Model Boat Mayhem
Mess Deck: General Section => Chit-Chat => Topic started by: raflaunches on August 12, 2018, 05:13:17 am
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Well today is the day that for the first time in 13.5 years that I’m truly apprehensive and probably a little scared...
Today the last of the Tonka ground crews find out where we go to after the Tornado goes to the great scrap yard in the sky in March. Many of us are on tender edge as the management have sent out the Padre to talk to us which indicates bad news, probably... {:-{
For me I’m feeling apprehensive as I’ve never moved base before outside of training, just moved around different sections and squadrons so it’s like being a young LAC again not knowing a damn thing and not knowing where anything is!
So many rumours around the squadrons both home and away, some we would like to be true others not so.
Fingers crossed that we get something good but I’m not counting on it... :((
P.s. I’m being pessimistic so if I get something good it’ll be brilliant. :-))
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Nick, If you can't get a posting to the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (maybe a last minute vacancy) then the new F-35 should be deploying fairly soon. It might even come with a UK posting.
Best wishes, we will all be keeping our fingers crossed for you.
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good luck Nick,
hopefully you get what you want but if its Lossie... then let us know I am sure we can
look after you when up here :}
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Good luck Nick and fingers crossed!
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......the new F-35 should be deploying fairly soon. It might even come with a UK posting.
At least four of them are already here, they flew into Marham about a month ago. That's almost commuting range from Kettering too. ok2
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Thanks guys
Unfortunately the chances of a F35 vacancy is slim, I’m already at Marham and we’ve been told that those who are on the new squadrons and support sections already know who they are. I’m not one of them :((
BBMF no vacancies for another two years at least as it’s a fixed time tour.
Strangely Lossiemouth is full according to manning levels, so what does that leave? Hopefully not Benson or Odiham as I don’t want to work helicopters...Brize Norton or Waddington apparently almost full so it’s a bit worrisome as to what I’ll get.
We will see this evening...
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Maybe a transfer to the RN and QE ok2
Good luck this evening and let us know how things go.
Colin
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Good luck, hope all goes well, last time I was at RAF Marham they had RAF Washingtons and I was 14.
best regards,
Roy
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I remember my appointer just said life in a blue suit go where you're drafted.............
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Thanks guys
Hopefully not Benson or Odiham as I don’t want to work helicopters...
in today's cutbacks in the armed services, a job is a job...….and working on different aircraft only enhances your position when you finally leave the service and are looking for private work in the public service where those experiences and further qualifications will help enormously.
I wouldn't be too despondent, but look forward to new challenges. O0 :-))
bon chance'
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You will be fine Nick. Most of us have been there drafty can be a pain.
Bob
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Fingers crossed :-))
The problem with helicopters is the stuff that it comes with- living in a field for most of the year and going to some truly awful places. I’ve worked really hard (unnecessarily sometimes) on Tornado and wouldn’t mind something good for a change- really feels at times that you’re not appreciated by the RAF for the previous work you’ve done. The last four years have been stupidly difficult with an aging airframe and lack of spares and when I got offered BBMF last year I thought that at last I’d been rewarded for my work, sadly not so, I was promised to be on the first tranche of releases, sadly not so (I’m on the third and last), I was promised to only to do half this current operational deployment- I’ve had to do an extra two weeks already! So you can see a pattern here... I don’t mind working and having a job but it would be nice once in a while to see the icing and cherry on top of the cake!
I’ll go where I’m ordered to go but there is only so much people will put up with, they better deliver this time <*<
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fingers crosses,
I was brought on bases in germany. All the Bases and towns/Schools I went to are now closed down. so many good memory of people and bases and hang over {-) .
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there's always working on this one...…..coming in for an attack on my Bismarck over my house this lunch time.
torpedo clearly viewable under her belly in the fuzzy shot ready for the home run.
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The training helicopters at Shawbury don't end up in fields and mud etc. They're spick and span the entire time, but you might get tee'd off with polishing them I guess.
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Unfortunately helicopters at Shawbury are all civilian ground crews, same with Valley and Linton on Ouse.
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Can't offer any practical help, but my Brother, Brother-in-Law and Father-in-Law all served in the RAF, so just some appreciation for past efforts?
All the best,
Ian
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Nick from my time un the RAF (30+ years) I seem to remember something about 'taking a joke'
Best of luck wherever you end up.
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My brother was in the raf and he always counselled and drilled the importance of P M A - positive mental attitude in every situation both in the service and in life in general. He flew 1200 hours in Lightnings at Binbrooke as a member of Eleven Squadron and as a LTF Instructor. He is now a Jumbo captain in BA and has just qualified as a glider pilot instructor aged 60. He lost three good friends all killed flying during his service.
We all need pma and I am sure your vital fast jet expertise won't be wasted in the current climate of cutbacks and financial troubles. Good luck.
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One hopes not. Hey Nick, wishing you the best of luck. I am sure you are an expert on planning so focus your worry energy into working out what to do with your next posting and you will best it.
Perhaps the RAF need to get their jaguars out to give them a once over (assuming we still have some parked somewhere?!)
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Hi everyone
Thanks for the words of wisdom and support
A bit of a weird one for my posting and requires another interview in November to confirm my position before the potential 2 year courses start in April next year. All I can say that some of the year when the course is finished will be spent in Waddington but the course is something worth having- if I pass it I’ll become a LAE (gotta love those military TLAs) or professionally a Licensed Aircraft Engineer!
But it depends on that interview in November so fingers crossed :-))
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hey Nick. heads up mate. no idea where they could place you.....but you could go to do an exchange somewhere. maybe Norway! see you at deans open day if your still going
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Certainly will Pete, got leave booked around the Dean’s mad weekend of fun- not going to miss it for the world! :-))
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Pete.....
maybe its on hold until November and then your on Poseidon training... stateside!! :-))
the first are due some point 2019
Now, how many fancy US kits/Hulls can we fit in a Posiedon hold my good bestest mate! :D :D :D
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Pete.....
maybe its on hold until November and then your on Poseidon training... stateside!! :-))
the first are due some point 2019
Now, how many fancy US kits/Hulls can we fit in a Posiedon hold my good bestest mate! :D :D :D
Sorry Nick, pass why I said Pete there %)
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cos you're hung over!
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cos your hung over!
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It’s not Poseidon I’ll be working on if the interview goes well-it’s a lot smaller!
On a sunny day everyone has one!
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you're going to submarines!!
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your going to submarines!!
Brilliant, I’ll tell you at the open weekend if you haven’t worked it out by then! :-))
There were some bitterly disappointed ground crews yesterday with some very strange postings- not to posts that we thought were still open either- a lot less Typhoon posts than expected considering that two new squadrons are standing up next year.
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I got it - Good clue Nick - See you soon.
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Cheers Alan :-))
Looking forward to sailing a boat again! :-)
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cos you're hung over!
Hey.... yeah ok maybe %)
Nick, interesting if you get to Waddington....
What’s the chance of stealing a bottom radome cover from the sentinel it
Could be a great test tank O0
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Well I managed to get home a bit later than expected- thank you very much RAF-Air! >>:-(
It's got a little more apprehensive with an un-expected interview to get to the second interview which will get me the license post! Confusing or what!
I spent Thursday and Friday trying to find out what the interview is about and what I need to research to give the right answers. A bit of research about the aircraft I'll eventually work on, history of the squadron, what I think I'll be doing, and just to check on my understanding of how the license course works, are just a few of the different topics up for discussion. God knows what the second interview will require! %%
Shockingly I have stopped drinking to remember my possible answers... I must really want that job!!!
Colin: you could have had a radome from the Sentinel if the Herc Det FS hadn't forgot to put his hand brake on... luckily it was just scratched paint but a lot of panic from the Sentinel and Herc Dets! :embarrassed:
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Are you after a posting to the Red Arrows I wonder,
Regards Howard.
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Nah, why would I want to work with those show-offs! {-)
You dont need an aircraft license in the RAF to work on the Reds- just know how polish and keep polishing, and just polish some more!
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Colin: you could have had a radome from the Sentinel if the Herc Det FS hadn't forgot to put his hand brake on... luckily it was just scratched paint but a lot of panic from the Sentinel and Herc Dets! :embarrassed:
have a word in his shell would you? {-) {-)
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Oh he got more than that! {-)
It was one of the funniest investigations I have seen being performed by the Officers from other sections. They were trying to work out the angle of the taxiway to see how fast a parked car without a handbrake would travel at. The closest thing I could compare it to is trying to herd cats! %%
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Given your clues I think I know what you might be working on. The pilot officer's mess might be a bit quieter than at other bases?
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Well I managed to get home a bit later than expected- thank you very much RAF-Air! >>:-(
Nick, Nick my boy,
You should know by now:
Time to spare go by Air!
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