Post by IAMCAPER on Feb 9, 2005 8:28:26 GMT -4
LONDON - A British army pilot has been disciplined by senior officers for using a tank-busting helicopter to deliver a pizza to his girlfriend.
The pilot, based with Britain's 659 Army Air Corps squadron in Suffolk, eastern England, was on a map-reading training drill when he dropped off the pizza to his girlfriend who was taking part in an exercise 30 miles away.
The 25-year-old lieutenant had picked up the takeaway before setting out on the sortie in his Lynx helicopter, the Sun newspaper reported on Tuesday. He was reprimanded but did not have his pilot's license taken away, the paper added.
"The opportunity to add a light-hearted element to the planned sortie was taken but with no detriment to the sortie objective," a UK defense ministry spokeswoman told Reuters.
"The chain of command do not condone these actions and have disciplined the individuals concerned."
The pilot, based with Britain's 659 Army Air Corps squadron in Suffolk, eastern England, was on a map-reading training drill when he dropped off the pizza to his girlfriend who was taking part in an exercise 30 miles away.
The 25-year-old lieutenant had picked up the takeaway before setting out on the sortie in his Lynx helicopter, the Sun newspaper reported on Tuesday. He was reprimanded but did not have his pilot's license taken away, the paper added.
"The opportunity to add a light-hearted element to the planned sortie was taken but with no detriment to the sortie objective," a UK defense ministry spokeswoman told Reuters.
"The chain of command do not condone these actions and have disciplined the individuals concerned."