HAIRY

[Mike Read]

At one time NCO pilots, and probably other aircrew, were known as "hairys". We had one on the staff at 229 OCU in 1969, but he was commissioned shortly afterwards. Don't suppose many were left then. Can anyone remember or explain the origin of the expression?

[Pontius Navigator]

Mike,

It may have refered to the uniform. Officers wore smooth barathea and airmen, and of course airmen aircrew, wore hairy blues.

That's my thought anyway.

[goudie]

Might be something to do with their hairy uniform

[AR1]

Hairy BD it was - we had it the the ATC too! Torture, though apparently it was much warmer if it got wet. Scant consolation for those working indoors.

[Gainesy]

I thought it was derived from "hairy-arsed" to denote older.

[Jackonicko]

There were even 'hairy' Lightning pilots. There was a thread that named them on PPRuNe, but I haven't been able to find it.

So who were the last RAF NCO pilots, flying what, and when? And who were the last on a FJ?

[The Old Fat One]

Indeed it was the hairy NCO number two uniform. Withdrawn in 1975, I was on the first intake to get the new "thunderbird" jacket, which caused immense consternation to flight commanders and discip NCOs throughout the then Training Command, as every working parade (and there were a lot of them!) consisted of a mixed bag of hairys and international rescue look alikes!

Happy Days.

[Ray Dahvectac]

Like Gainesy, I always understood it to be 'hairy-arsed', referring to age.

So who were the last RAF NCO pilots, flying what, and when?

Some answers in a couple of previous pprune threads: http://www.pprune.org/military-aircrew/250718-last-nco-pilot-entry.html and http://www.pprune.org/military-aircrew/39672-retention-solution.html

[sisemen]

Correct. Reference to the 'hairy' non-commissioned uniform phased out in 1972. Anyone commissioned from the ranks was/is known as an "ex-hairy" during OCTU/IOT.

The pic below gives a graphic demonstration of the different quality of uniform between commissioned and non-commissioned circa 1973. From the left: Officer No 1, SAC Hairy BD, Officer No 1, and the other 2 are Officer barrathea BD

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c92/allan907/GSU73.jpg

[Dengue_Dude]

On my last visit to OASC Biggin Hill in 1972 I met a Sgt pilot who said he was the last NCO pilot and was flying Whirlwinds.

It's not a much publicised fact that most of the Battle of Britain pilots were NCOs - who, in fairness were led by commissioned pilots ranging from the sublime to complete incompetents (so nothing has changed much there).

Once more it was the USA who 'did' for our NCO crews as they deemed it unacceptable for NCOs to control the delivery of nuclear weapons. That spelled the end for NCO captains and pilots and navigators especially. Obviously not to be trusted - which is why I find the Hooligans' hierarchy particularly satisfying where it would appear that ability is far more important.

V bomber crews were all commissioned as far as I remember and the NCO on board was a crew chief on Rangers.

Doubtless, I'll be corrected if wrong.

PS, I do remember shaving the inside of the serge (hairy) uniform as it irritated like hell (explains a lot doesn't it?) especially when damp. Personally I think it's 50/50 for the 'hairy' between 'arsed' and the serge.

[Rotate]

My god MALM Watts hasn't aged a bit from this pic! :ok:

[Pontius Navigator]

Correct. Reference to the 'hairy' non-commissioned uniform phased out in 1972. Anyone commissioned from the ranks was/is known as an "ex-hairy" during OCTU/IOT.

The pic below gives a graphic demonstration of the different quality of uniform between commissioned and non-commissioned circa 1973

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c92/allan907/GSU73.jpg

In training we wore hairy blues as did National Service officers.

[c130jbloke]

My god MALM Watts hasn't aged a bit from this pic!

Does that mean it's "Twey" standing next to him and when in hell did he do a brain change !!!:eek::eek:

[sisemen]

There ain't no-one called Watts in that picture. That's outside Scampton's No 1 Hangar and that's the Vulcan Group Standardisation Unit.

With an incredibly young Sisemen raising a glass to the signboard what he produced :ok:

[goudie]

As one had become rather more hairy on the arms and legs during the Summer months, changing from KD to hairy blues in Autumn was a tad irritating.

[Yellow Sun]

V bomber crews were all commissioned as far as I remember and the NCO on board was a crew chief on Rangers.


In the early days of the Valiant there were some non commissioned AEOps. The catalyst for their metaphormosis to AEO was the carriage of the American weapon. I am given to believe that the requirement for all commissioned crew was an American one, however it may have been "home-grown".

NCO pilots were still around in Training Command at the beginning of the 1970s, but they seem to have disappeared fairly soon after that, giving rise to a number of very "well worn" Flying Officers.

YS

[c130jbloke]

There ain't no-one called Watts in that picture.

That is because it wuz banter :}

(and that bloke still looks like Twey)

[WK622]

One of the two Whirlwind Unit Test Pilots at Shawbury in 1978 was a Master Pilot - nice guy. At the time we believed he was the very last non-commissioned pilot still flying. Happy to be corrected though!

[Rigga]

Master Pilot Alec Riddoch was the Unit Test Pilot at Shawbury (He had a Flt Lt understudy) and he was the last but one WO Pilot in the RAF - the last being at Odiham I believe.
I think Alec retired in 1978 too.

[shedhead]

Seem to remember a master navigator on Phantoms around 1979/80. on the OCU I think.

[Out Of Trim]

I met and worked with a certain Master Pilot Blackwell in 1979 in ATC at RAF Manston.

We were told he was ex Spitfire / Hunter / Lightning Pilot to name some of his types flown.

We all respected him greatly, despite his love for Arsenal FC.

ps. I believe he still got paid flying pay somehow too!

[touchpaper]

I remember working alongside a MACR John Tatum at Mountbatten in the ealy 80's, who often got into the helicopters that came out for SCSR drills and flew as pilot to keep up his hours..... and he was a gentleman to work with.

[Mike Read]

As many of you know, the RAFVR(T) staff pilots on the AEFs were all commissioned as Fg Offs. On No 6 AEF there were many who, to join, had to forgo their exalted ranks, A.M., AVM, and even one or two Sqn Ldrs. But Fg Off Bill Ryall's claim to fame was that he was the only one of us who had been promoted when he joined, having retired from full time service as a master pilot.

[The Gorilla]

Wasn't that Master Pilot Blackwell-Smyth??
He was at Bishops Court Killard point circa 78/79.
My first encounter with NCO Aircrew!!

As for the Hairy Marys I joined in Sep 75 and was one of the last Swinderby Courses to be issued with it. It was withdrawn from use early/mid 76.

TG

[Fareastdriver]

A lot of the old NCO pilots were commissioned as Supplementary List Officers in the 50s. There had their own tie. On it was a ladder with just two rungs on the bottom.

[Samuel]

In my day......as an SAC you had to have signed on for more than five years to qualify for the 'non-hairy' blues; the longer engagement qualifying for a better quality cloth, known as a T63 if memory serves me correctly. The effect of course, was clear and evident segregation by the SWO when looking for likely candidates for parades! As a "Hairy" airmen I never did one! The posh lot in barathea copped the lot!:ok:

[Wensleydale]

Hairy Battledress - is that now known as "Combat Soldier 45"?:8

[teeteringhead]

last but one WO Pilot in the RAF - the last being at Odiham I believe. ... who was of course the legendary M Plt Taff Walker .. who warranted (geddit!) a front cover picture on Air Clues when he retired .. and was dined out of the Officers' Mess (as well), and presented IIRC with a large piece if silver, and were many touching speeches .....

...... none of which he could hear, cos he was deaf as a post by then! :ok:

[Gainesy]

Ref the original question, just came across the following, written by Bill Billings, who edits the Shack Assc magazine, The Growler.

Until I joined 38 in late 1962, I had been instructed by old hairies not to have any truck with squadrons with only two digits to their number; something to do with ‘that lot wot got the railway engine plaque for a time’, I think.

[philrigger]

;)

Nothing to do with the daring exploits of the NCO pilot type then.

Ever heard the warning : 'NGHHWASP' ?

(Never Go Hedge-Hopping With A Sergeant Pilot)

[klubman]

When I was undergoing training at Finningley in 1980 there was a Master Pilot who worked in Ops and hosted morning prayers each day. Can't remember his name, though.

[ricardian]

As one had become rather more hairy on the arms and legs during the Summer months, changing from KD to hairy blues in Autumn was a tad irritating.

At cease work on the first few days after it was officially declared to be summer it was amusing to observe the married blokes standing in the rain waiting for buses from Akrotiri to Limassol, all of them in KD shorts & shirt and wearing RAF blue raincoats. It looked like a flashers convention!

[Union Jack]

It looked like a flashers convention!

Ah, but we don't all have your experience, Ricardian .... Only kidding, I was an in-patient at a military hospital when a four-stripe - and subsequently two star - friend came to visit me and brought the main ward to a standstill when he came in wearing a raincoat with his trousers rolled-up out of sight - until he "revealed" himself!:)

Jack

PS For the avoidance of doubt, he was not in uniform!

[Party 7-Pack]

Worked with Master Pilot Gus Beveridge at West Drayton in about 1989.
Cantankerous old controller who thought nothing of berating aircrew on the RT.