cardiff guy Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 flying is alive and well with the air cadets I had the privilege to take 8 cadets to MOD ST Athan last week . the weather was great and they all got up . very different to my day in the Chipmunk and Bulldog . they take safety very seriously there was a briefing an insructional Video followed by one on one tuition on how to get in and out of the aircraft , followed by how to jetison the canopy and bail out if needed . A great day had by all and never to be forgoten memories . Also a small bonus as we were leaving . Regards Glenn . 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaintsPhil Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 (edited) That brings back fond memories, I will never forget the 'jump, Johny, jump' video explaining how to calmly get out of the plane and hop off the trailing edge of the wing while it plummets to earth... I also remember my first flight, which was my only one in a chippie before they swapped to Bulldogs, I could barely see over the IP and it rattled so hard I couldn't read the instruments..... Edited May 2, 2015 by SaintsPhil 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Evil Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 (edited) Brilliant, have fantastic memories of being a Space Cadet and couldn't recommend it to any youngster highly enough. Looks like the UWAS hanger is in need of a little TLC though, and what's happened to the nice shiny brick building we used to operate from? Don't say that burnt down too? (Like our Mess, one of three unit enquiries whilst I was there... ) Dragons, Dragons, rah rah f@*$! Edited May 2, 2015 by Dr Evil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 Ah remember it well............... John Andrews sir! Had many a flight in De Havillands finest trainer, a few in a Bulldog and the highlight, a Tucano at Linton. The ATC is a great organisation for the 'young air minded youth', I also enjoyed numerous flights in Gazelles, a Chinook, Wessex, Sea King and a pretty special Puma flight from Odiham. Not sure how freely the flying opportunities will be handed out these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham T Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 Pretty swishy looking planes they get to fly in nowadays. Now in MY day, all we had were Chipmunks with an occasional Husky trip thrown in at Marshalls Field Cambridge. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 Another ex-Space Cadet! I got my Flying Scholarship courtesy of the RAF and 1039 (Gillingham) Squadron back in 1983. I must have completed my Air Experience Flights in a Chipmunk around 1980. I never saw a video, I was was taught how to bail out, I did however loop the thing on my second flight! Pull, pull, PULL!! I can still hear the instructor's voice in my ears! 'Elf and Safety? Not on your (or mine for that matter) life! We had a camp at St Athan and I did get to fly in a Sea Prince! Not many can say that these days... Great photos though, the smiles say it all!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaintsPhil Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 (edited) Like wise with the flying scholarship, my best flight was with an ex Bucc pilot who had done a stint with the RN aboard carriers. On getting in to the plane he asked how many hours I had done, it was a few by this point, so he decided his mission for the day was to make me air sick! He let me fly most of the flight including 9 loops one after another, I wasn't physically sick, but it was a close run thing. I flew pretty much right down to the end of finals then he took over and landed the bulldog like it was a Bucc on a carrier deck too! Edited May 2, 2015 by SaintsPhil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyf117 Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 (edited) Content withdrawn - I will NOT be threatened by a moderator, simply because I queried the actions of another... Edited June 27, 2020 by andyf117 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Knight Posted May 3, 2015 Share Posted May 3, 2015 Another ex-Chippie learner. Lots of good flying around the country, put in lots of hours. Got close to getting my licence - couldn't tho cos I'm colourblind. Once flew at about 30ft to read road signs cos instructor got lost and didn't have a map, followed roads back to Colerne. We were logged as 30 minutes overdue. Had about 10 minutes worth of fuel left. Pay attention to the 'how to bail out' instructions. Once I was nearly stepping off the wing when control was recovered. Landed with me half in/half out of cockpit. Got carpeted cos neither of us were wearing Mae Wests whilst flying over water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viscount806x Posted May 3, 2015 Share Posted May 3, 2015 I'm ex CCF & ATC as well and it is nice to see the old traditions being carried on. My word though! Don't they half dress up to fly light aeroplanes ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted May 3, 2015 Share Posted May 3, 2015 (edited) Ha ha, I remember the safety video! "Jump jump John", "Jump jump, sir!" in very plummy accents. Best laugh ever being in the RAF cadets. Loads of station visits, week long camp in Germany, sat in just about every plane in the inventory, rides in a Sea King and had a bunch of Chippie AEF rides at Cambridge, had a go in the Harrier sim at Wittering, learned to do gliding and a Flying Scholarship on the Queens shilling. Also travel warrants for free train rides up and down the country. Those really were the days! Thanks for bringing back some good memories. Edited May 3, 2015 by Brokenedge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toms111s Posted May 3, 2015 Share Posted May 3, 2015 I'm an ex-cadet as well, I did my AEF at RAF Woodvale and Gliding at Sealand. I got a few rides in the Chipmunk and a couple in the Bulldog. Many happy memories of being part of the cadets. My best flying memory was being up in a glider for almost an hour. The instructor got a right telling off, the flights where only supposed to last 20 minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aginvicta Posted May 3, 2015 Share Posted May 3, 2015 Another ex-Space Cadet! I got my Flying Scholarship courtesy of the RAF and 1039 (Gillingham) Squadron back in 1983. I must have completed my Air Experience Flights in a Chipmunk around 1980. I never saw a video, I was was taught how to bail out, I did however loop the thing on my second flight! Pull, pull, PULL!! I can still hear the instructor's voice in my ears! 'Elf and Safety? Not on your (or mine for that matter) life! We had a camp at St Athan and I did get to fly in a Sea Prince! Not many can say that these days... Great photos though, the smiles say it all!! I was in 1039 Squadron in the late 1970's, never got to fly though, only rifle shooting and a weekend "exercise" at Mereworth. Good to see the ATC is still on the go and giving youngsters a chance to fly, Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeC Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 (edited) That brings back fond memories, I will never forget the 'jump, Johny, jump' video explaining how to calmly get out of the plane and hop off the trailing edge of the wing while it plummets to earth... Yoof! I'm not sure whether to be proud or scared that I'm old enough to remember the film (note "film" as in threaded through a projector) which preceded that video: "Sgt Clark, move the stick forward!" "Moving the stick forward now Sir." Pretty swishy looking planes they get to fly in nowadays. Now in MY day, all we had were Chipmunks with an occasional Husky trip thrown in at Marshalls Field Cambridge. I was a staff cadet at 5AEF in the 70s; I have fond memories of that Husky. Edited May 4, 2015 by MikeC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Jephcott Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 Ex CCF here - and I got a good few hours on Bulldogs and Grobs in the end at Cambridge, Leuchars and Wyton. Many happy memories, especially in the 3rd year of CCF, sneaking off to try and get on Air Experience Flights when I should have been drilling younger cadets about gun discipline!! I remember though on my first one, doing aeros in poor visibilty and turning a very funny colour as a result of it. At least I never filled the bag unlike some of the other cadets I took there!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 Not Ex ATC, but Ex RAF and those hangars look like the ones I worked in at St Athan in the late 80s. Not so happy memories. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stosh65 Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 I'm also ex-ATC. Lots of happy memories including my first flight which was from Turnhouse in a Chippie about a month before they were replaced and the whole shebang moved to Leuchars. Did a couple in a Bulldog as well but it was mostly gliding for me as there was a school in Arbroath at RM Condor. I eventually became a staffie up there which led to many interesting Friday and Saturday evenings. Just a shame Condor has the worst food of any base I have ever visited. I do remember one afternoon I was lucky to get the last flight of the day with the school senior pilot. We were up so long that we literally had to land and roll into the hanger as all the kit was packed away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truro Model Builder Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 "And suddenly, it's your turn..." Ah, that brings back memories. Walking, or rather waddling out to the waiting Chippy with the seat parachute under your backside, managing somehow to get it and yourself into the rear cockpit, and then off for twenty minutes or thereabouts of flying time. I think I managed to get in about four or five Chipmunk trips during my ATC days, as well as gliding in Cadets and Vikings, a Sea King trip from Brawdy and a couple of Nimrod flights from St. Mawgan. Happy days indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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