Name and rank under the canopy

[Vortex5]

Hello chaps and chapettes,

A quick question, I was browsing some of my old photos from one of the RAF Leuchars airshows that have passed and I noticed on one of the Tornado F3's the rank of the pilot on the plane was a 'Lt'. Does that mean he was a FAA fastjet pilot on exchange or can someone enlighten me?


Cheers
V5

[Flymee 2 Da Moon]

Yes. Happy Christmas.

[Flymee 2 Da Moon]

Or a very lucky Spam. And best wishes for the New Year.

[BBadanov]

Or a very lucky Spam.

Yes it would probably be a USAF exchange, albeit LT is junior in rank? Any naval chap would be "LEUT".

[SASless]

Posh jobs don't get fobbed off on Lieutenants.....just saying!:E

Especially with the slightly known golf course just around the corner from the base!

[Tourist]

No, a Royal Naval chap would never be "LEUT"

"Lt" is normal for RN

[orca]

Wouldn't be a USAF Lt (Sub Lt equivalent), he'd be beyond that rank before being selected for exchange, or certainly on exchange with enough time in to have a jet decorated. It could theoretically be a USN or RN Lt. Not sure what the USN footprint was at Leuchars but there was a (small, intermittent) RN presence.

[Ali Barber]

There used to be USN LT exchanges (front and back seat) on the F3 OCU when it was at Coningsby. I assume it continued when they moved up north.

[Mach Two]

111 Sqn had a USMC exchange post. 43 Sqn just had the USAF guys. I don't recall there being USN there, but exchanges do move around a bit.

Merry Christmas everyone.

[BBadanov]

No, a Royal Naval chap would never be "LEUT"
"Lt" is normal for RN

You are probably right Tourist.

LT USAF would be too junior, but the RAN do abbreviate officer ranks to 4-letter abbreviations. I assumed they inherited this from the RN, such as their other affectations, like hankies up the sleeve, golden rivet, hot bunking, etc:
SUBL
LEUT
LCDR
CMDR
CAPT
CDRE
RADM
VADM
ADMR
Perhaps this is the only tradition the RAN did not copy from the RN?

I haven't heard of an sea-jet bona-mate going to Tonkas - so probably USN?

[frodo_monkey]

There were a couple of RN types who needed a bit of 2 seat AD time before they went to the SHar.

[peterperfect]

Vortex.
What was his surname and the date of the airshow ? That might help reach an answer quicker. pp.

[Mach Two]

Yes, there were 2 RN pilots that we sent to F3 to get them up to speed. It must have been around 2005. I can't recall where they went, though.

As to USAF exchange, a Lt would not be eligible for exchange. The minimum requirements are well above that, basically a flt lt/capt ready for promotion.

[Postman Plod]

Might just be making this up, but I seem to recall seeing USAF or USMC after the name on the aircraft if it was a US exchange post? That was years ago mind...

[Senior Pilot]

but the RAN do abbreviate officer ranks to 4-letter abbreviations. I assumed they inherited this from the RN, such as their other affectations
Perhaps this is the only tradition the RAN did not copy from the RN?

It's an obnoxious RAN affectation that was introduced some 20+ years ago: about the same time that some jobsworth took the wings off pilots sleeves and gave them the Wheaties wings to make them look like submariners.

Horrible :yuk:

[Mach Two]

Come to think of it, the USMC uses the same ranks as the USAF. We did have exchanges with the USN at that time, that's more likely to be the answer.

[Tlam999]

Vortex,

If you can PM the full name on the canopy I'll let you know if they were indeed FAA or not. I know the FAA lads who went that way to "bring them up to speed" before going on to SHAR.

Tlam

[DBTW]

RN and RAN rank abbreviations are different. An RN Lt is the same as an RAN LEUT.

In my day there were very definitely 2 RN Lt's who went through on the F3. One in 1989, he transferred to the RAF in due course. The other in 1998, he did a full tour on the F3, then returned to the SHAR prior to re-training as a mud-mover around 2004.

[Matt Skrossa]

Thread creep, but instead of names why can't we go back to the WW2 tradition?

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/middle/1/7/9/0356971.jpg&w=427&h=652&ei=FGH0Tr2nM8bQhAfXr_SbAQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=1051&vpy=157&dur=312&hovh=278&hovw=182&tx=137&ty=146&sig=115622473064468665441&page=1&tbnh=151&tbnw=98&start=0&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:11,s:0

[Union Jack]

.... but the RAN do abbreviate officer ranks to 4-letter abbreviations. I assumed they inherited this from the RN, such as their other affectations
Perhaps this is the only tradition the RAN did not copy from the RN? - BBadanov

It's an obnoxious RAN affectation that was introduced some 20+ years ago: about the same time that some jobsworth took the wings off pilots sleeves and gave them the Wheaties wings to make them look like submariners - Senior Pilot

Not so much an affectation, but actually introduced by the RAN off their own bat in 1966 when their "posting" system was first computerised.

Nothing wrong with looking like a submariner, SP, but don't disagree with your observation, considering wings on the sleeves were around from the early days of the RNAS whilst "underwater wings" only came along for the RAN in the late 1960s for the RAN, and on 16 Jul 71 for the Royal Navy.

Jack

[TorqueOfTheDevil]

there were 2 RN pilots that we sent to F3 to get them up to speed. It must have been around 2005


A little earlier, if memory serves, more like 2000-1, and both went to the F3 at pretty much the same time.

Was there not also, at that time, a brief spell of putting pilots fresh from the OCU in the back seat of the F3 to alleviate a shortage of navs?

[SOSL]

Who cares? We put up the aircraft and someone drives it. It doesn't make much difference who it is - they all whinge when they get back.

[Courtney Mil]

TOTD,

Yes, I think you could be right about the dates. I started the training job at High Wycombe in 2001, so probably around then. Some of the pilots did get a few rides in the back seat when navs were thin on the ground. It was good for the sole. I had to sit there as a flt cdr and IRE, so I couldn't muster too much sympathy! Seriously though, a bit of back seat experience with the kit was always a good thing.

SOSL,

I'm guessing you're an engineering brain. I really hope your aircrew didn't whine all the time (I'm possibly inviting a rash of static for that). I always thought the F3 ginger beers were rather well appreciated by the aircrew. Give me names and I'll have them seen to! :)

[COCL2]

good for the sole???

Sounds a bit fishy that dioes

[Courtney Mil]

Cod knows what you're on about now.

Thank you for spotting it. ;)