Apache Question

[A good headin]

Does anyone know what is happening with the Apache helis for the Barmy Army? Last I heard they were all mothballed at RAF Shawbury.

[SASless]

Apaches in mothballs....Chinooks that cannnot fly IFR...jeepers! I can't wait to see how the two aircraft carriers turn out! They will probably put a Dihatsu three cylinder petrol engine in the things for fuel economy issues.:{

[MightyGem]

They were being temporarily stored at Shawbury until the Aircrew training got underway. The aircrew are now being trained(probably 3 or 4 Sqns worth by now), so there are not as many there now. They are already in service at Dishforth, and I believe the first ones have arrived at Wattisham.

http://home.earthlink.net/~jtherri282/images/apache.gif

[A good headin]

Thanks for that:ok:

[ChristopherRobin]

...and they are flying their @sses off at Middle Wallop.

- Which is more than can be said for the wretched Chinooks, which have some way to go, I'm afraid.

[dwaynedibley]

just to ampify the points above

2 Squadrons at Dishforth (2 x 8)

Deliveries already started at Wattisham to 3 Regt ready for their conversion to role which will take place in station, as did 9 Regt, Who are all but complete.

[tucumseh]

"They were being temporarily stored at Shawbury until the Aircrew training got underway".


Now I wonder who the hero was who allowed a/c to be delivered before the simulator? (See other thread about Chinook Mk3!!!).

[HEDP]

I guess it would be the same 'hero' who allowed the aircraft to be delivered on time, to specification and to the letter of the contract! Why would you want to delay a succesful contract?

As for the training pipeline, I guess you would have to be psychic to forsee a difficulty in provision of a simulator to specification given that the contract is written some years in advance of delivery.

All in all, the delivery of the overall project has been delayed for about a year due to the simulation issue but, if you compare it to many of the MOD procurement contracts of late, the overall project would be a comparitive 'huge success'.

IMHO

[L1A2 discharged]

ah, so thats why blue suits are soon to be occupying some key engineering posts at whatsitsname.

.. if we wanted to wear green we would have joined the army in the first place, or wanted to go on a boat would have joined the navy ....

roll on tranche 2

[mutleyfour]

ah, so thats why blue suits are soon to be occupying some key engineering posts at whatsitsname.


Which posts are they?


.. if we wanted to wear green we would have joined the army in the first place, or wanted to go on a boat would have joined the navy ....


Its all the same flying just a different type of HLS......rather than Hotel L1A2



Oh and MightyGem..have you nicked my Apache from the other site?

[HEDP]

I thought that that was what Cosford was all about, a tri-service engineering system!

Or is it the air force system making a reasonable job of finding jobs for the boys rather than a brown envelope?

:E

[MightyGem]

Oh and MightyGem..have you nicked my Apache from the other site?
Who? Me?:rolleyes:

[Bag Man]

L1A2

Speaking as one who has follwed closely the RAF's take-over of the JSF I would say to Land 'watch out'. The RAF see the Apache as their next target. That might be why they are starting with the engineering. Watch this space.

AH W

Sounds like U R scared of work! Watch out for LEAN.

[SilsoeSid]

AH Wannabe,
Honest question, hoping for honest answers If you really are at Dishforth, have 1700 hrs Lynx and a mess member, you will have all the information that you need for your descision in front of you on a plate and do not need the advice of the honourable members here, which if I may remind you is an open public forum.


I am drawn to the words at the bottom of each page;



As these are anonymous forums the origins of the contributions may be opposite to what may be apparent. In fact the press may use it, or the unscrupulous, to elicit certain reactions.,

[LXGB]

Night flying on a Friday? :ugh:

LXGB

[AH Wannabe]

Siloe,

Thanks for your over reaction, I am at Wattisham not Dishforth, and as I made clear everyone appears to be having to tow a party line and even close mates admit that unless they see people on the courses ahead then they will not get relieved, or those that have left replaced and hence are very cagey as to working conditions etc.

There was absolutely nothing in my post that was in way shape or form breaking any secrecy laws. The press can try their hardest to get something out of this post and they will fail misreably as I enjoy the AAC, have a family that accept the operational tours etc. The fact that the AH boys are working their tits off is no secret (and probably no more than any other new aircraft entering service-C130J/Typhoon etc etc)....

My point is, are all the rumours true and what are the good parts of the job and do they out weigh the bad parts. If too sensitive then PM or maybe the head honchos should be being a little more open when they brief us or we ask questions during their shiney visits.

Not rocket science, just looking for a bit of useful advice before I tell Mrs Wannabe that I am just about to sign up for what appears to be one hell of lot of hard work and time away.

Siloe - calm down mate, you sound a bit close to the edge and if you are at Dishforth, then you dont help me out much.

Bag - Not scared of work, far from it. However very scared of a divorce and equally as scared if my 2 nippers turn round in 10 years time and say Dad, where were you? There is a difference in working your heart out on Op tours, peacetime and Op tours - life will be gone in a flash (just as the family will).

[aluminium persuader]

Wash your dirty mouth out, Gibbo! :)

PS- I think that one has been put to bed, thank Heavens! :cool:

[A good headin]

Wow! Slow down ladies!

I only asked what was happening with the Apache heli. Did not expect 'handbags at dawn' from such a simple question, which by the way was answered almost straight away by the first three replies.

Oh, just to keep you barmy army boys going I'll throw in this input for debate.

The AAC had new hangers built at Wattisham back in 94/95 just after the RAF handed it over. These hangers were built with all the engineering points geared to the Apache. That was before the contract was even won for the beast!

Shame they never bought a Sim and trained their pilots at the same time, we might not be 5 years behind the drag curve:{

[LXGB]

You mean the hangars, one of which stops you seeing the 23 Threshold and SAR Apron from the Tower? :) Siteing boards, what are they then? ;)

LXGB

[BEagle]

That's what happens when you hand over a nice aerodrome to the Army....:(

You should see what the buggers have done to Abingdon..:{

[A good headin]

The Wattashame story from 1994.......

The 'Barmy Army' had just returned from Germany to this magical place called Wattisham following the departure of the F4 and its associated Crabs.

A real airbase, with real ATC, and nice houses even for the soldiers families, can you believe such a thing?

First off, the the Col decided that the runway should be dug up and the HAS sites knocked down. "We don't need those damn things, we don't need luxuries like that, what what" he spurted!

Some young air trafficker crab pointed out to the Col that they were a NATO asset and he could not touch them. So the Col decided that if he could not dig them up, he would use it for CFT and for his officers to take their labradors for a run at lunchtime. Picture the scene, AAC officers running down the runway with Sandhurst issue black labrador/spaniel in tow and Tornados from Honington and Marham doing rollers down the runway. The poor old Crab air traffic controllers having seizures in the tower!

You had to be there to believe it, but answers the question why did they built that hangar so the threshold was hidden-
because the Col said build it there,what what!
:D

[SilsoeSid]

AH Wannabee,

I wonder why you deleted your original and may I add first post? :suspect:

I am even more suspicious as you refer to me as Siloe, a name used in past battles here on prune by others. :suspect:

Anyway, why did I think you were at Dishforth? Maybe because that is where you said you were in your post, that one that has mysteriously been deleted. :suspect:

Even still, your reply stinks, if you are what you claim to be, you will know the answers to your own questions or at least be with those who will tell you.

You are correct when you say that your post had nothing 'secret' in it, but what you are asking stinks of trawling.
However very scared of a divorce and equally as scared if my 2 nippers turn round in 10 years time and say Dad, where were you? There is a difference in working your heart out on Op tours, peacetime and Op tours - life will be gone in a flash (just as the family will).
If you are who/what you claim to be AHWannabee, then you must have heard of AIDS, therefore you know the score.

:suspect: :suspect: :suspect: :suspect: :suspect: