The RAF Stations I have served on or visited had significantly better fitness facilities than most Army barracks. It always smacked of "more money to spend" to me. However, if the troops get no time to use the gym in their weekly programme, then why expend the money? Barking.
RAF Upavon, in its day, had an aircraft hangar as a gym. As there were no aircraft to speak of, and it was on the "wrong side of the road", why not? However, we Army chaps used it to death, and the airforce chaps paid it lipservice. Of course, there was always the airfield and the Plain to keep fit for the diehards.
A previous post indicated 6 PTIs for 3600 blokes, including the boss. That's a sad indictment of the view from the top. I've never seen PT as anything more than a necessary evil, I'm 6'2 and 200lbs. I hate running with a passion. But even a weekly kickabout, or basketball gets the heart pumping.
In the military, as in all walks of life, there is a skills mix required. The "small-man-syndrome" PTI who can't spell PTI, but is fit as a butcher's dog is as needed as the 300lb techie who fathered a radio set, thus knows exactly whats wrong with it. As long as the PTI lets the radio tech get on with it, and the techie lets the PTI get on with it, we can all go to war and win.
There are no fat WAAFs anyway. They all wear stockings, and as such are forgiven weight sins
