Easy pockets and Stray Fin
'Crabs' or 'Crabfats' does refer to the colour of uniform, but unfortunately for them it's got nothing to do with dodgy fish paste! When the RAF was formed on 1 Apr 1918 (ironic date!), the uniform came from a consignment that had been destined for the Tsar of Russia's Army but was now going spare, so the RAF got it. Unfortunately for them, the colour matched the colour of the stuff that Jack used to get rid of genital lice, which he called 'Crabfat', hence the nickname!
As far as a rotary flying career goes, the Army isn't too bad if you want to be a soldier that does some flying, although if you do join as an officer, you'll be taken out of flying after a few years as you become more senior and you'll end up driving a desk. Alternatively, if you came from a regiment other than the AAC originally, you may have to go back to your source reg. (You'll also have to put up with the 'SNCO pilot Mafia' towards junior officers!)
<Oops! Dives into trench, pulling on helmet, "Incoming!!">
The option of joining the Senior Service is definitely one to consider. You can spend your flying career having an outstanding time flying and taking the p**s out of the Crabs at every opportunity! You would join Dartmouth as Aircrew and end up flying the SHAR, Pingers, Junglies, a Bag or the Lynx for a living. (Translation for the Crabs: Sea Harrier, Anti-Submarine Sea King, Commando Sea King, Airborne Early Warning Sea King and....Lynx)
I may be biased (and I am), but even our Crab exchanges agree, flying in the RN is much more fun than in light blue.....less red tape, more flexibility, better quality flying and at least the Navy has traditions! (The Crabs aren't old enough to have traditions, they just have habits and most of them are bad!!)
OK, so if you
want to be a pilot, rotary or otherwise, the RAF is designed around what they refer to as 'the two winged master race'
, where unless you are a pilot, you're nobody, but I still reckon you can have more fun in the RN, and particularly as a Jungly.
(Junglies are the Commando Sea King community who work in support of 3 Cdo Bde and anyone else that needs to get the job done. We do troop moves, loadlifting, casevac, and stores transport (support helicopter roles) and we do it day or night in almost any weather. Low level, NVG formation flying is the sport of Kings!
)
Whatever your choice, make sure you know what you want and can justify it. The selection board, whether they are AIB, RCB or OASC, will want you to be committed to the job or you won't get in. (Applying to different Services isn't too much of a snag, it's the guys who just want to get a cheap ATPL that they'll weed out)
Good luck whatever you choose!
