The REAL 'Mr Wessex'........
Scared? Never - he was too much of a gent, and Shula was always there to get us out of trouble. He was happy with us Plt Offs - it was the Green Shielders he appeared to find trying. On my course, our token NZ was Taff's student - the mutual incomprehension during debriefs kept the rest of us thoroughly entertained. As CWDG went on to a successful career in Wessex, JPs and eventually Macchis in his own native Air Force (making it to at least Wg Cdr), I reckon Taff must've been a sound instructor.
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I arrived on the OCU in 76 Manx
I was a young dull student Crewman in '74 on 240 OCU, Puma not Wessex, but enjoyed listening to Taff with pipe akimbo, though yes - you definitely wouldn't cross him.
What days, then arriving on 230 to meet Geordie Haswell, Brian Hennerly, and a host of other WW2 veterans. Like Taff - all Gentlemen!
(yes dundiggin - I'm still dull I know
)
What days, then arriving on 230 to meet Geordie Haswell, Brian Hennerly, and a host of other WW2 veterans. Like Taff - all Gentlemen!
(yes dundiggin - I'm still dull I know
![Stick Out Tongue](https://www.pprune.org/images/smilies/tongue.gif)
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Manx, It would have been late 76 when I arrived, probably around August September time.
I vividly remember Taff's technique for a sloping ground landing nose up with a Wessex - 'Right laddie, brakes on, flare and dump the lever .... now'. Worked every time (when he did it!).
Ah, Oldbeef... I wondered where you'd learned the technique that you taught me on the mighty Whirlwind 10 ![Smilie](https://www.pprune.org/images/smilies/smile.gif)
...could never find the brakes for the nosewheels, though...
![Smilie](https://www.pprune.org/images/smilies/smile.gif)
...could never find the brakes for the nosewheels, though...
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I seem to remember Taff getting stuck during a confined landing, after lowering the collective, the tree branches that were being held down by the downdraught sprang back up above the rotors preventing him lifting it back out.