Air Corps NCO pilots

[GoneToTheCanner]

Hi all
Another point to be observed from foreign air arms such as the British Army Air Corps is that the NCO pilots rotate thru two-year flying duty/ground duty cycles and have to sign a committment not to leave without refunding the cost of their training.All pilots in all air forces spend significant amounts of their career engaged in ground duties and the Don is no different.Armed forces using NCO pilots tend to rank them as Warrant Officers, who are, in effect, NCOs tasked with the higher responsibility usually assigned to an Officer.
regards
GttC

Hi all,

it's wierd to see a post you put up almost 2 and a half years ago and see how bad your outlook was. maybe time has mellowed me and maybe I was still suffering from the hangover of the SAR issue, but I would be inclined to say that some of the yong NCO's we have now in all wings are capable (but might be fools) to apply for a pilot cadetship. The previous comments about bullsh1t and poxy hours still apply, but perhaps a change in the application procedure might be warrented (no pun intended). I still reckon the corps is too small to run a warrant officer corps tho. The issue of NCO P1 Vs Officer P2 is down to CRM and mission management. It is still perfectly feasable to have an NCO mission commander if that is what the mission requires and that applies even now if it is an ARW NCO and the mission is serious enough. You don't need to have the controls to dictate what's happening. As I said before, apply, you never know what might happen....  

[GoneToTheCanner]

Hi all
On Sunday,Dave Healy flew his first flight as Captain of an Aer Arran ATR, with Gerry Harkin as First Officer.DH is an ex-Maritime techie and Gerry is ex-GIV techie.Don't bother about trying to become an Air Corps NCO pilot, put your energies and monies into becoming an airline pilot.
regards
GttC

[Tech Crew]

Congrats to both of them. I can remember Gerry starting out on his ppl.

I agree with gttc. Forget about becoming an nco pilot and become a pilot outside the gates of Baldonnel.

[P.Doff]

Nice one for the lads. I remember Dave was on 250 when the side door decided to rip off its hinges over Gormo during raft launching. Bet he dosent get that type of thrill with Aer Arran, LOL!!!! Dont forget Johny Dowds whos now a P1 with City Jet. Ironic really that his plattoon officer in recruits is now one of his P2's apparently!! And Sean Smith another ex- techie, who flys for American Airlines I think.

[GoneToTheCanner]

Hi there
I didn't know Johnny had got CityJet. Best of luck to him.Other fellas to get the big job up front include Karl McQuaid(started in Translift and now in EI), Brian Fogarty(EI),Pat Morgan(Air Contractors), Joe Bonfield (Air Con),Frank Feeney(EI), Ambrose Blaine(Emirates) and there's quite a few more of us with the licenses/ratings doing various other kinds of flying.It's out there, if you're willing to work hard and dig the money up from somewhere.
regards
GttC