Legacy rigger sooty

[Tin basher]

Reading PSBM's knowledge thread more than a few have mentioned they are legacy rigger or legacy sooty. Disregarding the appos and it's approaching 20 years since the last ones passed out of Halton. We now have generation coming through who won't think of themselves as dual trade rather they are just one trade "heavy". Is it time the old single trade rigger/sooty mentality was ditched. Or like me, even if you have been assimilated, do you cling to your old trade title like comfort blanket.

 

[Harry B'Stard]

I think of myself as a legacy Rigger.

Mainly because my only exposure to the world of sooties was my Multi-Skilling course.

I've always been on aircraft types that were at the back of the queue when it came to multi-skilling. Therefore I didn't get my course until I'd been posted to Cosford... whereupon I was then not able to gain X-500!

Still at Cosford, waiting to be posted to somewhere that I'll finally be able to put my sooty skills to good use and gain X-500!DT_Xtremez_30:

In fact, can anyone tell me if I can still gain X-500 out in the real world?DT_Xtremez_42:

HTB

 

[Sospan]

I think it really depends on where you are employed. Most of the 1st line environments have completely embraced it, there will always be a few people that will be a rigger or a sootie until they die. There will also be a fair percentage of people that will also timex without completing the X. No mention in trade-wise about it effecting promotion yet.

I, of course am a lifetime rigger! DT_Xtremez_40:

 

[Trusty Adjusty]

Having spent the better part of my time "riggering" in the rotary world, post and pre x500/multiskilling I still consider myself a legacy Sootie. I spent 5 weeks learning "riggering", the new lads coming through have a far broader experience of both trades - I do not.

I'll hold onto my Sootie comfort blanket a little while longer!

 

[Late & Tired]

You can take my beloved sooty name patch out of my cold dead hands just before you nail my lid down.
And no, it hasn't affected promotion prospects.

 

[Cornish_Pikey]

It's the same for the lights too, it all comes down to environment and how the management use you and allow you time to learn your 'new' trade.

 

[duffman]

I suppose it depends on what type you work on. RW seemed to be easier to assimilate speaking to people who had come from helicopters it was less of an issue mainly because they were simplier, on something more complex it has probably been a bit harder to pick the skills needed to be multi skilled. The spannering is the easy bit, the knowledge for snag busting the hard bit.
It depends on the people on your sqn as well, those who stayed in legacy mode would jump on jobs that were comfortable with and it would be hard for those trying to learn the systems.
Me I still think of myself as a sootie who does riggering as well. Maybe it was the aircraft as I found some of the rigger stuff boring,particularly skin repairs, riveting etc. Also functionals and paperwork seemed to take forever to do compared to sootie world.

 

[Cake or Death]

Sootie till the day i expire in this world. I just happen to be a rig pig most of the time. Hell a hyd system is the same as a fuel system except it has a return lineDT_Xtremez_42: Reheat recirc lines dont count!

 

[montheton]

Leg sootie, on harriers, all got in and got things done but with a posting to tonkas woo hoo basicly back to sootie world again! i do rigger work but if your primary trade dictates thats what you do !

 

[Tin basher]

I found some of the rigger stuff boring,particularly skin repairs, riveting etc.

Off Topic

For holding such an outlandish view you are almost certainly destined to spend eternity in a pain and discomfort, sentenced forever to listen to the demonic riveting hammers of the damned as they drive you insane. DT_Xtremez_30:

 

[rest have risen above me]

Interesting point about promotion. I personally am no fan of Multi-skilling I was totally hacked off when they made me incorporate that nav insty pish. But I'm of the opinion that if you don't work as a multiskilled tech you will fall foul of the attitude later on in life. This isn't a huge problem for dinosaurs like myself but for the young lads coming through, it isn't fair if they aren't treated as multi skilled by all their supervisors. The reason is that when they are posted to somewhere that has taken multiskilling and worked it well the lads that have (through no fault of their own) only been exposed to a legacy trade environment will suffer in their SJARs against the lads who have worked in a more multiskilling friendly area.

 

[Little Tronk]

Lots of sooty work done in the hyd, structures, composite tank and tyre bays...........

 

[Rigga]

I was a 'Rigga' in the RAF and then became a "Pseudo-sumpy" as the RAF wouldn't/didn't recognise my A&C Licences. I caused consternation by questioning some chiefs on their snag-busting "theories" and even the leckies coundn't get away totally unscathed.

I have to say how simple I found sumpy "work" and that the oil warmer/air mover was soooo easy to do - Air-Conditioning is more complicated.

I had my A&C LWTRs for 10 years while I was in and I was helping with local Air Ambulances (free) and the like in my own time. Every now and then I'd get roped in to help VASS move U/S US Cobras/Hueys/Chinooks.

Eventually I joined the real world where I immediately became a proper LAE, with Type ratings, etc. Though I was never a "splitter".

Not either now..desk jockey with suit.