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Westland training schools
- Thread starter rhino
- Start date
TrenchardsLoveSock
Flight Sergeant
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Puma propulsion Q course, early nineties. The course was bearable only because it was a blur thanks to the night before. Instructor was a complete chopper, but we just abused him for a fortnight (verbally of course!).
Puma riggers course about a year later. Utter misery. 3 weeks of mind numbing boredom with a crusty old bugger droning on about an aircraft he had never worked on. Only 4 on the course: a miserable bugger at the best of times who's dad had just died, two blokes from Aldergrove in a hotel miles from Yeovil, and me. To my eternal shame and the joy of Mrs TLS I came back from that with unspent rates
DT_Xtremez_21:
The guy who took over was a top bloke though and used to come up to the Sqn regularly to update the course material. Lots of guys had nothing but praise for him.
You won't enjoy it is you are a smoker though, the whole site is now no smoking and it is a bit of a walk to get off site for a tab.::/:
I'm up there for regular meetings and it is hell.
Puma riggers course about a year later. Utter misery. 3 weeks of mind numbing boredom with a crusty old bugger droning on about an aircraft he had never worked on. Only 4 on the course: a miserable bugger at the best of times who's dad had just died, two blokes from Aldergrove in a hotel miles from Yeovil, and me. To my eternal shame and the joy of Mrs TLS I came back from that with unspent rates
DT_Xtremez_21: The guy who took over was a top bloke though and used to come up to the Sqn regularly to update the course material. Lots of guys had nothing but praise for him.
You won't enjoy it is you are a smoker though, the whole site is now no smoking and it is a bit of a walk to get off site for a tab.::/:
I'm up there for regular meetings and it is hell.
I went there for a seaking q course.
Dont remember much due to the copious amount of alcohol we were forced to spend our rates on!
The instructor we had was without doubt the best one I have ever learnt from. He was an ex fish head and used to shout ship roll all the time, but he was a fantastic instructor. A shame there arent a few like him in the RAF!
As mentioned, the whole site is now non tabbing. Its funny to see em all in he bus shelter by the back gate puffing away like chimneys!
The canteen at westlands isnt bad, the pizzas are good value scoff. Failing that heres a McD's outside the front gate and to the left is also a safeways with a sit in caff.
I enjoyed it although by the end of the course we had spent 2 months eating fast food rubbish and drinking beer. 2 weeks at cosford, 2 weeks at Rolls in Bristol and then 4 weeks at Westlands. Put a fair bit of weight on!!!!!!!!!
What course you going on?
Dont remember much due to the copious amount of alcohol we were forced to spend our rates on!
The instructor we had was without doubt the best one I have ever learnt from. He was an ex fish head and used to shout ship roll all the time, but he was a fantastic instructor. A shame there arent a few like him in the RAF!
As mentioned, the whole site is now non tabbing. Its funny to see em all in he bus shelter by the back gate puffing away like chimneys!
The canteen at westlands isnt bad, the pizzas are good value scoff. Failing that heres a McD's outside the front gate and to the left is also a safeways with a sit in caff.
I enjoyed it although by the end of the course we had spent 2 months eating fast food rubbish and drinking beer. 2 weeks at cosford, 2 weeks at Rolls in Bristol and then 4 weeks at Westlands. Put a fair bit of weight on!!!!!!!!!
What course you going on?
done a merlin airframe 'q', a sumpy 'q' and a blade repair course there. so ive spent about 2 months there in the last year or so!
its good, you actually get treated as an equal and a grown up unlike on RAF run courses.
the best part is that for for us, the junior ranks stay in a hotel whilst the seniors have to stay in the mess at yeovilton ha!!
its good, you actually get treated as an equal and a grown up unlike on RAF run courses.
the best part is that for for us, the junior ranks stay in a hotel whilst the seniors have to stay in the mess at yeovilton ha!!
Cake or Death
Flight Sergeant
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im currently at westlands now on a merlin mech q course. and have 5 weeks remaining. its nice to be a civvy again!!!! the death by power point is making me have some of the longest blinks in the world but it aint too bad. typical course could be alot shorter. the tea and coffee is free which is nice. you'll no doubt end up staying in the globe above a pubwhich will be nice when i get there next week. the snco on our course is staying at yeovilton. and going to maccy d's for breekie everyday is not good idea. niether is getting wasted on a thursday nite when you have an exam first thing. Enjoy!
MeRlIn HaTeR
SAC
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Its not a proper exam!!!!!DT_Xtremez_30:
I've done Q course, multi skilling Q course and DMRH course!
The all you can eat chinky was good last time and Chicago's was busy on a thursday. Isnt the point of the course seeing how hungover you can be and still pass the exams?DT_Xtremez_06:
One of the lecky instructors is in a reasonable rock band if you fancy a laugh!
DT_Xtremez_30: I've done Q course, multi skilling Q course and DMRH course!
The all you can eat chinky was good last time and Chicago's was busy on a thursday. Isnt the point of the course seeing how hungover you can be and still pass the exams?
DT_Xtremez_06: One of the lecky instructors is in a reasonable rock band if you fancy a laugh!
Cake or Death
Flight Sergeant
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well with them q's you definately aint leaving 28/78.mfe/milf or what ever we will be known as. no your right it aint a proper exam. but it is slightly hard when you have question on things you havent been taught!!!!!! and as for the exam well, i dont thing the mcd's big breekie did anything for me this morning, and i was to busy concetrating on not throwing up on the exam paper, and had to resort to holding the pen above the question, dropping it, and whatever answer it landed by, is what got circled. and i still got 80%. DT_Xtremez_35: oh well living in the globe next week let the fun and games commence!
DT_Xtremez_35: oh well living in the globe next week let the fun and games commence!MeRlIn HaTeR
SAC
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I forgot the best bit of the course!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The £5 challenge! In the WHL subsidised canteen you have to attempt to spend £5 on standard items. You can get a roast dinner, dessert and a drink for around £3.50.
Plus when you get back to the classroom pump the A/C up a couple of degrees and watch people wilt!DT_Xtremez_30:
The instructors are generally good but some of the instructors who have always been WHL people are a struggle. On the Merlin course the vast majority haven't worked the A/C so you get conflict of opinions on how the aircraft work as well. I found it interesting being told I was wrong when I had already worked on them for 2 years before doing the course.
Plus if you ask really nicely they may take you to the build shed so you can see the first of the US Presidential Heli's being built.
The £5 challenge! In the WHL subsidised canteen you have to attempt to spend £5 on standard items. You can get a roast dinner, dessert and a drink for around £3.50.
Plus when you get back to the classroom pump the A/C up a couple of degrees and watch people wilt!
DT_Xtremez_30: The instructors are generally good but some of the instructors who have always been WHL people are a struggle. On the Merlin course the vast majority haven't worked the A/C so you get conflict of opinions on how the aircraft work as well. I found it interesting being told I was wrong when I had already worked on them for 2 years before doing the course.
Plus if you ask really nicely they may take you to the build shed so you can see the first of the US Presidential Heli's being built.
MeRlIn HaTeR
SAC
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The wife has got too good a job to leave! Plus its an easy life here really. With the IDF decreasing in theatre and no guard out there I dont think it will be taxing the hardest part is choosing where to go for your skinny decaf latte after work!
DT_Xtremez_15: They've binned the idea of us being a commando badged maint unit as we would've actually had to do the commando course as part of your arrivals.
We are MFE for the foreseeable!
I enjoy courses at Westlands, even if its just for the go in the simulators!
i bet theres a large scottish jt that'll be devastated to hear that!
Cake or Death
Flight Sergeant
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AWW that would have been quite good, i know that one wishful name being banded around the crew room was 'Spanner Commandos' woulda been quite a good name, better tham MFE!
Well the course at westlands has gone slightly better this week mainly as it was mostly sooty stuff which i understand and is more intresting. It is impossible to spends £5 and not explode after eating too much.
As a note, one of the presidents cabs which is a test vehicle is suffering from...yep weight issues!!!! just like all american things its overweight.
The Bowmeister
Darkside Jedi Master
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did my Puma Airframes Q Oct 2000, one of the best courses i have ever done. in a hotel in Yeovil within walking distance of Westlands, late starts, Liquid lunch's in their social club, early stack every day and back to the hotel bar for a quick beer and a "Combat Kip" then out on the LASH in Yeovil every night. 3 weeks of absolute Hell - NOT. Spent all my rates and then some!!!! Booze, birds and a bit of learning.
DT_Xtremez_30: "Carlsberg don't do Q-Courses, but if they did it still wouldn't beat this one"!!!!!!DT_Xtremez_31:
DT_Xtremez_30: "Carlsberg don't do Q-Courses, but if they did it still wouldn't beat this one"!!!!!!DT_Xtremez_31:Goatherdingsplitter
Rebel without a clue
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Wessex airframe cse at Dorchester May1985, Puma airframe, prop & managers cses 97 & Sea King cse 2004. Some good instructors (ex service), some not so. Liver has just about recoveredDT_Xtremez_28:
DT_Xtremez_28:spent 6 weeks there last year on my Merlin Q-course. quite enjoyed it really, plenty of early stacks but a lot of death by powerpoint unfortunately. yeovils not a bad place, chicago rock is a dodgy place on thursday as its full of fish heads but other than that a good night out.
accomodation is usually at the Globe or if you are lucky, the Manor. both decent digs in the centre of town with great food and only a 10 minute walk from Westlands.
oh, and the Chinese in the centre of town has an all you can eat buffet for £15!DT_Xtremez_14:
accomodation is usually at the Globe or if you are lucky, the Manor. both decent digs in the centre of town with great food and only a 10 minute walk from Westlands.
oh, and the Chinese in the centre of town has an all you can eat buffet for £15!
DT_Xtremez_14:Goatherdingsplitter
Rebel without a clue
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Puma sumpy Q cse at Dorchester in about 1865, remember the scrumpy pub, reasonable local pubs and the 'Beverley sisters' ( 3 young items of total 'helmetaaaaaaaaaaaaa' ) that worked in the local beauty salon !!!!
That would be the 'Digby Tap'. I too encountered said hostelry along with all the other pubs in Dorchester and the SSAFA bar. Didn't come across the 'Beverely Sisters' but found the nurses accommodation and had a not too unpleasant encounter in Gardens 'nightclub' in Yeovil.
DT_Xtremez_06:retired real lecky
Corporal
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Did a Puma electical Q course in 1992. The instructor was ex navy, a submarine type. Never worked on aircraft in any shape or form. He had us colouring in circuit diagrams for 3 feckin weeks. He didn't have a fcukin clue as to how all that sh*t worked!! Never went through as many crayons in my life. Still, plenty of good places to get pi$$ed in Yeovil.
D
Drwho?
Guest
Get yourself down the Butchers Arms for a skinful, every night.
The instructor used to ask who had gone out and got mullered the night before. Every morning the same two people upped a shaky mitt. He used to bet we could not drink at lunchtime - the fool!
Good laugh with the instructor, the other 6 on the course were kn*bs. One SNEC bird hadn't seen daylight since being promoted because her head was either up her own @rse or that of her bosses.
The instructor used to ask who had gone out and got mullered the night before. Every morning the same two people upped a shaky mitt. He used to bet we could not drink at lunchtime - the fool!
Good laugh with the instructor, the other 6 on the course were kn*bs. One SNEC bird hadn't seen daylight since being promoted because her head was either up her own @rse or that of her bosses.