Squippers on the flight line

https://www.raf.mod.uk/our-organisation/stations/raf-coningsby/news/raf-coningsby-survival-equipment-technician-on-flight-line-ops/

I've got mixed feelings on this. On the one hand it's good to have greater flexibility and gives greater employability to squippers, who, from my point of view, always seemed to have a lot of time with very little work (easy to say that when I've never done their job)

On the other hand is this just hiding the fact we don't have enough TG1 to do the job? This will free people up to fix the knackered jets instead of downing tools to work the flight line.

Is this the beginning of totally merging squippers with TG1?

 

[Talk Wrench]

Why stop at fixing jets? Why not put them in as airframe drivers?

Why not use baggage handlers to do the daily servicings? In fact , just get the passengers to do it.

 

[Dougtheplug]

All part of the ACE concept that's being rolled out, seems to be popular with NATO air forces at the moment. Small teams cross trained in various skills to be scattered in the wind should war break out and keep aircraft flying.

In my mind it's a case of jack of all master of none and the whole thing will fade away when the SLT discover the next great idea

Couldn’t agree more. And from the outside looking in it concerns me of the further dilution of what is an individuals “core trade” and not everyone is now expected to do just to make a crap concept work.
The whole jack of all trades and master of none might be of concern when an individual leaves trying to explain what their essential skills are.

 

[dctyke]

Why not have pilots doing more line servicing at home bases, they seem to have a lot of time on their hands. They then will know what they are doing on land away and do more than just kick the tyres.

 

[UlsterExile]

Couldn’t agree more. And from the outside looking in it concerns me of the further dilution of what is an individuals “core trade” and not everyone is now expected to do just to make a crap concept work.
The whole jack of all trades and master of none might be of concern when an individual leaves trying to explain what their essential skills are.

Agree where does multiskilling stop? It begs the question which trades/professions have capacity to undertake the extra roles, and if they genuinely do have extra capacity, how did they get away with for so long?. I've a few years to push and i'll be smoking a big fat one on a beach somewhere.

Friend said to me a while ago "remember we joined in in the good times and had a great time".

 

[Talk Wrench]

Agree where does multiskilling stop? It begs the question which trades/professions have capacity to undertake the extra roles, and if they genuinely do have extra capacity, how did they get away with for so long?. I've a few years to push and i'll be smoking a big fat one on a beach somewhere.

Friend said to me a while ago "remember we joined in in the good times and had a great time".

Re multiskilling.

I'm sure they rebadged everyone as Air "Specialists" in the not too different past.

Perhaps the clue is in the title? Or maybe this time next year they'll have to think about calling everyone Air "Generalists"

Perhaps they could just reduce to one trade named "General Duties"?

 

[Dazzy26]

All part of the ACE concept that's being rolled out, seems to be popular with NATO air forces at the moment. Small teams cross trained in various skills to be scattered in the wind should war break out and keep aircraft flying.

In my mind it's a case of jack of all master of none and the whole thing will fade away when the SLT discover the next great idea

It's not a new concept. It was called NATO Cross Servicing and was very much alive in the 90's early 2000's. It also used to be the job of the Visiting Aircraft Section. The ACE concept as it's known now was a weekly occurance.

 

[fourteen2two]

There was a General Duties trade once. They ran guardrooms and did discipline stuff.Not the most popular lot
I remember doing Nato Cross servicing at Laarbruch in late 70s. We got to visit our allies bases for training. Usually for a couple of days and a bit of socialising may have occured!

 

[Flumpdaddy]

It's not a new concept. It was called NATO Cross Servicing and was very much alive in the 90's early 2000's. It also used to be the job of the Visiting Aircraft Section. The ACE concept as it's known now was a weekly occurance.

Give it a new name and adjust a couple of points. Just happens to be in fashion again. Cross servicing was more about servicing whatever came to you, ACE is sending teams out to random locations and servicing their own aircraft, micro dets

 

[UlsterExile]

I'm sure there are some old sweats out there who may be able to advise on how FLEMS were employed and what effect they had on A/C availability. I don't know enough on them to comment fully, but sure someone has!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[dctyke]

It's not a new concept. It was called NATO Cross Servicing and was very much alive in the 90's early 2000's. It also used to be the job of the Visiting Aircraft Section. The ACE concept as it's known now was a weekly occurance.

I was on a NATO x servicing team, where the armourers loaded, the rigger, elect and prop trades did their bit. There were no non aircraft trades however…..

 

[Dazzy26]

I was on a NATO x servicing team, where the armourers loaded, the rigger, elect and prop trades did their bit. There were no non aircraft trades however…..

I didn't say there were non-aircraft trades involved in NATO Cross Servicing. What I said was it was the old version of ACE concept.

 

[Tin basher]

I'm sure there are some old sweats out there who may be able to advise on how FLEMS were employed and what effect they had on A/C availability. I don't know enough on them to comment fully, but sure someone has!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ah FLM's a law unto themselves (misty eyed rose tinted glasses on). They had a few short weeks of training at Halton about 8 I reckon. They were given enough knowledge to do, see offs, refuels, strap the crew in, basic marshalling skills, mundane line tasks etc. Everything you needed to operate on the Flight Line but nothing extra. The good ones came back over time to do fitters courses and move up the rank tree the others stayed as SAC's until their short contract was up. Drinkers, party animals, unruly, unwashed, unkempt, shag the crack of dawn, no respectors of authority and absoultely belting lads in the main. If the Jengo or his ilk pi55ed off your FLM's they could make running the line very awkward, a fatherly CT who understood them, they liked him nay loved him and he was a godsend.

 

[Rigga]

...plugging holes....