RAF 100 years commemoration

[talk_shy_tall_knight]

Now you may think i'm being a tad premature, but I have just recieved an electronic version of the booklet setting out the vision for the 100 year commemoration of the forming of the RAF. Not a great deal of detail as yet but perhaps mindful of what can happen when things are thrown together at the last minute (Spirit of the Air?) they are obviously keen to get things up and running. It runs to 8 pages, including a fairly bland corportae logo featuring a Typhoon and a Tiger Moth (note, I call all bi-planes Tiger Moths, even Sopwith Camels). There is talk of "enduring legacies" and ...erm, "enduring values", corporate partners, stakeholders, engagement, outreach, think tanks, and the Daily Mail. There will probably be jelly and cake too. It's all wrapped up under the banner of 'Royal Air Force 100', with the 'Royal Air Force' bit being in that new logo with the funny slanted 'A's.
Oh and it is a Charity.


"Can you give me the names of the crews for the fly-past on the 1st April 2018, only CHBS can't book accomodation without names":hmm:

[samuraimatt]

only CHBS can't book accomodation without names

Thats because they are now called the CHRS. Come on, keep up.:rolleyes:

[airborne_artist]

The VR(T) officers will outnumber all the others put together by 2018.

[talk_shy_tall_knight]

Thanks for that.

[Roland Pulfrew]

If everyone "gets off the train" at the next stop, will there by a Royal Air Force left to celebrate 100years?

I know, I'll get my coat

[Magnersdrinker]

I think there is more important concerns at the moment for the RAF to worry about rather than wasting manpower,money and time on an event near 11 years away

But i guess its a reason to make a few more officer posts and justify a top heavy force.

[spanners123]

Magnersdrinker:D
It's jobs for the boys!

[Roadster280]

Planning a commemorative event 11 years in the future when it's only 89 years old? Hmm...

By extrapolation, the Army needs start planning its 400 year anniversary in 2061 around 2012. The Navy has already missed the boat to spend the same proportion planning its 500 year anniversary in 2045.

I'm sure some bright spark of a politician would try and spin this that RAF are ahead of the game, the Army looking good if they get their act together in the next couple of years and the Navy are crap, and therefore need to be reduced in size.

[Pontius Navigator]

Maybe they plan on holding it sooner rather than later when there is still an RAF. 1910,11,14 etc :}

[helidriver]

Army Flying started in 1878 - see the following URL for more details:
http://www.army.mod.uk/aac/history/index.htm
Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm in 1912:
http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/server/show/nav.2235
Royal Air Force in 1918:
http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/ (History section still under development!!)
Kind of says it all really, perhaps the charity idea isn't so bad?
h

[normally right blank]

Hmmm! Something funny happened in 1968? Maybe one should, in 2018, go to the Tower Bridge and wait for a disgruntled pilot to fly through it? :cool:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawker_Hunter_Tower_Bridge_incident
And why not a Hunter again? :ok:

[Wrathmonk]

10 years ago the current CAS was a 1* and the current CINCAIR was a wg cdr. So, for those still serving now, have a look around and try to identify the CAS and CINCAIR who will be in place for the 100th. With the way that people are (allegedly) leaving at the moment perhaps the best place will be to look at who is posting in the wannabees thread (and I don't mean you PN!) :p

[brokenlink]

Never mind the 100th is there anything out about the 90th which even with my maths is next year. Unless of course all the effort is going into the 100th Anniversary of the TA!

[norilsk]

B*****r the future, the 50th only seems like yesturday!

[Goer Round]

Attended the 50th and the 75th while still in uniform. Hopefully will get an all expenses paid trip for the 100th (together with wheelchair allowance!) :}

They apparently put on a good show for the 25th - nice firepower demo on the continent

[BATS]

"The RAF, A hundred year experiment rapidly coming to it's end......"

Gen Sir Mike Jackson 2004

Maybe we should be planning the disbandment..... :ok::ok:

[anotherthing]

Or is it the longest running April fool's joke ever? :}

[thunderbird7]

..and is the Daily Mail 'on board' for spectators to wipe their arses on? :eek:

[The Helpful Stacker]

"The RAF, A hundred year experiment rapidly coming to it's end......"

Gen Sir Mike Jackson 2004

Maybe we should be planning the disbandment..... :ok::ok:

I think its slightly more likely that the two smaller flying clubs will be absorbed into the Royal Air Force.

Then again stranger things have happened.:rolleyes:

[Gainesy]

Well it's obvious isn't it? Have a flypast of both aircraft.:hmm:

[OCCWMF]

Afraid one will be on Q and the other will be covering 2 theatres. No can do.

[dallas]

Afraid one will be on Q and the other will be covering 2 theatres. No can do.
My, you've got an old-fashioned view of our priorities :hmm:

[cwatters]

I came past RAF Bramton today and there was a banner up outside proclaiming 100 years of the RAF.

Wikipedia says that not due until 1st April 2018 so I assumed they must be counting the RFC or something...but on checking I find that was in 1912. The only event I can find in 1908 was Cody's flights at Farnborough (site was marked by a plastic tree last I was there).

So when is the official 100th aniversary? Are there any events planned? Wouldn't want to miss a good show.

[Alber Ratman]

The Royal Aircraft Factory (vis the HM Ballon factory) was formed in 1908.:ok:

[MRAF]

Any news on the plan for the 100th? All quiet and 3 and a bit years to go?

Any rumours?

[Lima Juliet]

Any rumours?

ACAS - Ted Stringer has the lead. Why don't you give his PSO a call and ask?

LJ :ok:

Royal Air Force One Hundred

'Commerate, Celebrate and Innovate'

Royal Air Force One Hundred is the collective banner under which all RAF Centenary events will fall. Under the leadership of the Assistant Chief of the Air Staff, Air Vice Marshall Edward Stringer, RAF 100 was formally launched at RAF Northolt on Friday 28th February 2014. As this broad Project develops, full details will be reported here.

[Rigga]

...wasn't Ted Stringer in "Airplane 100"?

Guess I picked a bad day to give up Weed...

[Climebear]

Royal Air Force One Hundred

'Commerate, Celebrate and Innovate'

Royal Air Force One Hundred is the collective banner under which all RAF Centenary events will fall. Under the leadership of the Assistant Chief of the Air Staff, Air Vice Marshall Edward Stringer, RAF 100 was formally launched at RAF Northolt on Friday 28th February 2014. As this broad Project develops, full details will be reported here.


Pedant mode on

Doesn't bode well if the publicist can't spell Air Vice-Marshal.

[WH904]

Commerate, Celebrate and Innovate

I feel nauseous already. A ghastly motto from the money-making PR-speak people. I think we can see how the event will go:-

A "C" formation of Hawks over the Mall on HM's birthday (there won't be enough avaialble aircraft to spell-out "100"). Rest of flypast comprising of a Voyager, flanked by two F-35s, presumably from Boscombe Down:)

The final public display by the Red Arrows, timed to mark the RAF's anniversary, and coinciding with the expiry of the remaining hours on the Hawks.

A "special theme" at RIAT, comprising of a Red Arrows flypast, a Typhoon display and a static line-up of museum/civil aircraft tracing the RAF's history on the cheap.

A special magazine from Key Publishing with lots of stock images we've seen a million times before, and some new photos of er... Typhoons. Lots of articles on how forward-thinking and progressive today's RAF is, and some old photos of Spitfires and biplanes.

A couple of new books that look suspiciously like every other "Big Book of the RAF" but with rather fewer good photographs, as the publishers will not be able to find the money to pay the reproduction fees that RAFM and IWM now charge for photographs that used to be free.

Some exciting new RAF merchandising - track suit, socks, baseball cap, pencil sharpener.

Plus a special BBC programme hosted by John Sergeant, in which he enthuses in a slightly pointless fashion over nothing in particular. Then he flies in some ghastly civilian twin-prop along side a Typhoon, whilst making more fatuous comments. The remaining seventy percent of the programme will comprise of interviews with "the people who made the Royal Air Force" (ie cheap vox pops).

Think that's a fairly accurate run-down of what will happen ;)

[thing]

Then he flies in some ghastly civilian twin-jet Canberra?:ok:

[Archimedes]

Pedant mode on

Doesn't bode well if the publicist can't spell Air Vice-Marshal.

I'm pretty sure - in fact I'm almost certain of it - that it's not an official site.

If things go to plan (a change of government might affect this), you might be pleasantly surprised, WH904, at least if what I've heard about it transpires.

It might be Dan Snow, for a start... [not really]

[WH904]

... reaches for Pepto Bismol... :)