Four eyed Willy...
for Camp Freddie
'he has 2 bars'......could be he is a Flight Lieutenant?
'sitting in right hand seat'...... helicopter captains occupy the right hand seat, at least they did for 40 years as far I can recall.
any help?
'he has 2 bars'......could be he is a Flight Lieutenant?
'sitting in right hand seat'...... helicopter captains occupy the right hand seat, at least they did for 40 years as far I can recall.
any help?
Purveyor of Egg Liqueur to Lucifer
Best one for me so far;
I'm sure I saw a 2 bars displaying the Typhoon the other year and isn't there a 2 bar'er or two in the Red Arrows each season.
Where on earth does the 4 bar'er sit?
Next thing we know there will be a female 2 bar'er flying Tornados or even in the Reds without a 4 bar'er to supervise
i noticed that he has 2 bars but he was sitting on the right, is he a co-pilot? and if so why was he on the right? i am confused 
Where on earth does the 4 bar'er sit?
Next thing we know there will be a female 2 bar'er flying Tornados or even in the Reds without a 4 bar'er to supervise
Purveyor of Egg Liqueur to Lucifer
helicopter captains occupy the right hand seat, at least they did for 40 years as far I can recall.
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: 18 Degrees North
Posts: 699
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It might be obvious to you military types that 2 bars means flight lieutenant, but not for us civvy types.
So if that makes him a captain, he didn't do much time as a co-pilot ! Or am I still wrong?
Not quite the 5 years I spent waiting for my number to come up in the SNS and go from 2 to 4 bars.
So if that makes him a captain, he didn't do much time as a co-pilot ! Or am I still wrong?
Not quite the 5 years I spent waiting for my number to come up in the SNS and go from 2 to 4 bars.
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Wiltshire, UK
Posts: 504
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
...helicopter captains occupy the right hand seat
So if that makes him a captain, he didn't do much time as a co-pilot
This was a press photo opportunity occasion, of course he sat in the Captain's seat - but how many people outside the business know the significance of who sits where. The fixed-wing fraternity would have him down as a co-pilot....
Anyway, what has this got to do with whether he wears glasses or not?
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Cumbria UK
Age: 82
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Willy's Private Air Force
It must have been coincidence also that a new search and rescue base was built and the proposal to privatise the SAR was dropped?
The establishment is still pulling the strings, especially in the military!
When I was at Wallop in the late 50's an officer who made it to flying training needed to be a real plonker not to graduate, on the other hand an NCO didn't usually get a second chance. The result was of course that the NCO pilot's were, as a bunch, much more competent.
Plus ca change.............
The establishment is still pulling the strings, especially in the military!
When I was at Wallop in the late 50's an officer who made it to flying training needed to be a real plonker not to graduate, on the other hand an NCO didn't usually get a second chance. The result was of course that the NCO pilot's were, as a bunch, much more competent.
Plus ca change.............
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Beside the seaside
Posts: 670
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Well the 50's were a very long time ago and fortunately things have changed. Anyone who passes a military pilots course now has graduated from a very long and intensive course of training and only qualifies because they pass all the rigorous testing en route. Be that Officer, NCO or a member of the Royal Family.
Purveyor of Egg Liqueur to Lucifer
It might be obvious to you military types that 2 bars means flight lieutenant, but not for us civvy types.
In that case, I guess it would be quite easy to think that those Army chaps that fly Apaches are either Acting Police Sergeants (2 stripes), Police Sergeants (3 stripes), Inspectors (2 pips) or Chief Inspectors (3 pips). Occasionally a Superintendent (Crown) might be seen in the rear seat, but the rarest sight of all must be the Chief Supt (Crown & pip) on a jolly.
Any Army pilot that says he is a CPL doesn't neccesarily mean that he has a Commercial Pilots Licence.
Nigel - Now is the time for you to do your mil/civ bit
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: 18 Degrees North
Posts: 699
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
With a QHI in the left seat, why does sitting in the right seat make Will the Captain?
but don't they still have the winch on the right, so that's the side the captain sits! I give up now 
Fred,
Just in case your enquiries are genuine, it's fairly simple: like all RAF Sea king pilots who have completed operational conversion, William is a qualified aircraft captain, and will sit in the right hand seat, usually as captain, on training sorties. What he and other recently-qualified pilots can't do yet is be captain on a SAROp (or airtest, or role demo) - this will come in due course, but in the meantime, flying training trips in the RHS will allow them to develop their handling skills and CRM.
As for the glasses, he is simply the latest recruit to a significant minority of gentleman (and lady) aviators who use bubble-thin lenses to help them spot the bally Hun.
TOTD
Just in case your enquiries are genuine, it's fairly simple: like all RAF Sea king pilots who have completed operational conversion, William is a qualified aircraft captain, and will sit in the right hand seat, usually as captain, on training sorties. What he and other recently-qualified pilots can't do yet is be captain on a SAROp (or airtest, or role demo) - this will come in due course, but in the meantime, flying training trips in the RHS will allow them to develop their handling skills and CRM.
As for the glasses, he is simply the latest recruit to a significant minority of gentleman (and lady) aviators who use bubble-thin lenses to help them spot the bally Hun.
TOTD
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: 18 Degrees North
Posts: 699
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
cheers TOTD,
that's all I wanted, but what happens if he gets a shout while on a training sortie ? They aren't going going to come back to base to swop over so how does that work?
In CHC as I understand it the guy not qualified for command on SAROp always sits on left for this very reason
that's all I wanted, but what happens if he gets a shout while on a training sortie ? They aren't going going to come back to base to swop over so how does that work?
In CHC as I understand it the guy not qualified for command on SAROp always sits on left for this very reason
Is this the new meeting place for the cognitively challenged?
He wears glasses, lots of people wear glasses.
He's a military pilot so will not require a civilian medical or wear civilian "rank".
He sits where he's required to sit for whatever sortie he's carrying out and those other persons required for the sortie sit in the seat that they are required to sit in.
Anything else?
He wears glasses, lots of people wear glasses.
He's a military pilot so will not require a civilian medical or wear civilian "rank".
He sits where he's required to sit for whatever sortie he's carrying out and those other persons required for the sortie sit in the seat that they are required to sit in.
Anything else?
Nemo Me Impune Lacessit
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Derbyshire, England.
Posts: 4,095
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Down here in Australia, on BBC World, (would you believe!), they made it very plain that he was still a co-pilot but under training for a captain and they then went into some detail about the training sortie he was seen flying, that he was under instruction and how this would help prepare him, to eventually, become a SAR captain, but currently only has 90 hours to count.
Not so, as pointed out above, Prince Edward was 'scrubbed' from the Royal Marines, possibly voluntarily, too long ago for my old grey matter to remember. Additionally, as also mentioned above, how would a news article along the lines of, "Prince crashes helicopter, un named sources say he was always boarder line in training, others say he should not have been passed"? Now that would be a PR disaster.
Will's could have been the most ham-fisted no-hoper flyer in the world and he would have still got his wings, because the PR disaster of "Prince William fails as pilot" would have been too much to bear.
On the thread topic of flying with glasses, I'm sure this has been discussed before. Although 6/6 (or 20/20) vision is required for selection into aircrew, there is a scale of deterioration allowed with age once 'in the system'. It is not unusual for eyesight to deteriorate and require corrective spectacles before the age of 30: Wills' glasses look to be a fairly mild prescription, and he seems not to rely on them in all the publicity photos to date. It stands to reason that once (expensive) training has commenced and a pilot is qualified, there is no point in 'chopping' the pilot because his/her eyesight is weaker and prescription glasses are required for perfect vision!
As an aside, I do wonder how long it took to get all the soot and grime off the sides of the Sea Kings for the Royal visit: I didn't realise how yellow they actually are
As an aside, I do wonder how long it took to get all the soot and grime off the sides of the Sea Kings for the Royal visit: I didn't realise how yellow they actually are
what happens if he gets a shout while on a training sortie ? They aren't going going to come back to base to swop over so how does that work?
I didn't realise how yellow they actually are
