Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 7
User avatar
By PeteSpencer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1837465
Ah yes memories of regular Chipmunk flights from 1961 from Marshall’s with CUAS when I was in the RAF section of school CCF ,

Cocky sod that I was, I jumped at the offer of aerobatics on my very first ever powered flight . Bad mistake :result described elsewhere :pukel:

It was another 30 years before my next GA powered flight which led to the PPL five months later . :wink:

Edit sp.
Last edited by PeteSpencer on Sat Apr 03, 2021 7:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
JAFO liked this
#1837472
My first flight as a cadet was in a Balliol. Can’t remember where from, 1954/5
Much less formal briefing at that time.
Followed by a gliding course at Hawkinge ‘56 when some pilot landed a Chipmunk and all the instructors wanted a go in it, “It’s got an engine!” Threw it all over the sky till it ran out of fuel while the poor pilot was wailing “I’ve just signed for that!”.
I think the Chipmunk was still on the secret list :D
I must be getting old.
Happy days.
#1837489
We didn't have an RAF section in the school CCF, only an Army section. But I specialised in signals, which was fun...

When I won an RAF scholarship, they still wouldn't let me have a little air experience flying with an AEF. So Dad 'had a word with a friend' and instead I went for a trip with the Fleet Air Arm....in a Sea Vixen.....at the 1966 Farnborough Air Show!!

2 years later I did my PPL courtesy of Her Maj. at Bedfordshire Air Centre, Cranfield on brand new Cessna 150s... :thumleft:
Lockhaven, gaznav liked this
#1837493
Yes. I first flew in a Chipmunk aged 14 at Exeter Airport having grown up at the end of the runway in Plymouth as the RN flew their Chippies around over me every day.

That lead me to work experience in ATC at EGHD and 35 years later, still working in ATC. I still warn work experience kids of that fact! (Obvs they all want to work in finance here!!)
gaznav liked this
#1837496
I didn't get the opportunity to fly with the AEF, instead started in gliders at RAF Dishforth in 1982 and it was great fun, sadly the Cleveland's and Hamilton's gliding clubs closed a number of years ago, but it set my aviation career off in the right direction.

We had one these a Supermunk and a Chipmunk for the aero tows as well as winch launch.

Image
gaznav liked this
By Highland Park
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1837502
First flight was in a Cessna 172 from North Denes when I was about twelve years old.

First powered trip as a cadet was in the Beagle Husky (XW635) at 5 AEF, preceded by two glider trips in a Sedbergh at 611 VGS based at Swanton Morley.

Last trip with the Air Cadets before I finished with them as a staff member in 2013 (excluding airline flights there and back) was in a 3 Squadron RNZAF UH-1H based at Ohakea, whilst on an IACE visit in 2012.

Ian
User avatar
By foxmoth
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1837503
I did do flights with the AEF in Chippies at Hamble but this video is far to recent for me having moved on from Air Cadets a couple of years before this film was made, ATC was great for me -beside the AEF I did basic and advanced gliding courses, Flying Scholarship (which lead to my PPL) and a Cadet exchange - though in spite of being chosen #1 in the wing it was the cadet from Southampton squadron chosen to go to the USA as they were the ATC star squadron at the time!
#1837506
Those of you who took the ATC glider route might be interested in 621 VGS Historic flight, who keep some beautiful examples of the wood & canvas era ATC Gliders flying. Based at Nympsfield & will hopefully be back in operation before too long!

https://www.facebook.com/621-VGS-Historic-Flight-432970056815072/

Lovely to see them flying round the club last summer.....
gaznav, kanga liked this
#1837513
Yup, 12 AEF at RAF Turnhouse. Became a Staff Cadet there a few years later and ended up with over forty AEF Chipmunk flights by the time I left, then a further few(!) years later a share in a Chipmunk at White Waltham.

Gliding Proficiency was done at 661 VGS, Kirknewton.

2463 Currie and Balerno was my squadron.

12 AEF back in the day...

Image

Image

Image
#1837516
First flight 1962 in an Argosy doing 'circuits and bumps' at Benson; like PeteSpencer I spent a period of the flight looking at the inside of the special paper bag they provided. A month later my first summer camp at Little Rissington I was one of a few selected for a Piston Provost flight instead of a Chipmunk; never liked Chipmunks after that until I checked out in the front seat of one.
Got my gliding badge at 613 GS RAF Halton in '64; stayed on as a staff cadet eventually becoming a P2 Grade pilot (nowadays called a G1 Grade) flying hundreds of other cadets on Air Experience flights, this being before my 18th birthday and when I was still at school!
Last memorable flight I can attribute to Air Cadets was summer camp at Valley in 1979. I had stayed on as adult staff, got commisioned (later commanded an ATC squadron) and we were told 'adult staff only can ask for a Hawk flight where an instructor normally flies solo'; did 1 hr 20 min in close formation with 2 other Hawks carrying solo students!!
And of course my career after school was in the 'other' ATC; I wouldn't even have thought of it had I not been a member of the Air Cadets plus being posted to Farnborough meant I could fly in many of the aircraft used for test flying.
PeteSpencer liked this
#1837517
@Mike Tango Haha, I really wish I had some photos of those days. Like you I was a staff cadet (on 2 AEF) and have seen that film SO many times (we had to set up the projector each morning and afternoon) that John Andrews still haunts me with that music :D

I was very lucky and managed to get a PPL off the back of my flying scholarship. As the Boss of 2 AEF was a QFI (bloody nice bloke and I flew with his daughter later on on 737s) I was allowed to fly the Chippy from the front, once I'd got my PPL, so used to wait with bated breath to see if there was a spare slot at the end of the day. I'm sure that didn't do any harm when doing RN Grading at Plymouth a year or so later :thumright:
Mike Tango liked this
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 7