Congrats 230 (Tiger) Sqn

[Emerson Cahooners]

No doubt there will be detractors, but from one who understands a heartfelt congratulations to OC 230 (Tiger) Sqn and everyone on the Sqn for winning the Silver Tiger at this years Tiger Meet. Top work and about time!

Tiger, Tiger, Tiger.

:ok:

[Tiger_mate]

Work hard, play hard. They have been very close in recent years, delighted that at last they have what they deserve.

Congratulations:

Perhaps the media coverage will have a Puma in it this year!

[Twinact]

Yes, em, congratulations, em, must have been a tough contest, em, all those other tiger squadrons out there. Yes, eh, well done!

[Hueymeister]

miaooooooooowwwwww!

[Impiger]

Well done 230

I was on 74 the RAF's foundation Tiger Sqn when we won the Silver Tiger at Cameri in 1988 (or was it 87?) brain befuddled by too much claret down the years.

Anyway no mean feat for 230 and congratulations are well in order.

[Tandemrotor]

So 230(Balloon) Sqn win the Silver Tiger.

For the uninitiated, exactly how would one achieve this?

[Tigs2]

Tiger Tiger Tiger!!
Fantastic well done boys.

[ShyTorque]

"How would one achieve this"

Shame one has to ask really. It's to do with a quality known as "spirit", apparently sadly lacking in certain areas of the military these days. One certainly doesn't win it by bitching at others and it's essentially a NATO award.

[[email protected]]

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.........and these are the people that call SAR boys w*nkers.......hahahahahahaha!

[Ed Winchester]

Not all sar boys, fatty, just ones like you.

Congratulations, 230 Sqn.

[forwardassist]

I'm afraid I'm going to ask as well, never having served in a tiger squadron - how is the winner of the silver tiger decided? A straight answer would be nice!

[BigginAgain]

Judging by the picture, it must be awarded to the group pitching up with the greatest variety of 'uniform' hats! ;)

[Impiger]

Things may have changed since my last Tiger Meet in the Eighties but essentially the award is decided by the participants - ie the peer group - and was in those days based on a week long mixture of professional and social activity. Spirit - esprit de corps - flair, humour etc all played their part. Not sure of the current make up of the Tiger fraternity but it was over 20 squadrons with roles as diverse as Maritime Patrol, fighters, transport and SH. Some US tiger squadrons are ANG. Yes there was some rather naff NATO blah about (as the photo shows) but overall this was a chance for a wide spectrum of NATO airforces to get together and share experiences and develop tactics and interoperability issues where appropriate. Oh and we had the odd beverage or two as well.

Its hard to be humble.............

[kippermate]

Congrats 230. However you won it, you still won!

kipper

:ok:

[timex]

So in a period of compulsory military redundancies, cutbacks in environmental trg, equipment shortages, etc, the RAF win the 'professional and social activity' prize! The FAA and AAC are gonna love this.

Yeah but the Puma looked nice..............

[Tigs2]

Turnbull
get a sodding life! Firstly does one need to be more specific about the term 'a week'? on earth the definition of a week is pretty standard. If its a working week you can fathom that one out, if its a week you know they committed some of their own time.
i think you ommitted to read the previous posts concerning 'exchange of tactics, sharing experiences, developing tactics and interoperability issues. Quite important in a reducing military dont you think? Having attended Tiger Meets in the 80's and 90's they are of excellent value. No matter where you go if you put 150 aircrew (or more) and a couple of hundred techies there will be some great social functions and thats all part and parcel of the whole thing. Why the hell should the FAA and AAC be upset? Nobody knows how to throw a party like the Navy. Its done at every opportunity and do the Crabs bitch and moan - NO. If you expect people to be away from family for 6-9 months of the year, you expect people to put their life on the line, you expect them to work all the hours god sends then stop being a T***** and complaining when you perceive they might be enjoying themselves for a moment. Its done in ALL the major corporate organisations, because they know that if you want people to work like a donkey then reward can often be a better motivator than sticks. Rant over!!!

Well done 230

[Impiger]

Oh and I remember the FAA had a Tiger Sqn as well - Sea Kings of some variety but can't remember the rest (Was it 814? ) anyway they were at the Montijo meet in 87.

[VoicesFromTheCreche]

Oh and I remember the FAA had a Tiger Sqn as well - Sea Kings of some variety but can't remember the rest (Was it 814? ) anyway they were at the Montijo meet in 87.

The FAA Tiger Sqn is indeed 814, still going strong but now with the Merlin.

Well done to 230 Sqn from the Creche :ok:

[Toxteth O'Grady]

814

That'll be the NATO Snow Leopard Squadron, then!

:cool:

TOG

[Emerson Cahooners]

Crab@SAAvn - Think you've just adequately demonstrated why we do call them SBW! Is that why you got farmed out to the AAC!
;)

Ed Winchester, good to see you on these means again. Does this mean you're back?

SH Monkey, you liar! You loved the snuff!

Uf dr schiessa nimmt die lisa eine prise aus dem sack,
Uf dr schissa nimmt die lisa einen Schnupftabak.
Und im sack im sack im sack
Hat ein jeder was er hat
Eine Prise Schnupftabak!
Prisa Hopp

In die augen schauen, aufi hauen!

:} :ooh: :yuk:

[BEagle]

You stripey kitty underlings should remember that the LION is the KING of the jungle!

[ShyTorque]

Not forgetting that Beagles are now out of a job and aren't allowed to hunt anything :p

[BEagle]

They stopped making aircraft around 35 years ago........:p

[philrigger]

Well done to 230 Squadron. I see by the notices that you have made a lot of people jealous! I too spent some years on 230 (77-81) as a techie and enjoyed every minute of it, even Belize and NI. The squadron knew how to enjoy a party then and I am pleased that it continues. Of course Tiger Meets are good value for money, they encompass everything that the Service stands for. Again well done and can I have an invite to the next one please?

[VoicesFromTheCreche]

Toxteth O'Grady

That'll be an ar***ole then!

[Toxteth O'Grady]

Quite.

Miaow!!

:cool:

TOG

[ShyTorque]

Oh yes, they made aircraft. Real dogs! But not the Hunter... :p

[[email protected]]

Emerson - yes and when I was at Wallop I served on a tiger squadron (671) but they didn't need to wear wanky badges or scarves to look impressive. Frankly the whole Tiger thing on 230 is bunch of guys who think they are the 'fast jet' of the helicopter force and really need to get their heads out of their a*ses.
Our Sea Kings are yellow and black but at least we can do something useful with them.
Oh and why has that lovely photograph been removed from this thread?

[Tigs2]

[email protected]
Frankly even if you did wear a wanky badge or a scarve you still wouldnt look impressive. 671 was NOT a Tiger squadron, they simply have a Tiger in the badge, there is a BIG difference. Before a Sqn can become a member of the NATO tigers it must be voted in by all other members of the Committee. This is achieved by a squadron displaying the spirit and camaraderie of its nation, striving to achieve the spirit of aviation excellence in a NATO environment, and representing its nation BEFORE the squadron. I was always referred to as a 'brit tiger', not a 230 tiger. The guys do the best they can in a multi-cutural, multi-disciplinary environment, and they do it for the Brits as 814 do. . We never thought we were the fast jet guys of the helicopter world, infact i spent most of my time carrying chinook nets around Germany chasing the real work horses the chinook guys. Top blokes god forbid i should say so, and squadrons i am proud to have served alongside.

I have no doubt that your sea kings are useful, save the odd life now and then, do not underestimate how many lives SH have saved. May not have been on the end of a wire, then again you ever done an evacuation of people in an operational theatre, from your posts i doubt it. No slur to the genuinely good chaps on SAR, they dont seem to bitch and moan like you.

You see [email protected] i am proud to fly alongside people of all cultures and all disciplines, you are a sad lonley F*****g tosser. I have a lot of ex 230 mates who went SAR boy, good eggs through and through. What disturbs me is some of them probably hung on the end of a wire, risking their lives while someone as bitter and twisted as you flew the aircraft. Thank god theyre not as bitter and twisted and as sad as you. I dont know how long you were in , but you never really understood the true concept of the military did you! There is a line between good military inter squadron, inter service banter, and sad tossers like you who are destructive and critical at every opportunity. At Fairford this year there will be aircrew from all over the world welcoming each other at a Tiger gathering - would you like to come? I doubt anyone would want to invite you! (not that you qualify anyway, but we always slip mates in). Once a Tiger always a Tiger!

[Ed Winchester]

Well '[email protected]', that last post demonstrates quite how removed you are from reality, given the amount of OOA work the SH Force has been involved in over the last few years.

Be careful you don't burst a blood vessel venting your spleen, what with your hatred of 230 Sqn, along with your rants on Rotorheads against the civvie SAR world.

Did the bad tiger men pick on you when you were a wobbly driver?

Bless.

Oh yes, don't forget to claim that you were fishing for a bite next. Tool. :zzz:

[ShyTorque]

Crab,

Your puerile comments really say more about yourself than those you jealously intend to tear apart. If you are typical of the so-called officer material now serving I certainly did make the correct decision to move on from the RAF all those years ago. I suggest you now get back to your carpet slippers and pipe and make the most of your self-centered little life before your job is put out to tender and you have to join the ranks of the great unwashed in SH yourself. :hmm:

P.S. 671 AAC is NOT a tiger squadron.

[Tigs2]

Ed and Shy
Thank you for your elequent comments that explained what i wanted to say. Afraid i am tired and emotional (but meant every word for you Crab). Ed to be honest maybe it would be good if Crabs sort did burst a blood vessel(god forbid he could come into the SH world)!

[[email protected]]

No it's no good, your heads are still firmly wedged - must be all that time 230 spent in Germany - you've picked up their sense of humour.
And I know 671 is not a 'Tiger' sqn - they wear a tiger badge proudly and can have a piss-up with the best - they just don't need to bang on about it.

[ShyTorque]

"I know 671 is not a 'Tiger' sqn - they wear a tiger badge proudly and can have a piss-up with the best - they just don't need to bang on about it."

If you mean they haven't been invited to "bang on about it" by attending a Tiger Meet - well I just wonder why? Normally it's down to personalities...... and they're not TOO particular as they even let the Navy join in..... :hmm:

Sour grapes mate.

[[email protected]]

Shy - since I have been serving since 1982 and haven't jumped ship yet (unlike you) I feel qualified to take the pi** when I see an ideal opportunity and no self respecting SARboy would miss the sort of chance that was offered on this thread, especially that great photo!! Have any of the Tiger mates actually broken their arms patting themselves on the back - it seems like they are trying hard. Doing a good job on the front line is worth congratulating yourself on - not getting a prize at a pi** up for blowing things up and drinking each others urine.
You chose to leave the club so stop sniping from the sidelines.

[ShyTorque]

Crab,

As you haven't been privileged to take part in the Tiger Fellowship, and your only contribution is to criticise it, you seem to be the one sniping from the sidelines, old chap.

P.s. Never drank any urine but I'll admit to having taken the pi$$ a few times. ;)

P.P.S. 1982? I was organising Tiger Meets back then.....

[Krystal n chips]

Sorry to interject here. Leaving aside the inter-service rivalry bit etc, it would seem that, yet again, the opportunity to offer Joe public some positive RAF PR has been missed---or ignored as the case may be.

This weeks Flight Int ( p24) has a small article and a very nice pic of said meet---but sod all about 230's result or a shot of the a/c involved.

Now it takes very little ability to write a small piece about NATO co-operation, competition, highest professional standards etc and put a positive spin on the award----but not even a mention in a trade journal as it were rather speaks volumes for whoever is responsible for PR for the RAF does it not ?.

There have been plenty of justified complaints on here about how the public know very little about what the RAF do and achieves--with good reason it seems if nobody has the basic common sense to get it into print in the first place.

"Gizza job !"

[[email protected]]

Fellowship??????? Is this the first part of a trilogy with the subsequent parts being 'The 2 towering take-offs' and 'The return of the Sea King'? Ah... poor deluded souls........I've seen cheerleaders look more military..

[ShyTorque]

Very good, Crab, very good!

See, you can BANTER, rather than just be Captain Very-heroic-but-very-Grumpy if you try!

Don't eat too many pies while you wait for your next callout to a lost dog! :ok:

[Tigs2]

Crab
you may have drank urine at the parties you went to, but i have never seen anyone drink urine at a Tiger meet, and i have been to many. As Shy says, lots of pi$$ taking but no Pi$$ drinking. You are completely out of touch. Last time i saw any one involved in such an activity was 1981 a group of 5 Sqn (Lightnings) Flem's. Is this an activity SAR boys get up to when you have a party? I suppose when you are sat in your crew room with your slippers on youve got nothing better to do than bitch and moan about everyone else.

[[email protected]]

Tigs - methinks thou doth protest too much.....

We don't get to have parties, we're always on call - and now providing UK cover for SH tasks due to overstretch.

Ah..I've got to go - I can hear the Ginsters lorry reversing up to the door of the crewroom, I just need to put down my pipe and get my boots back on......

At least rescuing dogs beats searching for hours for people you know are already dead (the really glamorous part of SAR).

[The Swinging Monkey]

Crab,

I served from 1971 to 2004 (so I think I am qualified to talk) and regret to have to say that your comments about saving dogs and searching for dead bodies is frankly, offensive and seriously out of order.

I did both during my stint on SAR in my mighty yellow egg whisk, and I can tell you that nothing whatsoever, is more important than finding and recovering people, even those who have perished.

You clearly have a problem with the SH fleet, and it is of course, your right to express that, but please don't sink any fruther from the depths you are currently at by regarding the rescue of an animal (any animal) as 'beating' the recovery of someone who is dead.. On that count you are quite wrong Sir, and shame on you.

Kind regards to all
The Swinging Monkey
'caruthers, time for a grouse I feel'

[oldbeefer]

Crab

SARboys work for a living? Don't make me laugh! 2 days on and a week off isn't it?

Brilliant paint job on the Puma - bit different to the way it looked when I picked it up from the factory in Yeovil in 1970. Good luck to all on 230 - I had a fantastic time during my (total of) 7 1/2 years in places various (never went to war, though!).

[[email protected]]

Maybe it is a sad reflection on our litigious and blame-free society that there is always someone ready to take offence at any remark whether it was intended offensively or not and Swinging Monkey, you have stepped into the breach in this case.
ShyTorque was bantering about lost dogs in reference to some of the rather odd jobs that the SAR Force (and I'm sure you were no exception) are asked to do. If a person goes into the water around mainland UK with no survival equipment they are going to be dead in under an hour - I and many others have found themselves searching many square miles of sea for someone who has no chance of survival because the MCA computers ignore the obvious. I like being a rescue pilot because you get to bring them back alive but whilst I agree that a body recovery is important for the relatives, how many hours have you spent searching for a person in the water 2 or 3 hours after they went missing and how many times did you find anything? Coastal drowners are the only ones you are likely to find and then only when they get washed up - anyone who falls overboard out to sea will likely never be found. These are harsh facts of life, not offensive throwaway lines.

[The Swinging Monkey]

Crab,

What I actually said was that 'your comments' were offensive and out of order, and I stick by that, they are Sir.

What you say is perfectly correct, and indeed we have ALL wasted countless hours searching for things that there is very little or no chance of ever finding, but that is really not the point. You are part of the UK SAR organisation, and part of that remit is to search and recover bodies.

Yes, you correctly point out the harsh facts, but try putting yourself in the position of a relative. Maybe then, you will undertsand that no matter how futile you think your search may be, it IS MOST CERTAINLY NOT in the eyes of those left behind.

Kind regards to you and all the SAR teams
Kind regards
TSM

[[email protected]]

So then TSM - the question is 'would you rather rescue someones pet from the bottom of a cliff or search at sea for hours for someone who cannot possibly have survived because they had no flotation or survival equipment and they have been missing for several hours?' That is the context my remarks, however flippant, were made and if you answer 'pet' then according to your logic that makes you as bad as me - if you answer person in the water then you must have been an exceptionally decicated and professional winchman and I take my hat off to you.

BTW - I don't have a downer on the SH force, quite the opposite in fact, but it's not going to stop me taking the pi** when the opportunity arises 'no quarter given nor expected'

[ShyTorque]

I feel I must step in to say that I do understand what Crab meant by his comment; I don't think it was actually meant in an offensive tone.

I was a SARBOY in East Asia in the 1990s and I do know what it feels like to search for folks who have nil chance of survival. A life saved is still a life saved, I don't think Crab meant that dogs were more important than folks

He's still a SARBOY W*NK*R though and obviously just jealous he never made it to a proper Tiger Squadron. :E

[[email protected]]

Thanks Shy - you really know how to make a guy feel wanted.......

[The Swinging Monkey]

Crab,
If you are asking for my own opinion, then it will always be a person, every time. A pet is just that - a pet! And unless you (not you personaly) are some kind of 'animal rights' guru, then I genuingly cannot see any other priority.

I like to think I was dedicated and professional yes, but I do appreciate the nause of spending hours and hours on futile searches for someone, when there is, as you rightly point out, absolutely no way they could have survived. But it shouldn'y ever matter. They are still someones son, father, mother, child etc and we owe it to them to do all we can, even body recovery.

The fact is, I don't think I could ever put an animal before a human, and even a dead human I think. Risking injury and (potentially) the lives of a helicopter crew is never justified for a dog who has fallen off a cliff. The same cannot be said for a person I feel.

Anyway, if you are still serving as a SAR boy, then I take my hat off to you also. It was by far the best job I ever did, and I would have gladly still been doing it now. Alas, dodgy eyes, Arthur Itis et al all seemed to be against me!!

But don't ever stop taking the pi$$ out of those SH chaps!!

Kind regards
TSM
'Caruthers, is it time for my early morning tipple yet??'

[teeteringhead]

Blimey!!

Banter from SARbo(u)ys .... whatever next? All pigs BF'd and ready to fly:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[The Swinging Monkey]

Teeteringhead,

If you don't stop all this, I'll have caruthers come round and box your ears my lad!!!

You all take care out there!
Kind regards
TSM
'Caruthers, get your boxing gloves on old boy!'

[SteveStephens]

I remember 230 (FB) Sqn well and have memories of a highly professional outfit. Although I do think the tiger design on the Puma in the early nineties was better. Had a black nose and a fantastic tiger painted on it. Anyone got a copy? Sorry have they dropped the Flying Boat bit?

[Ed Winchester]

Steve,

I think this (http://freespace.virgin.net/charles.mchugh/Puma.jpg) is the tiger cab you are referring to. Designed by Chas McHugh.

[Tigs2]

Flew it! Loved it!

Incidently did Chas paint the nose panel or was it Harry Palmers Mrs, Lesley who did the nose job? I know she did a lot of tiger stuff for us!

[Tiger_mate]

Chas did 3 nose panels, the last one being this: c2003
http://www.ehangar.com/modules/gallery/albums/userpics/10090/normal_230Tiger.jpg
The black and yellow cab has Leslies nose panel on it. Only this and Chas` last one remain in 230 Sqns hands, as 18 Sqn borrowed one and the other is rumoured to have been aquired by Chips the Silver Fox in the early 90s.

[Always_broken_in_wilts]

Rumour has it that the lovely Lesley still does give a fantastic nose job:E :E :E

all spelling mistakes are "df" alcohol induced

[SilsoeSid]

I wonder if this a/c would be welcomed.

http://photos.airliners.net/middle/4/4/3/804344.jpg

http://photos.airliners.net/middle/4/3/9/369934.jpg

:ok:
SS

[ShyTorque]

Sorry to have to break it to you, Sid, but you seem to have posted two pictures of the first aid kit. ;)

Edit: So how come I can't see any pics? What format are they, please?

Aah, That's better! The white boxes with red crosses (FAKs) have been replaced by a Gazzle shaped tiger :ok:

The RSPCA might have sumfink to say about keeping a tiger on a roof rack on a helicopter though.

[Tiger_mate]

SilsoeSid wibbled:

"I wonder if this a/c would be welcomed."

Indeed it was, for that aircraft was the official escort to the Czech Hind helicopters into French airspace for the 2003 Tiger Meet at Cambrai-Northern France.

It paint job was totally unauthorised, in fact permission was asked - refused - and they painted it anyway. Such high spirits from our french bretheren rarely seen if ever in the 21st century Royal Air Force.