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Ghandi's Flip-Flop said:
feckinG RANT said:
IMHO, the most awful and unfair treatment of anyone was the poor guys like myself QUOTE]

Would you care to explain what was unfair about that system. If you'd gotten the requisite qualifications you could have joined up as a DE or Appo. You knew you were never guaranteed a fitters course joining as a mech. If advancement bothered you so much you should have got the extra quals.
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Totally agree with what (I think?) you're saying, perhaps my point was not so clear. The grip is not with DE's or Appo's, well not this time anyway ;)

When I joined up as a Mech I was under no illusion that had I had two or four O levels or GCSE's I could have opted for DE or Appo. As it was I accepted that FT may be offered at such point further along my career when ready. No problem with that.

My gripe, and many others, was that in the early 90's this system was replaced with the Mech Tech's. Now, and I'd like to make this clear, those recruited under this system have done no wrong, good luck to them. However, it was a crying shame to many good, time served SAC's, to allow many of the Mech Tech's back to Halton/Cosford when their performance was not on a par with many old school Mech's.

I stress, not the fault of any one Mech Tech and indeed, within their own system, they had met the prerequisite need for FT. However, looking from the point of view as an old school Mech, the implementation of the scheme could not have been done any worse. Doubtlessly, the draw-down at the time did not help but over and above this was the fact that many Mech Tech's received FT when, IMHO, there were far better old school Mechs out there richly deserving selection.
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I've got TMT dates but nothing apart from that, my WO has also said that its all waiting on the people at Kinloss getting sorted first.
 
feckinG RANT said:
Ghandi's Flip-Flop said:
Mech Tech's back to Halton/Cosford when their performance was not on a par with many old school Mech's.

I stress, not the fault of any one Mech Tech and indeed, within their own system, they had met the prerequisite need for FT. However, looking from the point of view as an old school Mech, the implementation of the scheme could not have been done any worse.
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I'd like to put the other side of the argument here as it has been thrust at me by a few old school mechs.

I was a mech tech, and as such was guaranteed my fitters course after 2 years as long as I kept my nose clean. I was a mech tech because of my civi qualifications, remeber mech-mechs were still being recruited at the same time.

If I had joined up at the same time as these poor hard done to old school mechs I would have had the option of being an appo or DE by virtue of the qualifications I had earned prior to joining the RAF. Surely me getting 2 years hands on before doing my fitters course was both benefitial to the RAF and myself, and hopefully made me a btter JT than a DE for example.

Its my understanding that in joining up as a mech you had "NO" guarantee of ever being offered a fitters course, this was certainly the case for the mechs who joined up at the same time as myself. Therefore getting one at all and having the chance of further promotion was a bonus.

From an RAF perspective, if you had so much get up and go and wanted to get on within the RAF you would have either

a) Stuck in at school and obtained the minimum requirement for technician training
b) Done another college course or resits to make up for your qualification shortfall before joining the RAF.

Its all very well saying you have great handskills, but being a technician and later an NCO requires a hell of alot more than just being good at hacking and bashing.


rant over :PDT_Xtremez_42:
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Ghandi's Flip-Flop said:
feckinG RANT said:
If I had joined up at the same time as these poor hard done to old school mechs I would have had the option of being an appo or DE by virtue of the qualifications I had earned prior to joining the RAF. Surely me getting 2 years hands on before doing my fitters course was both benefitial to the RAF and myself, and hopefully made me a btter JT than a DE for example.
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Not necessarily true.

I joined in early 89 and at that time the last ever 'po course had been filled and DE's were being binned. My only choice of entry into the RAF as a aircraft trade was to join as a Mech. Quite a few others were in the same position as me.

That they later had a few more DE courses who were at Halton at the same time as me was just a little extra dig in the ribs.

The qualifications and scores I had would have given me the choice of 'Po or DE entry, the RAF had changed the system again however.

There was a fair period where the only choice of entry was as a Mechanic with Fitters courses being available on merit only.
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I was a DE on the 1991-1992 AAD132 course and we have managed no better than mechs of the same era, lack of promotion did us all no favours. most of us are SGT'S. 20 years down the line nothing has changed, They just keep re inventing the wheel and knee jerk reactions to the latest crisis.
 
Ghandi's Flip-Flop said:
feckinG RANT said:
I'd like to put the other side of the argument here as it has been thrust at me by a few old school mechs.

I was a mech tech, and as such was guaranteed my fitters course after 2 years as long as I kept my nose clean. I was a mech tech because of my civi qualifications, remeber mech-mechs were still being recruited at the same time.

If I had joined up at the same time as these poor hard done to old school mechs I would have had the option of being an appo or DE by virtue of the qualifications I had earned prior to joining the RAF. Surely me getting 2 years hands on before doing my fitters course was both benefitial to the RAF and myself, and hopefully made me a btter JT than a DE for example.

Its my understanding that in joining up as a mech you had "NO" guarantee of ever being offered a fitters course, this was certainly the case for the mechs who joined up at the same time as myself. Therefore getting one at all and having the chance of further promotion was a bonus.

From an RAF perspective, if you had so much get up and go and wanted to get on within the RAF you would have either

a) Stuck in at school and obtained the minimum requirement for technician training
b) Done another college course or resits to make up for your qualification shortfall before joining the RAF.

Its all very well saying you have great handskills, but being a technician and later an NCO requires a hell of alot more than just being good at hacking and bashing.


rant over :PDT_Xtremez_42:
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I agree with your Rant, as I too was a Mech Tech and had to put up with all the snide comments. It is true, if I had joined a few months earlier, I would have been a DE. The problem is, people blame the people, where it is the SYSTEM at fault, putting people in the situation.
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Just to bring this back up, anyone know what number they are upto on the promotion board, for sac to cpl a tech m?

Anyone know why the numbers are * this year, I think this is the biggest promotion board yet the numbers are very low anyone know why? Other trades seem to still be doing ok.
 
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I heard a few weeks ago they were still working within the initial release of 69. Things must be slow.
 
Does anybody know if promotion has stopped? Or are the various boards still ticking along?
 
Sospan said:
Any idea of released numbers?
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Afraid not. I know someone who's been waiting awhile. He even identified some posts locally which needed filling straight away. Seems they don't like help, so they waited until where he doesn't want to go became available and posted him there!!
He'll be another one doing the weekend commute for as long as it takes to bag the pension.
 
MrMasher said:
Afraid not. I know someone who's been waiting awhile. He even identified some posts locally which needed filling straight away. Seems they don't like help, so they waited until where he doesn't want to go became available and posted him there!!
He'll be another one doing the weekend commute for as long as it takes to bag the pension.
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Would you expect anything less Mr M? Next you will be telling us he got posted back to a unit he environmented out of ;)

As for the numbers they must be up near the 40's which can only be a good sign for the boards underneath.
 
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