Cheesed Off by Brize

[fantaman]

Well today I received an email from the Brize Media Communication Officer which cheesed me off to no end!

Being in the process of applying for Airman Aircrew I thought it would be a good idea to try and go flying with the AAR guys on a VC10. As well as seeing what they did and what happened on an AAR flight, I was looking forward to seeing some FJ's off the wing.

So, I sent a nice email to the MCO at Brize asking if there was any chance of getting on a flight in the next couple of weeks, if operational commitments permitted of course. I was surprised to find out I had to join a queue to get a flight, this I didn't mind. What followed infuriated me.

I was placed 56th in a queue that was full of locals and civvies! Am I being silly here or is it a bit harsh that a serving member of the RAF has to wait behind civvies to go for a flight? :*

[SaddamsLoveChild]

Fanta, suggest you withdraw mate as this will be traced to you and you will end up even lower down the list after a 1 way interview. Suggest you try odiham/benson/lyneham and write nicely to the Sqn OC's not the MCO.

Good luck and get flying.........its brill!

[talk_shy_tall_knight]

Another option might be to approach the Stn/Sqn with a similar request, but this time focussing more on your desire to gather knowledge which might be useful to you in your NCA application. If as appears you are already serving, you could try approaching the relevant Sqn Crewmen Ldrs or whatever they're called now and ask if you can spend a day with the NCA seeing what they do. Once you're there and you're all jolly great mates who knows what doors may open for you.

[Lord Elpus]

Wise words above! Speak to the Sqn ALM/Eng desks directly, they will be much more helpful that the MCO. Check Pm's

[Seldomfitforpurpose]

Check your PM's :ok:

[fantaman]

Cheers for the help guys. Have replied to your PM's :ok:

[Pontius Navigator]

fantaman, don't be too hard on the MCO. She only got back in the office today. To her you are just another local/civvie.

The advice you got is quite right.

We had a banking high flyer whose opening gambit was she wanted to see if a position as an RAF Fighter Controller was a jon worthy of her skills and abilities. When we met her she was the sort we would have locked the gate to keep in. She got a good write-up from each sction she visited.

I don't know if she accepted us however.

[Irish Tempest]

If that had happened in the RN you could have spoken to your Divisional Officer who would have got it sorted for you....:}

[Pontius Navigator]

IT,

Bit of thread drift, but where does a DO fit in with the command chain? Are they separate or do they have any direct responsibilities? When the RAF tried the scheme they just used it as a 'random' bolt on extra; the DO did not even know the people in the subject's command chain.

In the present context I expect a flt cdr or SNCO could have taken up the case.

[FJJP]

PN makes a good point. Fantaman, I assume your flt cdr is behind you in your application. Assuming he is, it would be perfectly reasonable for you to discuss with him the possibility of visiting various units that have NCA to enable you to gain first hand knowledge of the various roles; he would probably have much more success talking at unit boss level.

In any case, I thought there was a formal programme to enable an individual airman to do just that?...

[Door Slider]

Seems a strange system having to go through an MCO! At benson we have people all the time. Just write a letter to the crewman leader of either sqn. And from then on in its easy.

[TheWizard]

Just write a letter to the crewman leader of either sqn. And from then on in its easy.

Don't go across the other Sqn much then Slider?:}

Fantaman,
Does BZN not have a Commissioning Club?(also covers NCA).
There is one set up at Benson to help organise and arrange exactly the sort of experience and visits that you mention. It is specifically for serving Airmen/women and has access to all the latest information and tips etc for those that wish to apply for a Commission or NCA.
As I said, I am not sure about BZN but if you would like any of the contact details at Benson PM me.

[Mmmmnice]

Fantaman - check your PMs

[brit bus driver]

Hmmmm, smacks of a lack of initiative to me......


















.....only joking fella! Best of luck; the good times must surely be just around the corner!:hmm:

[NutLoose]

I was placed 56th in a queue that was full of locals and civvies! Am I being silly here or is it a bit harsh that a serving member of the RAF has to wait behind civvies to go for a flight? :*

If its still there, try and book a lane at the Bowling Alley....... It was the same

[6foottanker]

So, you want to be airman aircrew. Surely you must have looked into a few of the aircraft which the RAF operates, and which you might end up operating.

So how does being 56th on a list when the aircraft has a seating capacity in excess of 100 get you so worked up. Dry your eyes, and stop your whinging. Either deal with it, or use your initiative to jump the cue.

And if you do get a flight, dont come on board whinging either, cos we host hundreds of visits every year, and you won't get anything extra that the 'locals and civvies' don't, especially since they put up with our noise, might have been WW2 aircrew, and are probably more deserving of a trip than a whinger like yourself.

Enough said I think.

6'

[Seldomfitforpurpose]

Ah the caring sharing and thoroughly constructive whine of a conway.....opps sorry meant thoughts of a VC10 pilot:rolleyes:

[fantaman]

Thanks for that 6foottanker.

It would be foolish of me not to have looked into aircraft I may be eligible to fly on as airman aircrew, however, I dont see what your comment has to do with this thread as I never asked for advice on what aircraft I could fly in. I know every aircraft I could fly in as airman aircrew and have looked into the roles onboard each aircraft as closely as possible.

As you say there are over 100 seats on a VC10. I'm sure that if they were happy to let 100 people on a tanker trip I would probably be on one but as I'm not, I think its safe to say its not the done thing.

I find your comments about being a whinger a little off. I had hoped that given my circumstances (applying for airman aircrew) I might find some help on here, which as you can see from the 14 other posts, I have apart from yourself. I know your not in the recruitment branch but I find your comments quite off putting, I'm just glad you seem to be in a minority as most others have been extremely helpful.

[startermotor]

Fantaman as you have just realised you could be working with that nice chap.
I am not airman aircrew, but do fly with aircrew and on the whole they are bl00dy good guys and girls. But you will get your odd pl0nker.

[spectre150]

Fanta, I agree with startermotor and hopefully you will have received constructive advice through PMs. Sadly, you will get aggressive and unhelpful comments on here but they are in the minority and just make the poster look ... aggressive and unhelpful. Good luck and don't be put off - there are lots of good guys and girls at BZN.

[TheWizard]

Just a small point, but there are no such thing as Airman Aircrew anymore. It is Non-Comissioned Aircrew (NCA):ok:
Best of luck.

[Pontius Navigator]

Fanta, please see PM.

[Mad_Mark]

spectre150 wrote:
Sadly, you will get aggressive and unhelpful comments on here but they are in the minority and just make the poster look ... aggressive and unhelpful.

I disagree, IMHO it should say "...and just make the poster look ... like a total c0ck" :ok:

MadMark!!! :mad:

[spectre150]

Mad Mark you are so right... you posted the text that I had typed and deleted.

Thankfully, he is not representative of the majority of VC10 operators that I have come into contact with - a very 'can do' and helpful bunch of people in the main.

[pikeyeng]

Dude check your pm's we will gladly take you up on 101 the RAF's premier tanker sqn. Remember behind every good officer there's an even better SNCO.

[Runaway Gun]

Have co-pilots been upgraded to "Good Officers" now?

[Seldomfitforpurpose]

Not sure how or why those two words were originally typed in such close proximity, must be a word or two missing methinks :E