pilot gives the number and AJ's reply "Is that Night flying or NVG?"
"A pint of Creme de Menthe please"
"Shut up unless you have something interesting to tell me"
"CAA!! Ive s**t better turds than that lot!!"
There appears to be a lot of TV remote stories from His Mil days but I can confirm they continued into his civvy life too.
AJ stayed at my house a few nights a week over a few months and not only did I not get to watch my TV in my front room (Had to buy a small one for my bedroom in the end) he also managed to pack my TV remote one day and flew off with it for a week!
Heard a lot about the PUMA flying, think he was pretty darn good in a Jet Ranger and a A109 too!
RIP
Last edited by heliboy999; 29th Oct 2010 at 20:37.
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I remember tasking in the 'greens' when AJ was tasked to transfer a new born (premature) baby to a special baby care unit in Dublin. He was airborne (with patient in incubator & med team) and heading for the border when he received a call on the Ops net. An enthusiastic AJ bellowed an "OK, send over" to the Ops folk who in turn informed him that the dip clearance to cross the border had been refused and he was to return north. The pause was but a few seconds..... Followed by "Difficult, will contact by landline from destination, OUT" Without a doubt his comment was one of BS, but it was equally the right decision and his shoulders were broad enough to take any follow up criticism. FWIW my crew were delighted to hear his voice that day.
He was however the epitomy of a TV Channel surfer who was a 'mare to live with at deployed locations. ....and a bit chavvish in BFG with his wide tyred Beemer that went through tyres every 10k.
He was however the epitomy of a TV Channel surfer who was a 'mare to live with at deployed locations. ....and a bit chavvish in BFG with his wide tyred Beemer that went through tyres every 10k.
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hi everyone just spent the last hour reading all these and cant help but laugh, i didnt see him that much but when i did he'd have me in stitches in minutes. think we should open a thread just for him as i love reading these stories about him
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I remember AJ from Belize where he was with 1563 (I was with 25Flt). He brightened up just about every evening with a never ending succession of hilariously funny stories. The one that stayed with me was his story of how he 'had a go' at crossing over to fixed wing, but failed. Who knows the truth, it didn't really matter it was so funny! Had us in stitches for hours.
Never forgot him - nor will.
Take care AJ, wherever you are.
J
Never forgot him - nor will.
Take care AJ, wherever you are.
J
Tightgit
Have to join this one. I knew AJ as a Sqn QHI in 669 Sqn AAC before his transfer. Ever so sad for Angie. Irreplaceable....
Tightgit
And a much younger version among a number of other reprobates
(AJ bottom left of course)
Same here, if anyone is upset I'll remove immediately
(AJ bottom left of course)
Same here, if anyone is upset I'll remove immediately
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Memories of AJ
I bought the remote jammer! I would wait while he surfed the tv channels and zapped it on when it got to to the channel we wanted to watch - great sport!! I can still see him bashing the remote vigorously after changing the batteries and declaring "bloody remote is on the blink again, I'm off to bed". To be fair he did only watch golf or Star Trek and it was constantly!
I did see his compassionate side after the fatal crash of 2 of our Sqns pilots in NI. He was first on scene in his Puma and managed to find a tarpaulin which he placed over the victims. I phoned him rather drunk after the incident to thank him for his actions and was truly humbled by his kind and fatherly words, a side of AJ I'm glad I had the pleasure to witness.
Rest in peace and sincere condolence to his family at this difficult time.
h
I did see his compassionate side after the fatal crash of 2 of our Sqns pilots in NI. He was first on scene in his Puma and managed to find a tarpaulin which he placed over the victims. I phoned him rather drunk after the incident to thank him for his actions and was truly humbled by his kind and fatherly words, a side of AJ I'm glad I had the pleasure to witness.
Rest in peace and sincere condolence to his family at this difficult time.
h
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I didn't recognise the name immediately but I certainly recognise the pictures. He sat in the heli with us at Chelthenham last year and we had a natter about a lot of things - "direct" just hits the spot!! RIP
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Location: Liverpool based Geordie, so calm down, calm down kidda!!
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The fixed wing crossover story was true. When the QFI gave him a simulated engine failure, he carried out the Puma immediate actions and put the gear down............ at 240kts!!
(Limit 140)
(Limit 140)
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Funeral arrangements for AJ
If someone could PM me the funeral arrangements I would much appreciate it. Please do let me know if AJ's send off is going to be a private affair and I will honour him in my own way on the 14 Nov.
Regards,
h
Regards,
h
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More pictures and more tales
I have loved the comments. I have known Tony for over 40years.
I spent two weeks with Tony and Ang (one week in England and one week in Turkey) last month. it was great. Ang wants as many pictures and tales as you can put together. He was my best man at my wedding and was fond of saying why doesnt the bride marry the "best man?" I went fishing with him in Belize and the bin bag he gave me as a rain jacket was very fashionable.
In Belize, Tony had a joust with my wife because she too is very protective of the remote. It was ugly.
I will have some more comments later after I compose myself from seeing those photos. (keep them coming though)
I spent two weeks with Tony and Ang (one week in England and one week in Turkey) last month. it was great. Ang wants as many pictures and tales as you can put together. He was my best man at my wedding and was fond of saying why doesnt the bride marry the "best man?" I went fishing with him in Belize and the bin bag he gave me as a rain jacket was very fashionable.
In Belize, Tony had a joust with my wife because she too is very protective of the remote. It was ugly.
I will have some more comments later after I compose myself from seeing those photos. (keep them coming though)
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"The fixed wing crossover story was true. When the QFI gave him a simulated engine failure, he carried out the Puma immediate actions and put the gear down............ at 240kts!!
(Limit 140)"
... and when the QHI said you've just overstressed the gear he said "no I haven't, you are the fookin captian!"
Allegedly when he went to C130 he couldn't understand why he had to do a conversion rather than "just sitting in the RHS and picking it up as he went along".
I recall a Puma det in Denmark when the serviceable aircraft was needed back at Gutersloh. When I tried to get AJ to fly it back IFR he refused on the grounds that "you might bloody well do that in the RAF but we don't in the Army!" The comic thing was he'd transferred by then.
He and Ang were our neighbours at Gutersloh and were great company. He could be a royal pain in the ass at times but he was a nice one and 100% genuine. Condolences to Ang, Brett and Amy. RIP AJ,
(Limit 140)"
... and when the QHI said you've just overstressed the gear he said "no I haven't, you are the fookin captian!"
Allegedly when he went to C130 he couldn't understand why he had to do a conversion rather than "just sitting in the RHS and picking it up as he went along".
I recall a Puma det in Denmark when the serviceable aircraft was needed back at Gutersloh. When I tried to get AJ to fly it back IFR he refused on the grounds that "you might bloody well do that in the RAF but we don't in the Army!" The comic thing was he'd transferred by then.
He and Ang were our neighbours at Gutersloh and were great company. He could be a royal pain in the ass at times but he was a nice one and 100% genuine. Condolences to Ang, Brett and Amy. RIP AJ,
When he changed to a blue uniform and arrived at Odiham, he politely introduced himself to we Puma OCU staff as "Anthony".
He couldn't hide his true character...... or his thick Lancashire accent! He was teamed up with "BBS" as his QHI, as a challenge to both of them, methinks.
The Germany landaway was the final phase of the conversion course, to RAF Gutersloh. Of course, "Anthony" had been based in Germany in his AAC days, not too long previously and must have known the Corps area like the back of his hand, like all of us who had been based there. During a low-level navex, he needed to cross the high ridge to the north, via one of the narrow low-level routes.
Knowing the procedure, "Anthony" blind called on the "Corps common" frequency (255.1, IIRC, it's been nearly twenty five years):
"T'Bielefeld Gap, Puma, from t'north tert south, two minutes, Bielefeld Gap!"
From the ether, someone unknown cheerily replied: "Ayup, Aajaaay!"
And from that moment on, "Anthony" reverted to "Ajay" for the rest of his RAF career.
He couldn't hide his true character...... or his thick Lancashire accent! He was teamed up with "BBS" as his QHI, as a challenge to both of them, methinks.
The Germany landaway was the final phase of the conversion course, to RAF Gutersloh. Of course, "Anthony" had been based in Germany in his AAC days, not too long previously and must have known the Corps area like the back of his hand, like all of us who had been based there. During a low-level navex, he needed to cross the high ridge to the north, via one of the narrow low-level routes.
Knowing the procedure, "Anthony" blind called on the "Corps common" frequency (255.1, IIRC, it's been nearly twenty five years):
"T'Bielefeld Gap, Puma, from t'north tert south, two minutes, Bielefeld Gap!"
From the ether, someone unknown cheerily replied: "Ayup, Aajaaay!"
And from that moment on, "Anthony" reverted to "Ajay" for the rest of his RAF career.
