Hi from a Herc liney

[The Monkey Bus]

Hello everyone,

My name's H. I'm an ex-JT sumpie wraf. I left 9 years ago after doing 10 years. I had got a bit disillusioned with things, the usual stuff, and me and my bloke (now husband) who worked together didn't really want to risk one of us getting posted to saxa vord and the other one to outer mongolia.

I was at Lossie, Brize, Lyneham and obviously a variety of dets and plenty of routes on Hercs. I saw a lot of places but I wish I'd seen more.

I'm now working as an aircraft systems engineer and it is as dull as doing a nightshift on guard on a pedestrian gate. The only good thing is that I'm not just doing propulsion stuff now, I do hydraulics, flight controls, landing gear, etc etc bit of everything really. Nothing I have done since leaving is quite the same as the RAF though. I whinged like buggery about lots of things when I was in but no matter how crap some of it was as least it wasn't boring, and I got to do things that I'll never do again.

Nice to say hello to you all

H

 

[Bitburger]

Hello, good evening and welcome​

 

[forpuckssake]

Welcome H.
You didn't happen to work on A-line in about 91 onwards did you?

 

[The Monkey Bus]

Welcome H.
You didn't happen to work on A-line in about 91 onwards did you?

I was on B shift from 96-99. If you knew me you'd probably remember me as the bird that was always covered in oil and swore a lot. DT_Xtremez_28:

 

[Lozzer]

Hello everyone,

Nothing I have done since leaving is quite the same as the RAF though. I whinged like buggery about lots of things when I was in but no matter how crap some of it was as least it wasn't boring, and I got to do things that I'll never do again.

Nice to say hello to you all

H

Hi, I am fairly new to this but also spent a long time as a WRAF and feel exactly the same as you. This forum feels like family, the sense of humour banter and camaraderie. I just haven't found it in civvy street. Welcome, it is addictive

 

[The Monkey Bus]

Hi, I am fairly new to this but also spent a long time as a WRAF and feel exactly the same as you. This forum feels like family, the sense of humour banter and camaraderie. I just haven't found it in civvy street. Welcome, it is addictive

Yeah, it just isn't the same in civvieland. I've got good friends and all that but I feel like a bit of a fraud sometimes cos I'm not really being me when I'm with them. Sometimes I feel like I'm showing off or even lying (??!!!) when I talk about some of the things I've done, even though whatever I said was a perfectly natural thing to add to the conversation. But I'm not showing off I'm just talking about stuff I've done that was just normal day to day stuff. And our rather dark humour doesn't always go down too well either. People try and understand where you are coming from but I can't help but laugh everytime I'm asked "did you have a gun?"

For the last few years we've been working on in-flight refuelling stuff and everyone we've worked with think we are gods because we've actually been on an a/c when it's tanking and that we've actually touched REAL PLANES!!! OMG! Not just looked at nice pictures of them on a degree course. They are even in awe at us having marshalled stuff. I remember a guy who'd done an aeronautical engineering degree from Loughborough ask me what a rivet was! And so many other classics like, why do the ailerons go in different directions? Where do the wheels go? All from people with degrees who thought they were engineers. Sorry I'm wandering now.

Me and my hubby always seem to be looking for things that are a bit different. It's hard to describe. We go on holidays to places in Africa where we are camping in the middle of nowhere and we can't wash for days and there is perhaps an element of danger, stuff like that. We seem to be looking for extreme circumstances and the people that go with those circumstances, but we never quiet find them.

The RAF is a hard thing to replace. I may sound like a sad old to$$er that can't let go but for me the RAF was never just a job. It gets under your skin and stays there for ever. I think that because there's been a lot of programs on the telly about our lads in Afghanistan and Iraq it's reminded me of the lads, banter, the family and all that. I've watched this stuff and thought "I was I was there. I wish I was part of it". What a sad tw@ I am.DT_Xtremez_42: I think I'm brainwashed DT_Xtremez_31:

So it's great to have found you guys. Sorry for rabbitting on a bit.

H

 

[The Loan Ranger]

Welcome to the Goat and don't worry about rabbitting on it's par for the course on here sometimes



enjoy

 

[Mohammed The Bear]

I was on B shift from 96-99. If you knew me you'd probably remember me as the bird that was always covered in oil and swore a lot. DT_Xtremez_28:

OOOOO Just my sort of ladyDT_Xtremez_30: Welcome to the goat, have fun and stay safe DT_Xtremez_28:

 

[T93]

Yeah, it just isn't the same in civvieland. I've got good friends and all that but I feel like a bit of a fraud sometimes cos I'm not really being me when I'm with them. Sometimes I feel like I'm showing off or even lying (??!!!) when I talk about some of the things I've done, even though whatever I said was a perfectly natural thing to add to the conversation. But I'm not showing off I'm just talking about stuff I've done that was just normal day to day stuff. And our rather dark humour doesn't always go down too well either. People try and understand where you are coming from but I can't help but laugh everytime I'm asked "did you have a gun?"

For the last few years we've been working on in-flight refuelling stuff and everyone we've worked with think we are gods because we've actually been on an a/c when it's tanking and that we've actually touched REAL PLANES!!! OMG! Not just looked at nice pictures of them on a degree course. They are even in awe at us having marshalled stuff. I remember a guy who'd done an aeronautical engineering degree from Loughborough ask me what a rivet was! And so many other classics like, why do the ailerons go in different directions? Where do the wheels go? All from people with degrees who thought they were engineers. Sorry I'm wandering now.

Me and my hubby always seem to be looking for things that are a bit different. It's hard to describe. We go on holidays to places in Africa where we are camping in the middle of nowhere and we can't wash for days and there is perhaps an element of danger, stuff like that. We seem to be looking for extreme circumstances and the people that go with those circumstances, but we never quiet find them.

The RAF is a hard thing to replace. I may sound like a sad old to$$er that can't let go but for me the RAF was never just a job. It gets under your skin and stays there for ever. I think that because there's been a lot of programs on the telly about our lads in Afghanistan and Iraq it's reminded me of the lads, banter, the family and all that. I've watched this stuff and thought "I was I was there. I wish I was part of it". What a sad tw@ I am.DT_Xtremez_42: I think I'm brainwashed DT_Xtremez_31:

So it's great to have found you guys. Sorry for rabbitting on a bit.

H

***********************************

Hi MB,

I know what you mean.

Im an ex-RADAR tech who now has the degree & is classed as an engineer & some of the guys I work alongside have no practical experience. Most of them are great with the Theory, but put them in the lab, or in the field and they bottle it...even down to the extent of card swapouts, which lets be honest is pretty basic.
Dont get me started on board components/Soldering. Even though we dont go down to that level anmyore, doesnt mean that they should not know it.

Aside from that the contracting world is similiar (emphasis on the word "similiar" its not the same) to the mob.

 

[Scaley brat]

our rather dark humour doesn't always go down too well either.
I may sound like a sad old to$$er that can't let go but for me the RAF was never just a job. It gets under your skin and stays there for ever. I think that because there's been a lot of programs on the telly about our lads in Afghanistan and Iraq it's reminded me of the lads, banter, the family and all that. I've watched this stuff and thought "I was I was there. I wish I was part of it". What a sad tw@ I am.DT_Xtremez_42: I think I'm brainwashed DT_Xtremez_31:

So it's great to have found you guys. Sorry for rabbitting on a bit.

H

Your not sad pet, civvies don't always "get it" unless they're old scaley's like me DT_Xtremez_31:
The banter is still alive and well, although I fancy it is becoming more strained on occasion due to stress. I'm sure you'll find loads to make you smile though.

Call that rabbiting ? DT_Xtremez_06: Amateur ramblings more like !! DT_Xtremez_29:

Oops, I forgot to say hello..... Hello DT_Xtremez_14:

 

[dunwaitin]

hi, scaley brat x2 here!

you will have met my big bro during your time at liney then?! slight clue in the PM you sent me! i know it's cheeky but wanted to say hi, and have posted you a PM back or should i say essay back.want to say hi to all those who would have known bob. also want to agree with what you said that civvies just don't have a clue, i am a nurse in a neuro itu and have done and seen some things in my time ( most interesting was someone who shot through their head with a cross bow and was admitted with the arrow still in their head) so the use of black humour is something that is only understood by those in the same field. as for camaraderie though there is nothing like forces. when my dad left i missed the forces life and now i've lost bob so he's effectively out too, i really miss being part of the forces family.

just want to say i think you all rock!!!DT_Xtremez_14:

 

[The Monkey Bus]

Thanks guys for your very warm welcome. ok, I'll try harder with the rabbitting next time DT_Xtremez_19:

MTB - forget your models and sh1t, what every guy needs is a bird covered in OM15, swearing like a trooper and with a subtle aroma of avtur. Well it worked for my hubby anyway but he is a splitter, 3 years at Halton is enough to turn anyone a bit deviant.

T93 - Yeah contracting is similar except some contractors would cut your throat if they thought they'd get a better rate. I've contracted for almost all of the ten years since I left. It doesn't feel like I'm quite so tied to the company.

Dunwaitin - yeah the pm was a bit of a clue. Most civvies just don't get the humour, there's nothing worse than finding the room has suddenly gone quiet, tumbleweed is blowing through the room, even though it's winter in Dorset, and all the blank faces are looking at you. I don't tend to have that effect that much these days, I just keep quiet instead. Even though your Dad has left and Bob has gone you are still part of the family and so is Bob. Gone but never forgotten.
btw Mike said he did go to Mildenhall with Bob, and he also said he remembers your perm DT_Xtremez_31:

Cheers guys, a large spicey for all of ya

 

[Downsizer]

Welcome along, intros are done. You can chat via PM or elsewhere.