Top Guns - Inside the RAF

Episode 1 out, anybody watch?

I thought it was pretty good - although we came across as a bit of bimbling feckwits. Lots of swearing, people making mistakes, tripping up steps - lol. Jets going tits and no one knowing why. Hardly showing us as a professional fighting force. Although you could argue, this shows the human side.

I was getting on board with one of the pilots until he sounded so smug about becoming fast jet and his best mate who gave him the idea is now in car insurance - didn't think that was necessary.

And filet steak? A chef taking pride in his work? We're in fantasy land now.

Looking forward to Ep 2.

 

[Spearmint]

Not seen anything pink yet

That's the next episode which takes place after Thursday Bop Night.......

 

[Rigga]

You have a system in place? My place requires 7 B1s. We have 2. Having a live licence. You don't. Not enough about. Your licence is not current so is worthless.

I know - thats why I gave it up years ago…I dont need it anymore.

 

[vim_fuego]

I worry about people like the WO, who are possibly so institutionalised that they’ll struggle on the outside. He lived in the mess, although he could have been just doing that as he’d bought somewhere else away from base and was just using it as a convenience, and bubbled in from of camera when asked about leaving. I did 25, and still looked at my time as a stepping stone to even better things…when I left it was exciting, not a time to mourn, as I had something cool and interesting lined up to do.

Thought the staish was good… and I knew his MACr aide as he was two courses ahead of me at Cranwell and a really good lad.

 

[muttywhitedog]

I echo that Vim. The Stn Cdr came across very well and reminded me that when Fast jet pilots are flying, rank has no place, and a Gp Capt/Wg Cdr/Sqn Ldr will happily fall in behind a Flt Lt if the said JO is the more qualified in the air, or leading the particular mission. Was that same principle in place in your flying environment?

 

[Cat Techie]

Enjoyed the latest episode, Stn Cdr seems a good guy and it was a bit emotional watching the WO leaving after 34 years.

I like watching searching for the OS stuff in the background, nice big monitor displaying "Official Sensitive" (albeit 12 months old). Not seen anything pink yet

One of the last Jag pilots. Not many more going to be Stn Cdrs. Suspect the last Jag Mate is due a Starion Command soon. Gp Captain post his sqn OC.

 

[Tin basher]

I worry about people like the WO, who are possibly so institutionalised that they’ll struggle on the outside.

(at the risk of thread creep)
I have seen that happen with two WO's I worked for in my younger days neither lasted 12 months on leaving they had real trouble adapting to being just one of the herd and having no standing in the general populous. One got job with a haulage company and within the first month was chinned in his office trying to WO speak to a ,late for work, HGV driver. No one gives way at the entrance door to let through an old git in civvies, your new form of address is mate and you queue up with the rest of the great unwashed. Defference and status are gone it's a tough change for some to accept and make sense of.

 

[fourteen2two]

If you are an ex WO aged 55 or so it must be difficult for some to adjust to being one of the herd.
Same as officers who like to use their rank after retirement. Most people don't give a stuff in civvy st!

 

[Rocket_Ronster]

If you are an ex WO aged 55 or so it must be difficult for some to adjust to being one of the herd.
Same as officers who like to use their rank after retirement. Most people don't give a stuff in civvy st!

(Some of us weren't overbothered whilst in.)

 

[Spearmint]

The easiest way to not become so institutionalised whilst in, making it hard for you to leave, is to have a decent exit strategy. Mine took me 10yrs but by the end of it I had a HNC, Eng Degree (Hons), APM and loads of other bolt ons that helped me settle very quickly.

The only fly in the ointment for me was doing it in 2020. An awful lot of shutters came down in front of me, pulling their offers but hey ho.

 

[Oldstacker]

If you are an ex WO aged 55 or so it must be difficult for some to adjust to being one of the herd.
Same as officers who like to use their rank after retirement. Most people don't give a stuff in civvy st!

I suppose that historically, theoretically, the 55 year old WO didn't have to worry about getting a job because he had a substantial immediate pension and could chillax until state pension age with perhaps a small part time job just to keep him ticking over. I don't know whether a 55 year old leaver gets an immediate pension these days and whether, given inflation etc and the raised state pension age, being unemployed between discharge and SPA is anywhere near viable now.
But at 55 who wants to be starting a job in a whole new world of work?

 

[muttywhitedog]

(at the risk of thread creep)
I have seen that happen with two WO's I worked for in my younger days neither lasted 12 months on leaving they had real trouble adapting to being just one of the herd and having no standing in the general populous. One got job with a haulage company and within the first month was chinned in his office trying to WO speak to a ,late for work, HGV driver. No one gives way at the entrance door to let through an old git in civvies, your new form of address is mate and you queue up with the rest of the great unwashed. Defference and status are gone it's a tough change for some to accept and make sense of.

Not just WO's TB. One of my SNCO Pers Admin colleagues was incredibly vocal about PVR-ing and how she couldnt wait to get out of uniform for a real job and a real life. Fast forward 12 months, and she is back on base working as Admin for ISS, who did the PAYD. Fast forward another 12 months and she's back in uniform as a FTRS.

 

[busby1971]

Becoming a WO requires you to be the most suitable person for your current environment, the pinnacle of non commissioned service.

On leaving you’ve got 3 routes, find something incredibly close to Service life, you should be okay, do something different, keep your ‘in the RAF we did it this way’ comments to a minimum and learn to adapt, should be okay, or try and bring your service rank and attitude and as they say on the internet feck up and find out.

Have come across all types since leaving, and all I’ll say is previous rank is not an indicator of true potential, so don’t let it hold you back. option 2 was the prime option for me and seems to be working out well so far.

 

[Wobbly_Jon]

I suppose that historically, theoretically, the 55 year old WO didn't have to worry about getting a job because he had a substantial immediate pension and could chillax until state pension age with perhaps a small part time job just to keep him ticking over. I don't know whether a 55 year old leaver gets an immediate pension these days and whether, given inflation etc and the raised state pension age, being unemployed between discharge and SPA is anywhere near viable now.
But at 55 who wants to be starting a job in a whole new world of work?

Even back in the day before Dodgy Dave Camerons government pushed the minimum State Pension age to 66 (it used to be 65) you couldn't get the SP until your 65th birthday. Ladies could get a reduced SP at 60 years young but that got deep sixed donkeys ago so now they have to wait until 66

 

[Rigga]

The easiest way to not become so institutionalised whilst in, making it hard for you to leave, is to have a decent exit strategy. Mine took me 10yrs but by the end of it I had a HNC, Eng Degree (Hons), APM and loads of other bolt ons that helped me settle very quickly.

The only fly in the ointment for me was doing it in 2020. An awful lot of shutters came down in front of me, pulling their offers but hey ho.

My exit plan started as I applied for my last tour on completing 12 years when I chose Odiham for the locality of Farnborough Tech...and my plan came to fruition as I left Laarbruch 11 years later and started my new career in civil aviation - noting the pay difference straight away!

 

[Downsizer]

I worry about people like the WO, who are possibly so institutionalised that they’ll struggle on the outside. He lived in the mess, although he could have been just doing that as he’d bought somewhere else away from base and was just using it as a convenience, and bubbled in from of camera when asked about leaving. I did 25, and still looked at my time as a stepping stone to even better things…when I left it was exciting, not a time to mourn, as I had something cool and interesting lined up to do.

Thought the staish was good… and I knew his MACr aide as he was two courses ahead of me at Cranwell and a really good lad.

What astounded me about that WO was that after 35 years service he only had Air Ops Iraq medal! Where was he during the Balkans, Seirra Leone, Iraq, Afhgan and Shader!!!!!??????

 

[Dan_Brown]

What astounded me about that WO was that after 35 years service he only had Air Ops Iraq medal! Where was he during the Balkans, Seirra Leone, Iraq, Afhgan and Shader!!!!!??????

May be a legit reason, but there are also a lot of det dodgers!

 

[muttywhitedog]

What astounded me about that WO was that after 35 years service he only had Air Ops Iraq medal! Where was he during the Balkans, Seirra Leone, Iraq, Afhgan and Shader!!!!!??????

Probs Cosford, drawing Techy pay for doing something like CI, with perhaps a Falklands Tour thrown in.

I still recall the Drafters brief I received around 2009, where they showed us their live OOA list. My rank/trade was over 33% unavailable, and of those the person who sat at No1 hadnt done an OOA in 20 years, yet everyone else was doing one every 2-3 years.

 

[Dan_Brown]

You've all seen my rack here (oo-er!) and have 1000+ LSA days - but am now broken. Ravages of time and dets on my old and knackered body! But how does someone remain in service with no dets for over 20 years?! I am unable to sign on past my current contract due to my med cat.

However, speaking with the CM only last week, it seems we are in such a state that MND's are actually getting extension of contracts offered.

 

[muttywhitedog]

You've all seen my rack here (oo-er!) and have 1000+ LSA days - but am now broken. Ravages of time and dets on my old and knackered body! But how does someone remain in service with no dets for over 20 years?! I am unable to sign on past my current contract due to my med cat.

However, speaking with the CM only last week, it seems we are in such a state that MND's are actually getting extension of contracts offered.

I saw people get upgraded to accept a promotion, only to become downgraded once they had gotten their substantive. From what I recall, those holding acting rank didnt deploy OOA until they had done TMT/J(I)MLC.

At one point during my time at Cottesmore, I was the only deployable TG17 SNCO out of seven.

 

[Dan_Brown]

Ha! Was waiting for AMLC, so substantive Sgt, A/FS and they tried to send me on a 6 monther as A/WO.

Shows how fecked my trade is