Linton Re-stream Mk2

[PinkFlyer]

Rumours around about post linton pilots being lettered to attend a meeting in early Oct at Linton with possible re-stream implications?

Any more gen?

Pink

[5 Forward 6 Back]

Heard it third-hand from a bloke who heard it from a bloke who's holding somewhere in the flying training system.

It's what they did last time, so wouldn't surprise too much... I don't think any "non-restreamees" have made it to Valley yet, so presumably they'd all get caught up in it?

Speak up if you're holding!

[Burnswannabe]

I used to know a word

what was it again.......

....oh yeah, morale.....

not heard it for a while though!

[15thManofTain]

I was caught up in the first round of ‘super streaming’ at Linton. It’s not a pleasant experience by any stretch of the imagination and very difficult for those who go Multi or Rotary. Whatever happens however, you have to remember you are still flying, there are (in my opinion equal) positives and negatives associated with each job. Stay positive and you will find them I’m sure. The fast jet world certainly isn’t as rosy as I imagined at Linton, but still awesome fun.

In the mean time, just stay calm, if a rumour sounds shocking then it’s probably bull *****. In my experience the only people who actually know anything (and this goes for Creaming + streaming, Role Disposals etc too) are PMA and execs, who are normally too professional to spread stupid rumours in any case. The rumours to watch out for are those started by stuck in a rutt QFI’s (You know the sort – faded Flt Lt tabs, bitter types) who are only out to ‘big themselves up’ in front of those who actually have a career ahead of them. My advice is just to sit on your hands, listen to the DD equivalent chap (don’t know his name sorry, might be Rich) and turn up to the PMA brief. If someone does start to spin a yarn, ask yourself why they are telling you? At the end of the day, you can’t do ANYTHING about it anyway, so why worry.

Good luck to those going through the process.

[PileUp Officer]

PMA and execs, who are normally too professional

Funniest thing i've heard all year.

Cheers:ok:

[MechGov]

15thman

Sorry buddy, but its a job, not a career.

[culzean12]

I'm waiting for valley and haven't heard a dickie bird. Thanks for the advice 15thman. Mechgov thanks for your input too... not

[Von_Strohm]

15thman - easy for you to say now ;) but very true! :ok:

Burnswannabe - regarding morale, rumour is the bar at Linton is closing due to lack of interest!

One question springs to mind, for anyone who might know the answer:

After the last re-streaming fiasco, the following Linton course sizes were reduced. Less people streamed FJ from EFT - made sense at the time. Course numbers were cut from 12 or more, to almost half that.
So why then did the Linton courses subsequently swell in size when there was no corresponding increase in front line seats? What did they think would happen? Did the front line cuts really take us that much off guard?

[PPRuNeUser0211]

I think the answer lies with a) the thieving monkey RN chappies (not really....... before anyone gets defensive!) stealing all our GR7/9 slots and b) typhoon still not working.........

I think that perhaps the frontline has reduced their required IPS again, over and above the drop that caused the first round, hence triggering the 2nd. Pipeline was downsized far enough to make the first set of cuts, with the holds peaking at around 9 months or so, but then dropping off, because, even though cse sizes at LOO are bigger, notice that theres only 2 cses max per sqn at any time really, whereas when I was there pre- "Role confirmation" (the most ~~~~~@~@ name I've ever heard in my life!) there were 3 cses at a time on a sqn, plus one extra on Gnd School.... The place is a ghost town by comparison.

I've heard 2nd/3rd hand that there's a brief on the 11th from the staish re pipeline issues (read to re-stream or not to re-stream), sounds like there'll be a big almighty binge afterwards too, so anyone holding is prob best to check with the man RW and find out the gen 1st hand....

Good luck boys, and remember, pies taste nicer than air breathed through a hose, but wokkas shake rattle and roll! All the best,

[Von_Strohm]

There is indeed a meeting on the 11th - "Pipeline issues" - sounds like a plumbers' convention. Maybe pilots are to be trained in a second trade in case of redundancy?

Either way - I bet that evening York is not going to know what hit it :E

[LuckyBreak]

quote:

[I think the answer lies with a) the thieving monkey RN chappies (not really....... before anyone gets defensive!) stealing all our GR7/9 slots and b) typhoon still not working.........]

How about also:

c) The Saudis nicking all out Typhoons
d) Old pilots not leaving to join the airlines like they should
e) A load of UAS QFIs now looking for seats
f) A load of Linton QFIs looking for seats (as there are only 3 (gusting 4) courses there at any one time now)

Someone who gets paid more than us hasn't done their maths very well last year.........

Whilst I\'m at it, what would you reckon is better, a single front-line tour on GR4 or 3 front line tours on Chinooks? Damn...! Must get out of thinking that any other branch would be acceptable! FJ or bust!:{

[flash13]

For all those, like me, who are to be restreamed: After consultation with a few of the victims we have decided the following.

With up to 40 of us there it's going to be carnage, so let us make it good carnage. For happy hour after the streaming (or confirmation ha ha) dress appropriate to your streaming: Flying suit for Valley, Combats (and warpaint) for Strawberry and Blues for the pie shop. Then when we go out (a bus will be organised to suit the numbers), Fancy Dress. Just fancy dress, so anything goes. Be creative...

Spread the word on the 11th.

See you there for all the fun!

[Elmlea]

You're expecting a decision there and then?? Last time they dragged it out for 48 hours... I think it was Thursday pm following a Tuesday meeting that the first guys heard the outcome; and they were rushed through, being refreshers who were meant to be at Valley the following Monday!

Maybe it's just a meeting about pipeline issues... I'm sure no-one's actually said "yes, and you'll be restreamed too" yet?

[JNo]

Well that just makes it a 48hr fancy dress lash ex then doesn't it??!!?!?

Get yourselves onto Rotary - the only expanding flying fleet in the military....

And chicks dig it....

As long as it's not yellow....

[PPRuNeUser0211]

lol, pretty sure we won't be getting a decision there and then! Would be a good night out anyhow,

My guess would be it'll be a couple of weeks before anything happens, because there hasn't been quite enough faffing yet!

LuckyB, have been having exactly the same thoughts, having to drag myself out of it! Though just been on the phone to a mate on the isle who's been thinking exactly the same!

I think someone actually needs to take a best guess at our future career paths and tell us! So we can make an informed decision....

[fly-by100]

Well.... the 11th will certainly be a good night.... I had better iron my blues!!!...

As far as I have heard..... and it was from the mouths of the re-streaming (insert suitable expletive) themselves.......(a certain Air ranking officer..... Edge)....

1) This meeting IS about re-streaming
2) There are currently 40 holding pilots at the moment and from now until April (including the courses finishing Linton in that time) they will be re-sreaming AT LEAST 28 of us. If that does not help the situation then the possibilty of redundancy has been mentioned!
3)At the time I heard that the streaming board will be held before the end of October..... but I have also heard maybe the following tuesday (18th) for results?!?!?!?!?

So, it's all bright and rosy as usual...... no pressure......

See you in BA!!

Who's round?!?

pie-by :sad:

[Uncle Ginsters]

LuckyBreak,
Whilst i sympathise with your position, and those there with you, please try to remember a couple of things:

- You are not the first in your position, and probably not the last (sadly :sad: )
- I don't think that you'll find the phrase GD(FJP) anywhere in your Terms of Service.
- There are many who dream of a FJ posting. For many reasons, often beyond their control, sometimes not, they fail to get there - at least you guys should still get to fly
- One rule still applies - i've never known anyone who hasn't enjoyed their first tour, whether it be FJ,RW or ME - although your current colleagues in R313 may not agree!

Good luck for whatever the 'meeting' brings, i don't envy your current position and would gladly offer a beer to those who fall foul of bad times, :ok:

Uncle G

[PPRuNeUser0211]

Pretty sure there won't be any redundancies! Don't panic, that rumour went around last time, but is not "politically acceptable" I suspect (read sun headline "yorkshire topguns wasted youth" or similar.....)

As for the rest, I'm placing my money on a third to a half, with about a fortnight flash to bang.

Think we should start a book on when the good news will be revealed....

[flash13]

The fancy dress was actually intended for the 18/19th, or whenever we all find out our futures. We'll discuss the issues on the 11th... Fancy Dress issues that is.

[Elmlea]

Redundancies were bandied around in the ivory towers last times, but you're right that they were deemed unsuitable. Everyone'll still have jobs; just slightly different ones to those they thought they might have!

[LuckyBreak]

On the plus side, if we do end up rotary just think of all that valuable time we've spent holding and learning to fly tucano and the 2 years of Shawbury ahead of us before we get to the front line. Compared to the guys we graduated IOT with (and went Shawbury straight away) who are already on wocca OCUs, we are now 2 years behind them with nothing to show for it except an expert working knowledge of the ops desks of various FJ sqns and the ability to perform stall turns badly.

Still, at least we are not trying to join this year as a pilot which would be rubbish as they are taking about 5 pilots through OASC I've heard!

Who is Uncle G anyway?

:zzz:

[VigilantPilot]

Lets not forget there are plenty of people out there who would love to fly absolutely anything - be it FJ, rotary or multi-engine, but can't for one reason or another. Be somewhat grateful for the position you are in now and that you will be flying.

[Grand Fromage]

Is the meeting on the 11th only applicable for the 40 people holding for Valley or will there be a standard re-streaming board for those who subsequently finish Linton, like those due to be on 220 cse for example :}

GF

[Elmlea]

I should imagine so. The last lot were restreamed en masse, and then the subsequent 5 courses (I think) had individual restreamings at the end of their time at Linton. After that, someone evidently smarter than me decided that the holds were sorted out, and stopped restreaming.

I heard at the time that restreaming was stopped because it was bad for morale. Maybe so, but nowhere near as bad as stopping it then restarting it... I'm sure those on courses 211-214 would have been happier if they knew from the off that this was coming to pass, rather than being on the receiving end of the "no restreaming, place for all of you at Valley" bolleaux.

[BEagle]

Perhaps if there's so much spare capacity at Linton-on-Ouse, they should send all RAF student pilots there to do a common-core BFT course - and then stream them FJ, ME or RW at the end of the course?

No - that'd never catch on....... :rolleyes:

[brakedwell]

BEagle
Good idea, but lets go a bit further - 120 hours on 550hp tail wheel trainers followed by another 120 hours on primitive twin boom jets to sort out the men/women from the boys/girls, then a wings parade followed by streaming for teenage jet jockeys, chopper pilots or multi-engine drivers. (If there is anybody left to stream)

[Uncle Ginsters]

LuckyBreak,
I am someone who wanted nothing more than a FJ 'career', has been to Linton, been restreamed, and loved every minute of life since - didn't mean to sound harsh, but there is life outside of Gp1 :D
I was a product of the 'FJ or bust' culture that existed for a while (although seems to have changed now at UAS-level, at least). It does nobody any favours in the long run. There's nothing wrong with aiming for your own goals, but you have to be realistic in this day-and-age.
No time in the air is wasted - your Linton hrs will have given you skills and awareness that your direct to Rotary/ME counterparts won't have, irrespective of what your hands are doing :ok: and that puts you in a good position regardless, even if it may not seem so right now.

Good luck all,

Uncle G

[Von_Strohm]

Aaahh! Thread hijack by old people!

So Beags - did it work for you? Or are you even older than we fear? :D

I too have heard someone with a lot of stripes mention redundancy - the alternative being re-streaming (I mean "role confirmation", or "pipeline re-welding", err.. "open heart surgery", or whatever they're calling it now). I am certain redundancy will not be an issue. The bods at the top may be slow, but they're not suicidal.
My money is on a repeat of last time - dump the problem on Strawbs & Cranditz (I mean Oxford), keep re-streaming graduating courses for a year, then re-evaluate.

Flash13 - have you got some spare war paint? I've lost my iron ;)

[BEagle]

Err, no - I wasn't a product of the Provost/Vampire era!

125 hr common-core JP course after UAS Chipmunk fun, then AFTS and TWU.

Holding? Yes - did that! About 6 months waiting for Valley, then another 6 months waiting for Brawdy. Although I did a few weeks with the Harrier force in Germany, then had a Hunter refresher at Valley.

Good luck to you all!

[Supply and Demand]

The official word from the man at LOO who all concerned should have heard from by now is as follows, and I quote:

"We don't know for certain that restreaming is happening but there is a meeting on the 11th from the staish concerning those issues."

When pushed the following was alluded to:

"If restreaming is happening, and I'm not telling you that it is, then TGDA are... I mean may... be coming up on the 18th and 19th for the Restreaming boards (that I can't tell you are happening) and that you should probably try not to arrange anything for those days because you may be needed to attend a meeting that I can't tell you about."

Or words to that effect.

Oh why can't they realise that they are messing with people's lives here and that there is no need to keep it all a big secret. IMO as soon as the decision is made it should be made top priority to filter the information down as quickly as possible.

The encouragement to try and make the most out of our hold by doing AT, qualifications and other useful personal/service development is severely hampered by the fact that none of us have any idea where or when we are going to be posted. Dammit, the AT bid has to be in by the 7th.....D'oh!

In answer to the question about future courses, I know the courses currently at Linton are being told that they will be restreamed on graduation.

It's very easy to get fast jet or bust orientated when you have just spent 10 months working chuffing hard to acheive your dreams only to be told that, whilst you are good enough to go and fly the Hawk, your not going to get it purely because of a numbers game. Jeez, I think even getting chopped might have been less painful...at least the carrot wouldn't have been dangling for several months. :sad:

The thought that some of the mates who we went through IOT with could just about be getting to captain stage by the time we rock up on a wokka sqn doesn't bear thinking about. Oh how smug they'd be after their fast jet friday tears. :{

Please don't get the impression I am not grateful for any flying job - indeed I think I am incredibly lucky - its just that when you are allowed to think you're getting a shot at the top, to then have the rug pulled from your feet it's a bit of a shock.

Still, look on the bright side, maybe the briefing (the one with the subject that we can't be told about) is to wish us all luck at Valley, and tell us that we're all pencilled in for a huge Tucano display team? Well, what else are they going to do with them?:ok:

So, is there a piss up on the 11th and the 18th/19th? I don't see why not!

[AMiller]

dump the problem on Strawbs & Cranditz (I mean Oxford),


Whats the link with oxford?

[BEagle]

Some multi-engine cross-over courses were conducted there once. As indeed, in earlier days, they were at Hamble.

Or perhaps it means that they'll offer a full frozen ATPL course to those who are unsuccessful at restreaming? Somehow I can't quite see that - the unsuccessful will probably be encouraged to join a ground branch. Whatever that is....

[Gainesy]

Investment in People?

What a bloody shambles.

Which fcukwit is responsible for all this?

[Von_Strohm]

Unsuccessful at re-streaming? :confused: Wooooaaaahhh! Hold on there old chap! I was simply eluding to the fact that at the moment people on the ME short course are going to Oxford - as 45sqn is packed and has only one serviceable aircraft.

[PPRuNeUser0211]

Lol 45 is more than packed! Had the pleasure of meeting a chap who ahd been holding for 18 months to do melin..... turned up, did ground school etc, then was told to go hold for another 2 months or so!

At the mo there are a few mexo chaps going to oxford, as there is a fear that sending abbo's straight there would lose their "military ethos" so carefully cultivated by DIOT or OACTU or whatever the hell they call it these days!

Personally, I would be happy enough with life in the wokka fleet (though would prefer a big yellow taxi to something green) but not sure I'd be willing to take that over the island! We shall see, good luck boys!

[AMiller]

Von_Strohm i can understand 45 sqn being full up but only having one servicable aircraft??? i dont know about that. without being rude what are your sources?

Andy

[Von_Strohm]

I heard it off a guy who's friends with a guy who is sh***ing the mother of the girl who cleans the toilets.

[LuckyBreak]

Does anyone know how long it takes to remove two lower wisdom teeth? I'm having them out on tuesday morning so may be laughingly drunk on tuesday nite!

[Phil_McCrevis]

If/when the guys finishing linton get re educated as to their chsen and previously streamed carear path, how much of a say will they get over their destination?

Lucky Break it's your doctor, and yep it's going to be messy on tuesday night.

[SSOT]

Gents,

What happened at the meeting? I was on the receiving end last time around and would be interested to hear. Unless you were all told not to say anything....or are all still recovering from the 'celebrations'.

SSOT

[PPRuNeUser0211]

SSOT,

Same as last time mate;)

For those who weren't there who should have been and couldn't, make sure you're there same time next week!

In short, re-stream, all holders and the senior cse in the pot together next week, no word on numbers. Then it will continue cse by cse tfn

[SSOT]

What a bumm£r.

If it's any consolation, I'm a truckie now and having a hoot!

Good luck to all next week.

SSOT

[LuckyBreak]

So what's the latest rumour in terms of numbers to be chopped on wednesday?

I heard an interesting story about 2 guys back in the late 80s who had the same happen to them, but they had finished the F3 OCU and whilst holding for the Sqn they were told that actually they were now holding for Helicopter training....

By the way, didn't have Wisdom teeth out in the end.

[Tommy Tipee]

I heard that at last Tuesdays meeting, the Staish at Linton expresed his "disappointment" that some of the victims of this stitch-up had had the temerity to post details of same on Pprune, and issued veiled threats against any future transgressors.

Despite the best efforts of Bliar & Co, there is still the right to free expresion of ones views, and the taxpayer has every right to know how his hard-earned cash is being squandered.

Probably some of the £Millions saved by decimating the UASs will be put to good use investigating this heinous crime and ensuring the perpetrators vanish without trace using the latest "bang 'em up without a trial" legislation, as they clearly threaten the security of the nation.

Best of luck to all whose fates are decided tomorrow. I'm sure that you'll have a great time whatever you end up flying.

[PPRuNeUser0211]

Good luck tomos/next day boys..... Cya there!

SSOT, don't spose you undertook EFT twice at a Cambridgeshire based(but not the obvious) UAS with a certain small welshman and 4 others of us did you?

[PMA's Toy]

That's terrible; if nothing else, surely the poor guys affected deserve the chance to chat about it? ;)

It's a bit farcical, all this. Why did they stop it and restart it? Someone ask that when they restream you! Are guys chopped from Linton still struggling to find cockpits? Anyone else find that ridiculous based on the useless candidates pitching up for MELIN....?

[SSOT]

pba_target

Would PM you but you don't seem to have the option!

[Rakshasa]

Oh FFS! That's it. I officially re-christen the RAF as Monty Python's Flying Circus! We certainly have the required level of farce these days!

[Griz]

Rakshasa

I hate to be picky but Monty Python was funny. This ain't!

15MoT

Good luck with the career, but after a while you will realise that this is still only a job.

Oh god I'm depressed :{

[BEagle]

Tommy Tipee, was it this chap who expressed his 'disappointment' at your PPRuNery?

http://www.raf.mod.uk/raflintononouse/stncdr.html

Perhaps he would like to explain to one and all why he considers it to be a 'transgression' to post on here?

If a certain Air Commodore cares to post on PPRuNe (as I know he does) - why shouldn't a Fg Off?

[Elmlea]

Just bumping this to the top for the no-doubt imminent announcements. Hopefully someone'll pop on PPRuNe before going to the bar :ok:

Good luck all involved. Have heard rumours of the numbers (about a third to other streams?), and hopefully there won't be too many disappointments!

[BluntM8]

Shotgun world record for flash to bang time...

Initial indications are not as negative as everyone thought - but I'd rather not post exact details on here, if you don't mind. My condolences to those who didn't get what they wanted, congrats to those who did...see you in the bar in minutes:few.

BluntM8 (Digital.)

Oh, Elmlea...how about some of that airborne buffoonery we talked about the other night?