RN|RM Aircrewman [Archive]

Royal_Marine

22nd Sep 2007, 13:49

Hi there,
I'm currently a serving royal marine and im hoping to transfer to the Aircrewmans branch. I was wondering if anyone knew anything about the grading process(RAF Shawbury) or the Central Air Medical Board(HMS Sultan)

I have been revising navigation and D,S,T but was just wondering if anyone had any advice about the aptitude etc.

Regards

P.S I am not appling to go pilot, just as an aircrewman in the rear of a sea king

vecvechookattack

23rd Sep 2007, 00:50

Im not an aircrewman but I sit next to them.

Keep working on the Nav. You must be able to do S/T/D in your head. But above all work on the Maths. Maths, Maths, Maths.....

CAMB is fairly straightforward. You stand there, get poked and proded...cough a little, bend over and smile...breath into this, listen to this, can you see this....

If your fit and healthy (hope so as a Booty) then you should have no problems

BEagle

23rd Sep 2007, 06:13

"....bend over and smile...."

A well-known naval tradition......:eek:

Good luck with your Aircrewman application!

Seldomfitforpurpose

23rd Sep 2007, 07:05

Without wishing to enter the usual inter service "bitchfest" and if your heart is set on becoming rearcrew have you considered a move to the light blue?

As NCO Aircrew the opportunities are excellent with a whole host of possible types to fly on, the bonus of entering as a Sgt, what many consider to be a much better standard of living etc than currently offered by either the dark blue or green and the real time prospect of service beyond age 40.

What ever your thoughts I wish you the very best in your quest :ok:

Royal_Marine

23rd Sep 2007, 09:47

Hi,
Thanks for all your replies, I just looked at the RAF site and i must admit it does look very interesting especially as it says they URGENTLY need aircrewman. However I am Royal an wish to stay that way so i will try this route and if that goes pear the RAF can be my back up. I'll keep working on S,T,D and hope for the best.

Does anyone know what type of thing happens on the 4 week grading process?

Airborne Aircrew

23rd Sep 2007, 11:52

Royal:

Loyalty, while being an excellent trait, doesn't put food on the table, buy a house or car or anything else you will want it to do. Decisions you make today will be with you for the rest of your life. Better you make the right one now than look back in 20 years and wish...

Oh, and don't be afraid of the Rocks... I'll put a word in for you... ;)

Good luck...

samuraimatt

23rd Sep 2007, 13:02

Aircrewman in RN fly in Sea King, Merlin? Pay not spectacular I guess.

Wsop in RAF fly in C-17, Tristar, VC-10, Hercules, E-3, Nimrod, ASTOR, Puma, Merlin, Chinook, Sea King, Griffin, Dominie. Pay £32500 - £56000.

Don't worry RAF has the word Royal in it as well.

Pontius Navigator

23rd Sep 2007, 13:13

Royal,

you can still take all your RM ethos with you. Once qualified it will stand you in good stead, give you shed loads of street cred etc.

jonnyloove

23rd Sep 2007, 13:38

Street Credit!!! Royal marine a cerdibilty dont go together!!! royal marine and surrender do!!!!! Only joking good luck mate dont worry about the maths to much get your nose into puzzle books and sodko. if you have done junior brecon it helps at the tactical phase off flying. Also if you have a mate flying already get him to go throught basic nav on whizz wheel. as for the medical mate you will be fine.
GOOD LUCK WITH IT.
AND REMMBER PARA REG ALWAYS!!:)

Airborne Aircrew

23rd Sep 2007, 14:09

AND REMMBER PARA REG ALWAYS!!

I never, ever do this... But this one I just can't resist... :E

Looking at your spelling mate I now understand where the phrase "sweating like a Para in a spelling test" came from...:} :} :} :} :}

II Field (Airborne) mate... We don't sweat nuttin'... :D :D :D :D :D

jonnyloove

23rd Sep 2007, 14:29

I would not admit to being RAF regiment if i was you!!!! Or is it RAF securty guards regiment. :)

Pontius Navigator

23rd Sep 2007, 14:52

Street Credit!!! Royal marine a cerdibilty dont go together!!! royal marine and surrender do!!!!! Only joking

Yeah, but remember who was driving.

Royal_Marine

23rd Sep 2007, 15:44

Lol,
Thanks for all the great advice! What is a Whizz wheel by the way?

lastmanstanding

23rd Sep 2007, 15:55

Wizz wheel. A rotating slide rule issued to you on commencement of flying training. A civvy version is the Pooleys CRP-5. Look it up on google mate.

Did AAITC with an ex-booty. Top man, aced the course and now flying as a Civvy Winchman earming a packet and only working a few days a month.(50K+)
Dont discount the light blue though mate.He was had his crown in six years.;)

airborne_artist

23rd Sep 2007, 15:56

One of these (http://gps.co.uk/cgi-bin/webitempage.pl?flc-plcrp1w)

Used to calculate headings taking into account wind drift etc.

Pontius Navigator

23rd Sep 2007, 16:03

The Whiz Wheel in the military is the Dalton Computer.

The picture is of a computer that is a similar size to a Dalton Mk 4a. The Mk 5 is a mini-version intended for fast-jey cockpits etc. By the time I got a Mk 5 it was too small for me to see :(.

If you can get onto a flying unit you may be able to blag one out of stores. It is made by the London Name Plate Mfg. Co. Ltd. of London and Brighton and was marked "Computer Dead Reckoning Mk. 4A Ref. No. 6B/2645.
Or you might find a friendly Observer who can get you one, I think they are still C-stores.

Or look here: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ARMY-AIR-FORCE-NAVIGATION-FLYING-COMPUTERS-WEEMS-DALTON_W0QQitemZ290161607306QQihZ019QQcategoryZ135QQrdZ1QQss PageNameZWD2VQQcmdZViewItem
The white one is the mk 4.

This is the same as the UK Mil Mk 4, ie without the compressibility features of the Mk 4a, but perfectly adequate for helicopters.

PS

Thank you for sharing that with us Samuraimatt, glad to see you have recovered.

samuraimatt

23rd Sep 2007, 16:18

without the compressibility features

Phew............. I was just going to ask that.

Tourist

23rd Sep 2007, 16:20

Royal,
Contact 848, 845 or 846 at Yeovilton. Lots of RM crewies around, and they will give you what you need to know.

charliegolf

23rd Sep 2007, 17:18

Thread creep, sorry. PN, any idea where to get instructions for the Dalton; or will the CRP ones suffice. Memory an' all that- ain't what it was.

CG

Pontius Navigator

23rd Sep 2007, 18:13

Cg,

Pm

Pn :)

vecvechookattack

23rd Sep 2007, 18:22

Pay not spectacular I guess.

Between £32500 and £56000.....which spookily is the same as the RAF....

diginagain

23rd Sep 2007, 20:03

Best of luck, Royal. I hope it works out for you. :ok:

You might want to practise your map-reading skills at 90 knots sideways.

Proper Crewman!

23rd Sep 2007, 20:11

Royal, when you get your manning clearance back a signal will be released for you to ring the graders at Shawbury. There's no reason for you not to ring them now for advice and guidance (I know them all, they are very approachable)! Pro's and Con's to both light and dark blue roles however it is important to realise that we do completely different jobs. Loadies are great at tech, dishing out bag rats and can probably nail a 40ft hover whereas a navy crewman is expected to nav day and night to the highest standards with no fall back option. We are ****e at handing out the rats fixing the cab and we will probably be 5ft out on the hover height! Because the Navy lads have served an apprenticeship and have a grading process only the best make it!
Good luck mate and see you on the front line!

samuraimatt

23rd Sep 2007, 20:35

Between £32500 and £56000.....which spookily is the same as the RAF....

You do mean a RM crewman and not an Observer.

jonnyloove

23rd Sep 2007, 20:37

What a cracking name Proper crewman!!! You have to be a member off the Culdrose Mafia to use it!!!!!:)

samuraimatt

23rd Sep 2007, 20:46

whereas a navy crewman is expected to nav day

Without wishing to get into a pi**ing contest between the Wsop and Navy crewman jobs, if all your job depend on is being able to navigate then there is no contest.
The RAF Wsop has to be able to a quote form the RAF careers website " responsible for all aspects of aircraft loading, both internal and external. With the Chinook triple-hook system and capacity to carry 40 fully equipped troops, the crewman has to be able to fulfil a number of roles – not only operating the aircraft’s communications, self-defence and weapon systems, but also planning missions and servicing the aircraft when it’s operating “in the field”.’

A little bit more involved I would say. Of course there is also the opportunity to move to another aircraft type and do a completely different job, something the RN cannot offer.

Proper Crewman!

23rd Sep 2007, 20:58

Oh dear! I was simply trying to advise Royal to have a look at what the differences are, I am used to the RAF loadie always trying to justify his existance he has made it an art form. The box here isn't big enough to go through what is expected of an RN crewwie and I too have no desire to get into a pissing contest. Suffice to say we will have to agree to dis-agree, hopefully one day the RAF will spare one of you to do an exchange then we can have some real feedback.....................

jonnyloove

23rd Sep 2007, 21:09

Not wanting to get involved in this pissing contest! but i have to defend the RAF loadies. Being a former customer to the RN junglies and RAF before going a aircrew myself. The RAF lodies need no justifcation. Its the navy i have found to be the ones hows egos got in the way and where quick to gob off about how they where sky gods. And since coming to civy street they are the same. :)

(Please excuse spelling mistakes)

serf

23rd Sep 2007, 21:14

If the RAF Loadie 'has to service the aircraft when in the field'.................what are the 40 other groundcrew doing?

Proper Crewman!

23rd Sep 2007, 21:16

Jonny,
Your spelling grammer and general grasp of the English language is appauling, I have no wish to make any comment on what you've written as I can't understand it!

Al R

23rd Sep 2007, 21:19

Well, the Navy wins hands down on irony at least.

Irony and surrendering. Good effort. :D

jonnyloove

23rd Sep 2007, 21:20

Get a grip you are showing your colours now you are a true Navy ****.

Proper Crewman!

23rd Sep 2007, 21:25

Dry your eyes rainy face!:{

Al R

23rd Sep 2007, 21:33

The navy chap offered; .. whereas a navy crewman is expected to nav day and night to the highest standards with no fall back option.

Perhaps you could spend a little longer practising then? Or do what a real pro might do - actually consider fallbacks? Yee ha. :E

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22114048-1702,00.html