Iconic Aircraft Aviation Forum

by **Pujgnie** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 5:59 pm

A Naval dad dropped in at a school to teach kids about being a pilot...

http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/4641420.Flying_visit_to_North_Dorset_school_by_pilot_dad/

Why wasn't education like that in my day ?

by **Iggie** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 6:03 pm

Well, it sort of did for me, when Mike Oldfield (him of 'Tubular Balls Bells fame) dropped in at his old prep school in his first helicopter......which is where I went too.

Bl**dy show off.....

by **Pujgnie** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 6:49 pm

Iggie wrote:
Bl**dy show off.....

That was my initial thought about that last clip. Having said that... that has to be the lowest 'Nod' on departure - ever !!

by **Spitfire** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 6:50 pm

Reminds me of my time as a Building Society manager at Helston - next door to RNAS Culdrose - the headteacher of my wife's school was retiring and as I was a governor at the time he was telling me at a meeting that he was dreading driving away from school on his last day with all his belongings in a cardboard box.

So as he was a flying enthusiast, like me, I secretly contacted the Commanding Officer at Culdrose to see if we could get him airlifted home on his last day.

I was gobsmacked that he agreed - and on his last day we got all the children in a horseshoe shape up wind on the school field and a Gazelle from Culdrose landed (all set up as a site seeing trip - doors off )- the crew gave him a flying suit and a helmet and he was whisked away for a low level flight all around the S W Peninsular - round Lands End etc - and he was landed back at the nearest school to his home in Carbis Bay about 90 minutes later.

Gazelle......

by **Saracenman** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 7:00 pm

there is method in the seeming madness..........

an ex school mate of mine is a Wokka driver who, on a couple of occasions, dropped in to my old school on their fête day. speaking to him on one such occasion, he said it's done as a proper training exercise; he was able to use the playing-field landing as practise for a specific type of approach, into wind or whatever it was

they have to train SOMEWHERE, so why not mix it with a bit of PR and recruitment at the same time!

remember all that furore about Prince William/Harry flying to the IoW? I'll wager there was some serious training en route - crossing water, abandonment training etc?

Whitehall don't give HM Forces enough money as it is, let alone extra to pay for jollies!

seriously thinking of dusting off my shorts and cap though, and re-enrolling back at school, though! =))

sm

by **Spitfire** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 7:07 pm

Yes that's exactly right - they said it was a 'training' flight - to use a school field etc etc that's how theysquared it away

The pilot sought me out before they took off and said - quietly - 'did you organise this' - I said I had - so he passed me a sheaf of papers, carefully folded, and said - 'we are going to do a tower take off to avoid those power lines (pointing) - so if we crash on take off these are the flight plans and crew details and who you have to contact' :-o

Worrying

by **Mayfly** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 7:13 pm

most things can be squared away using the training reason...

by **Xplumberlives** » Thu Sep 24, 2009 9:02 am

We took a REAL Merlin (green) in to a school at Henley on our way from Benson to the air weapons range in Somerset. The kids loved it but even more excited were the Ladies of the Tennis Club who were playing just next door!