Haha! Fair enough. Often regional flying schools are better value, as landing / airways charges are ridiculous at capital city airports. If you do a rating in one big hit it can be significantly cheaper to travel a bit and knock it off all in one go without those charges.
Yes. Unfortunately it’s booked during that period (someone called Rob, apparently). Would you be happy to share?
Absolutely. So I've been flying from Lilydale, mainly, and I noticed that they flew to Ballarat to practice a gps approach. Essendon has its own and is obviously closer to Ballarat or Moorabbin, so I'm not sure the savings are as much as they should be..... If anything. Sig www.pless.com.au/mechanics.htm
Having worked with a lot of air force pilots I was wondering if Gary or Steve could comment. During the walkaround pre-flight inspections I met a few pilots that had strange idiosyncracies where one in particular had a nervous tic where his head would twitch violently , so much so that he had to keep his helmet on during the walkaround as F-111s have very sharp edges that will split your head open if you aren't careful and his helmet would often hit the aircraft. But, as soon as he got in the cockpit it stopped immediately Same thing with another pilot who stammered incoherently outside the plane , but in the cockpit was totally coherent and clearly spoken. Obviously the concentration and focus seemed to clear their thought patterns but I found it intriguing how they just switched it off by getting in the cockpit ever seen any of this in the commercial world , and would it be tolerated ? Asking for an interested plane washer (FU Wes )
Can't say I've seen anything quite like that! If a bloke has to wear a helmet to stop banging his head on everything during a walkaround that's a bit extreme. If I did that I'd be hauled up to the CP's office to explain why I keep trying to damage his aircraft! Given the way CASA medical behave (a total disgrace and a law unto themselves) I doubt those blokes would have been able to keep a class 1 medical in civvy world, regardless of whether or not they were actually excellent and very safe pilots (CASA doesn't care about that).
Hi JM, small world! I think those F111 pilots are now qantas captains. I remember seeing one QF 737 captain wear an 80s orange stackhat on a walkaround. He kept hitting his helmet along the skin of fuselage leaving lots of dents and ripples along the way. Then on another flight I spoke to the QF aircrew before the flight as we were waiting at the gate, and the captain was also incoherent and stuttering, I thought he was drunk, but the FO said nah, he's just an ex-RAAF fighter pilot! He was all good giving the in-flight announcement, though. Very articulate
Hi Roman, I'm sure some people think I make these stories up but you come across a lot of strange things in your life. Only ever had one pilot have it in for me ..... was very pissed at me when I told him that the feel and trim computer needed changing which meant full pitot static check and the mission was off ...... he was only a critical mission with diplomatic clearance to fly over a specific country at a specific time and this meant he had to apply for another clearance .... funnily enough his name was Clint
I'm sure you've seen a great deal in your life, John. But I write this as someone with a close relative who is a very senior member of the ADF, and who grew up with mates whose dads were RAAF or ex RAAF pilots. In my personal experience, the RAAF and ex-RAAF pilots I've met or known have been the sharpest people - and I know some pretty smart people. I seriously considered applying for the RAAF (pilot) when I finished high school (I was in air force cadets) but didn't pursue it because I knew that while academically I was good enough, in other ways I just wouldn't make the cut. And then once you're in, you have to be good enough to stay in. I know of at least two QF pilots who were good enough to get into the RAAF, but failed pilots course. They trained on civvy street, and still made it to QF. Put it this way, you might be good enough for QF, but you still may not meet RAAF standards. If a RAAF pilot developed the health issues which you have described, I seriously doubt they'd be let anywhere near something like an F-111 - they'd be deskbound in a heart beat, and possibly out of the RAAF (on a medical discharge or whatever it's formally called) for good. I suspect that the pilots you saw were just joking around/taking the piss. But if a pilot was genuinely smashing a helmet or his head on the skin/fuselage/leading edge/etc of an f-111, his squadron CO would want that soon to be exRAAF pilot's balls on a platter.
The pilot with the tic was genuine but the tic was only a twitch of the head which stopped the second he was in the cockpit ... saw it several times during a debrief of his aircraft, I never asked him how he got it and he was a sharp pilot
Everyone thinks that. Especially your "friends" Like Simon, you'd be surprised and disappointed what they say and think. I know you don't care what people say about you, but when these people act like they're your friends, you're better off cutting off the relationship imo. That's what I did! I don't know what took me so long. But that's ok...... You guys keep badmouthing me and backslapping each other instead. I'll sit back and chuckle. Gosh I'm deep and meaningful. Sig www.pless.com.au/mechanics.htm
I got rid of the dead wood and now I'm living life with gay abandon. Sig www.pless.com.au/mechanics.htm
You know Peter, you say things like "life is too short" , etc but you take things too seriously. Sure people say things about others but really, who does it say more about, them or me ? I get bagged all the time, like Wes, about silly things we've done but really it is in jest and we take it as such (that photo of me washing the plane is NOT funny Wes, you plick ) I prefer to be friends with as many people as possible, still catching up with old mates 30 years on .... sad in some cases to see what has happened to a few. I PMd some of the moderators when you got banned for 3 months (was going to be a permaban) and they were adamant that you were not good for the forum, and I said if you have to ban him then make it maybe 2 or 3 months as you were a decent person ...... then you got mad and blamed me for the ban I remember when you were having difficulties with your dad and I said to you at the time I would be happy to be able to talk to my long dead father and how lucky you were that your dad was still alive. I was ecstatic when you were happy with your dad again and posting those pics of him on facebook, and a little jealous as my dad died at 60. You think people backstab and badmouth you but nothing is further from the truth, your paranoia is getting to you I'm happy with the car I bought from you, needed a few things fixed but then every Ferrari does no matter how well it is looked after, been NINE years of mostly enjoyment (I hate parting with money but the car never wants for anything ... that poor car) Anyway, strangely I wish you well
OK, so he might have developed some kind of neurological condition, but in order to keep flying, he would need to be assessed by a RAAF medical officer as fit to fly. Now, if he needed a ****ing helmet on for the walkaround, something ain't right, and I just cannot see that being permitted, particularly if he was striking the aircraft with his body because the tic was so bad.
This was 1980-1983, only ever heard him hit the afterburner vanes (didn't see it) once on a walkaround and asked the nav (may have been Shorty Jordan) what happened and he said it happens from time to time
And thank you for posting my private business. Much appreciated. Yes I take friendship very seriously. If loyalty isn't a part of friendship, then I'm happy not having friends. YMMV. Sig www.pless.com.au/mechanics.htm
As usual, you miss the point, nobody is perfect and it is a measure of the person as to how they do or don't accept those imperfections. I look at the bigger picture, is this person a positive or negative in my life
There is no "as usual" I got your point and I don't agree with it. I only want to associate with people who have the same morals and ethics as myself (for better or worse) and now, that's what I do. You are free to accept whatever you like from people, obviously. Sig www.pless.com.au/mechanics.htm
