New Fitters Course

[propersplitbrainme]

I feel sorry for the Flems, erm, AMMs sorry. first fitters course starts in April/May, still not sure if its 9 or 18 months long

Perhaps I can fill in a gap or two then. For the past few months a group of about 9 of us have been working away in the caves of Cosford (almost literally for a few of the lads), getting stick from our fellow instructors for not fronting courses, writing the new fitters course. And finally we're getting there.

The new 1235 heavy fitters course will be about 15 months long, original directive was that AMM+ATM could not be greater than 18 mnths. AMMs do about 3, so that gives us 15 ish.

Its a whole NEW course, no cut and paste from older courses. Gone is the Hunter undercarriage system, the minute detail on teleflex, cartridge and Avpin starters and all the old guff like that. In has come more on Carbon fibre Composites, Airborne Aux Power Systems, helicopters (yep, its back) and propellors (back too). Its a joined up course too, not a rigger and sooty course bolted together, they'll learn about stuff in one area that'll get re-used in another.

And it'll be no attendance course either, there's assessment after assessment, virtually every time they pick up a spanner or a drill someone will be observing their performance. They'll get MCOQ exams, oral boards PDT_Xtremez_14: ) and a final exam that'll draw in cart loads of stuff from across the course. They'll do fault diagnosis too using aircraft and simulators such as Genfly and the APST, a Tornado in a Typhoon shell and we're having a whole boat load of new lesson material made professionally so that a hyd jack will look like a hyd jack and not a few squares and pentagons stuck together and animated using 37 slides in PowerPoint ::

Oh, and they'll learn a bit about LITS up to Post cat 07 standard. DT_Xtremez_34: (There is no 'shoot myself in the head' smiley)

OK, I know you'll all be cynical and think we'll still churn out cack, but I'm afraid you'll have to wait until 'courses for cash' Metrix take over before the standard really goes downhill DT_Xtremez_32: Until then, as Blue van Man says in the TMT thread, the product will be a very good one.

 

[Captain Slog]

Perhaps I can fill in a gap or two then. For the past few months a group of about 9 of us have been working away in the caves of Cosford (almost literally for a few of the lads), getting stick from our fellow instructors for not fronting courses, writing the new fitters course. And finally we're getting there. Oh, and they'll learn a bit about LITS up to Post cat 07 standard.

Don't forget the A-frame steps, marching everywhere, the 5 months of schools, the 4 weeks guard and lots and lots of lovely LITS!

And if you come from Typhoon you get to learn about aircraft docs all over again. However, I do believe that the food in the mess has gone up in standard from absolutly gack to ordinary gack.

 

[propersplitbrainme]

Oh well, another attempt at a serious thread ruined.

 

[Tashy_Man]

Perhaps I can fill in a gap or two then.

OK, I know you'll all be cynical and think we'll still churn out cack, but I'm afarid you'll have to wait until 'courses for cash' Metrix take over before the standard really goes downhill DT_Xtremez_32: Until then, as Blue van Man says in the TMT thread, the product will be a very good one.

Prop....IF you do this I for one will be very impressed.....I will never see it as i will be well into civvy street by then but i will be glad the RAF has a sort of future.

I would still like to see the finished article...don't forget i've been through Cosfords pish system ...mech and FT and some other pish software assesment course that i sailed through and never got a software post....

Good luck to you all....you will need it.....

Crack on...............DT_Xtremez_09:

 

[budgie]

In my own opinion, the proof of the pudding will be in it's eating. Dross has always got through as you can't teach common sense. My only worry is that with the drive to turn everything not 1st line civvy, that trade knowledge will suffer in the long run. Who knows what'll happen when the training goes civvy!

 

[monobrow]

Strange really the amount of AMM's arrivals chit I sign who have done the CBT on LITS for EVERY post cat (that'd be all but 1 so far!). From mere liney log in, to uber LITS guru, Personnel administrator, Engine build manager..... Because the station training cell put em on it, say "crack on" and once youve done one post cat, it skips to the next.

Poor kids have had to sit through everything on LITS!!! Sure they won't have a problem with post cat 7!!

 

[Captain Slog]

Oh well, another attempt at a serious thread ruined.

Ooh touchy touchy, I was just trying to add a slight bit of humour in the continuous existence of turning out lesson after lesson for the new FT course. I have no disagreement with what you said, it was spot on and well presented.

However, everything I said was also true apart from the 4 weeks of guard (it’s only 2) and yes Tashy Man we hope it is the way ahead and that the Units and Squadrons are more than happy with the finished product.

 

[Captain Slog]

Strange really the amount of AMM's arrivals chit I sign who have done the CBT on LITS for EVERY post cat (that'd be all but 1 so far!). From mere liney log in, to uber LITS guru, Personnel administrator, Engine build manager..... Because the station training cell put em on it, say "crack on" and once youve done one post cat, it skips to the next.

Poor kids have had to sit through everything on LITS!!! Sure they won't have a problem with post cat 7!!

Although I accept that some of the AMM’s will return to Cosford well versed in LITS, there will be others (Typhoon, Merlin, Nimrod, etc) who may well have not touched it since their AMM course. Also, the FT course is a posting and not a detachment (this will be a bonus for Trade Manager’s as they will not have to carry the gapping of manpower), so the new Technician may well be posted to a LITS fleet after graduation.

In addition, the LITS CBT trainer is obsolete and was supposed to have been withdrawn 18 months ago, hence the new LITS course that will be taught at Cosford where they will get PC 95 (recap for many) and PC 07.

 

[monobrow]

Well all round it seems theres no real holes in the course... I only mentioned LITS there as it's in the 1st post, and thats all I do day in day out DT_Xtremez_08:

Glad to see aswell that people want to get away from the "autoshapes" in powerpoint. Now all you need is to lock it so some "comedy genius" doesn't add the ferkin screeching brakes sounds and typewriter text. DT_Xtremez_32:

Although not my place to comment about heavy's training though, as I wear the sparky hand badge proudly on my No.1's. But it's good to see that there's scope to build a fully new course that should flow from one point to the next and involve what was taught before. Theres nothing quite like the learn, exam, dump, new subject technique!

 

[Tashy_Man]

Off Topic

Although not my place to comment about heavy's training though, as I wear the sparky hand badge proudly on my No.1's.

Well ALL GREAT TECHIES wear the SPARKS......don't see no hammer for the heavies

Crack on...................DT_Xtremez_09:


Off Topic

 

[grumpyoldb]

Off Topic

Well ALL GREAT TECHIES wear the SPARKS......

"In coming..........take cover!!!"DT_Xtremez_30:

 

[Rigga]

Best of Luck PSBM
Its a brave man that puts his pseudonym to a course of that stature.

As stated earlier The Proof is in the Pudding - and also... Crap in - Crap out!

As a QA guy in civvy strasse, I once audited a degree-level Aeronautical Maintenance School and noticed that they didn't even mention FOD in any of their syllabus' Modules! Quickly rectified - but it left the whole college feeling rather stupid - Hope it doesn't happen to you!

All the best,
Rigga

 

[Realist78]

Off Topic

Well ALL GREAT TECHIES wear the SPARKS......don't see no hammer for the heavies

Crack on...................DT_Xtremez_09:


Off Topic

No need, actions v words!DT_Xtremez_28:

 

[Hu Jardon]

Well all round it seems theres no real holes in the course... I only mentioned LITS there as it's in the 1st post, and thats all I do day in day out DT_Xtremez_08:

Glad to see aswell that people want to get away from the "autoshapes" in powerpoint. Now all you need is to lock it so some "comedy genius" doesn't add the ferkin screeching brakes sounds and typewriter text. DT_Xtremez_32:

Although not my place to comment about heavy's training though, as I wear the sparky hand badge proudly on my No.1's. But it's good to see that there's scope to build a fully new course that should flow from one point to the next and involve what was taught before. Theres nothing quite like the learn, exam, dump, new subject technique!

Ah well once again young Mono you demonstrate that the Farce is strong in you - yet you have clearly fallen into the trap set by these fekkinn thick Riggers and Sooties. Once you get back into the old Fairies grave yard I will ensure you are put back on the path of righteousness and naturally the farce will be be back deep within with you once more and forever

Just ask Budgie

Soon you
will a hard on have again

 

[Hu Jardon]

writing the new fitters course. And finally we're getting there.

The new 1235 heavy fitters course will be about 15 months long, original directive was that AMM+ATM could not be greater than 18 mnths. AMMs do about 3, so that gives us 15 ish.

Now I really don't have an issue with you guys designing a new course - it is long overdue - and that goes for the fairies too.

However it aint a feckin fitters course

I am an ex fitter ( L Fitt AR ) , I am one of only a few ex fitters still in the RAF - you are a splittbrain an ex Techie your login shows it - there is a difference. You and your 8 mates are in fact designing a further training course for AMMs not a fekkin fitters course - because fitters ceased to be a trade/design/rank/identity in the mid 1970s and will never ever be seen again but I will happilly be proven wrong - 'cos the RAF hasn't been quite the same without them and fairly regularly I miss it

 

[gemarriott]

Now I really don't have an issue with you guys designing a new course - it is long overdue - and that goes for the fairies too.

However it aint a feckin fitters course

I am an ex fitter ( L Fitt AR ) , I am one of only a few ex fitters still in the RAF - you are a splittbrain an ex Techie your login shows it - there is a difference. You and your 8 mates are in fact designing a further training course for AMMs not a fekkin fitters course - because fitters ceased to be a trade/design/rank/identity in the mid 1970s and will never ever be seen again but I will happilly be proven wrong - 'cos the RAF hasn't been quite the same without them and fairly regularly I miss it

I remember the changeover well, a Sgt plumber on the phantom OCU who had been in since the end of the war put his arm around my shoulder as he filled in his first job card as an A tech W and said

"I'm fooking glad I'm getting out, the RAF will never be the same again. Last week I couldn't spell technician, this week I are a fooker!"

Odd thing doing a fitters course a couple of years later to become a technincian and not a fitter.

 

[propersplitbrainme]

You and your 8 mates are in fact designing a further training course for AMMs not a fekkin fitters course - because fitters ceased to be a trade/design/rank/identity in the mid 1970s and will never ever be seen again but I will happilly be proven wrong - 'cos the RAF hasn't been quite the same without them and fairly regularly I miss it

Yeah, whatever. Semantics aside we're designing a bloody course OK?

 

[propersplitbrainme]

In my own opinion, the proof of the pudding will be in it's eating. Dross has always got through as you can't teach common sense.

Perhaps, but the system has the opportunity to filter out the dross before it even gets back here. An AMMs return to FT can be deferred if the line manager is of the opinion that they aren't ready for it, if they get to the 3 1/2 year point from attestation they are almost on the point of getting slung out, at 4 years they are out! So hopefully those that we do get back will have had some time to develop some common sense..if they've got any common sense they will.

We had a visit from the MSDIT team the other day, the course sponsors effectively, and they told us something that amazed me. We always knew that AMMs have the chance to switch trade preference from their original sign-up and assumed that most would want to switch from heavy to avionics having seen the easy life the fairies getDT_Xtremez_28: WRONG, most want to go the other way, avionics to heavy...well I'll be damned!

Who knows what'll happen when the training goes civvy!

Your new bods will have spent less time doing practical work on actual aircraft, albeit training ones, that is a 110% certainty. Aircraft and other such hardware are damned expensive to maintain, even in a training condition, so the new people will can as many of them as they are able. They will have been taught by people many of whom will have no idea of what your life and role are like, to get around that they will be bringing in blue suits to offer what is being called 'contextual training', i.e. who know what its like to have to up sticks, climb aboard a Herc and fly to some god forsaken hellhole or drop all their plans for the next week and go on guard training because some backslider off the other shift has thrown a sickie DT_Xtremez_32:

Still, theres an irony for me in all this. The part of the course I'm developing won't be delivered until late next year by which time I may well have found myself another job. Our manuals co-ordinator is going to have one hell of a shiock when he prints out all 26 chapters of the manual only to discover they say "Feck Off Metrix" on every page DT_Xtremez_30:

 

[squipper]

As Prop says its up to the management at the front line to stop any dross being returned for their FT courses. If you don't think they are good enough its up to you to have the balls to make a decision and stop their return. My bet is that there are very few people who will make that call and you will all whinge about the standard of the people graduating. Its up to you, if they are crap don't send them back, as you will only have yourselves to blame not Tossford.

 

[Realist78]

Yeah, whatever. Semantics aside we're designing a bloody course OK?

Despite the cynicism on this one, I wish you good luck with the course. At least you're displaying a break from the archaic and are hopefully demonstrating the way forward. Proof will be in the pudding however!DT_Xtremez_30: