Best/worst holds?

[airborne_artist]

The topic is often discussed, but I've not seen many direct references.

Way back in the last century I had to hold whilst waiting for a new course to arrive for BFT on 705 at Culdrose.

After some faffing, I was sent as a supernumery to HMS Sabre, a fast patrol/training boat based at Portland. Her prime role was to simulate Excocet bearing Russian fast attack forces for ships "working up".

With two Avon gas turbines consuming a gallon a minute at 45 kts, and an open bridge she was, even for a WAFU, quite good fun.

Your stories of boredom or exhilaration whilst waiting for HM's training machine to catch up, please!

[SidHolding]

I'm holding in the Nimrod IPT at Wyton. No further comments.

[Jerry Can]

Sea King OCU at St Mawgan, I was a B cat survivor!

[flyingbird]

I held in the Waddington Airshow Office :yuk:

[SilsoeSid]

The worst hold.......

IMHO, a half nelson from Giant Haystacks.

http://www.britishwrestling.cwc.net/haystac1.jpg

:ok:
SS

[Bob Viking]

Whilst holding after IOT and awaiting the start of JEFTS myself and a friend were sent to hold at RMB Chivenor.

It had it's moment, but the highlight had to be using a squadron Astra estate to develop the official rules of 'Ghost Car'!

Simple rules really. Set it in gear (third gear was about right - roughly 15 mph), then jump out leaving only the boot/sunroof/rear passenger window open and then dispatch other juvenile holding officer in hot pursuit to regain control before it ran off the runway!!
The perfect tonic on a hot June afternoon!
BV:ok:

[Pontius Navigator]

Did a hold at Tehran once. After we left the hold they asked us to confirm the NDB was serviceable.

It wsn't, we had used the radar to do an NDB hold using the radar to home on to the NDB position!

Oh, sorry,wrong sort of hold. Never had to do a hold on the ground in several decades.

[BEagle]

Waiting for the early morning fog to clear at KKIA in GW1, we refuelled a Herc in the hold......

Holding at Wildenrath with 20 Sqn Harriers in 1975 was good!

Even holding at Biggin Hill in 1977 after reselection following my 'short Buccaneer course' had its advantages :E

[Soiled Glove]

Best Hold:
Behind a buxom WRAF as part of the mixed-sex tug of war after a raucous dining in night!

Worst Hold:
Anything involving race track patterns and an IRE!

[WSO1]

I held in the ARC Cell at Brize for 4 months- I was never in the UK for more than a week at a time and flew the equivalent of 3 and a half times around the world visiting 11 countries (including Las Vegas, twice in 2 weeks) and crossing the Atlantic and back in one day. A great hold, very much appreciated and enjoyed (except by my waistline!!!).

[tablet_eraser]

A 5-month hold at Neatishead as a Guard Commander.... :{

[reynoldsno1]

7 months in Berlin (when the wall and Hess were still there)... any longer and I would have probably died there from a surfeit of things generally accepted as being very bad for you ... as Richie Bbenaud would say - "Marvelous, absolutely marvelous":}

[SASless]

Recuperating from being wounded...made a platoon leader in the Casual Company at Fort Bragg. Not-Para....Not-Infantry....Not-Interested....with a platoon filled with young fire breathing Para's fully versed in derision for non-Jump Boot wearing "Leg's"! (Non-Para's for the unknowing!).

I would have been better equipped for the job if I had been issued a chair, whip, and pistol. :{

[Need for Speed!]

Sorry to blow you all out of the water but I'm holding in Tokyo! Spend at least every other week on a certain peninsula beginning with K or a tropical island beginning with O!

UC-35/C-21 Private Jets, CH-56/UH-60 Helo's, my own driver and sh!t loads of LOA. Anyone would think I was an ACM not an APO! When work finishes, I step out of my free flat into down-town Tokyo.

I might have to do a bit of bag carrying every now and again but its bag carrying in the Far East and its better than where I held last summer - RIAT!!

Happy Holding!

NFS

[Gainesy]

Tokyo? Pah!

What's Tokyo got that you can't find at St. Athan?

Eh? Well? Come on, we're waiting...

[teeteringhead]

What's Tokyo got that you can't find at St. Athan? I guess that's a no-Brain-er! (Welsh joke)

[flyingbird]

NFS check your PMs :)

[STANDTO]

summer of 88 at St Athan on the BOB at home day team. I still remember the cheesecake. Outstanding.

Gliding was fun too:cool:

[Wholigan]

Hmmmmmm. The only hold I ever had was between valley and Chivenor. I was forced to spend 2 weeks standing next to a Gnat mock up (in No 1s) answering questions from Joe Public. The good bit? The mock up was in the basement of John Lewis in Bristol ------- in the perfume and make-up department!!!!!

Never had such an interesting set of evening dates made during the day!!:E

(Those were the days when being a pilot ensured interest from the ladies)

[Inspector Dreyfuss]

280 SU Troodos in 1987 in the Summer. What a holiday!

The question does call to mind Pete and Dud talking about the worst job they ever had which, for Pete, involved a lobster and Jayne Mansfield I believe!

[Hueymeister]

1992, 3 weeks at the Royal Tournament in Earls Court...met and spent some great time with some lovlies there...!!!Gun teams bar, free booze and heaps of sh*gging. Tops

[Bigtop]

I went to the RN survival school for 4 months in the early 90's. Being short of an instructor I was fielded out to CSI and Arctic survival courses so that I'd be of some use. By the time I had qualified the training machine was back in action and I was summoned back to the training pipeline - THANKS!!!

That said made some great mates and have an awesome re-union every year.

[SpotterFC]

At the end of 128 IOT there weren't enough of us leadership losers on R Sqn to actually run the Sqn so we had a 4 week hold before meeting the other losers from 129 IOT and starting properly. We spent a gash week at Cosford (for no good reason we could see other than keeping us away from Cranwell) then were duly transported to Grantown for 2 weeks because they'd already booked it.

We returned to Cranwell the weekend after someone had left a piece of unmarked IOT training material (an ammo can I think it was) outside the Commandant's house. This was 1990 and the IRA had most definitely not called a cease fire - so after the RAOC Bomb Squad had called, the Commandant invited DDIOT for no coffee and told him to get everything used for leadership trg painted a distinguishing colour. Guess who got the job?

We pitched up to whatever hangar it was to be met by 3 Serco blokes and 20-odd tins of road paint, several hundred 5 gal fire-fighting foam containers and all sort of other equipment (even the pine poles had to have a coloured ring painted on them).

Despite appearances, this was actually the easiest time any of us had at IOT - late starts, early finishes, coffee breaks and long lunches, all with no staff of any sort breathing down our necks. The occasional sight of a tatty old oil drum or pine pole on the North Airfield with flecks of paint still attached marks the most generally visible contribution I have made to the RAF to date!

[SASless]

them lobsters are hard to find sometimes.....but what a place to look for them!:ok:

[mickeyamsterdam]

To the man/woman/chimp(Need for speed) who likes to spout chocolate chip holiday chat about his "amazing" Tokyo hold.

The toffee nose pratt starts his email..."sorry to blow you out of the water"!! Thanks for allowing us to share in your drivvle but I certainly don't need this snotty kid telling me how wonderful life is swanning around in private jets and having a private driver. If you want to share your favourable experience then why not try the grown up approach of advising one how to get this hold and the benefits involved ie How one has enjoyed experiencing a new culture and met many foreign diplomats and seen places that some never will. Lets be honest here, you're not blowing us out of the water but simply blowing your own, or somebody else's!! I'm sure a flat in downtown smog ridden Tokyo would make most of us outdoor/adventure lovers run a mile. Remember that all these special extras you receive are not for you but for personnel who work hard for a living and don't brag about milking freebies. Care for what you boast about as the public purse may start complaining about wasteful drainers like yourself. Hmmmm makes us wonder why you were sent thousands of miles away?

:mad:

[LuckyBreak]

Tose are some harsh words 'mickeyamsterdam', you don't sound much like aircrew at all! Full respect to Need For Speed for sorting himself out a decent hold whilst he does the utterly pointless and thankless task of holding which serves only to fade your skill, make you older by the end of your first tour and make existing aircrew scared about staying on the front line for a second tour!

By the way I held at JSCSC Shrivenham after IOT, and when I asked to be moved after 4 months I got Northwood HQ for 2 months. I think my desk officer was taking the p*ss!

L B

By the way, anyone know where I can myself a \'2000Hrs+ Holding\' patch, the one that looks like a Jaguar badge with 3 coffee cups in red/white/blue in a triangle?

L S

[SVK]

Lucky Break,

You can still get a hold of those patches from Terraine. I remember picking one up myself after a six month epic at St Athan.

Regards

SVK

[StopStart]

mickeyamsterdam....

WTF dude? Are you for real? Is your post serious? Whilst the pocket full of cash, a driver and shagpalace in downtown Tokyo might sound tiresome I reckon most of us would muddle through with it if offered :rolleyes: That said, there will always be someone who'll turn it down in favour of OC R&R on Granitecrag Island, FI.......

As for holding jobs... I did Cosford, Scampton, Brampton, Falklands, Shawbury, Lyneham, Northwood, MoD and the CAA ( :confused: ). About 4 years in all I think. Best of the lot was the MoD. Strangely.

Obviously if I'd been offered 6 months spunking HMGs cash on the fleshpots of Tokyo I'd have turned it down too. Chimp.

[Talk Reaction]

Have to say Mickey sounds like you're jealous!!! Although it's forgivable, thought this was a thread on good and bad holds - I'm struggling to think of a better job in the whole RAF ;)
Good on him I say - enjoy Tokyo, just don't do what has been done in the past and write a report to the powers that be telling there's no need for
the post

BTW, if the bag carrying gets too much I reckon I could do the right thing and help out - don't want our young friend becoming dissillusioned (sp?) and overworked............... that'll come along soon enough :p

[mr ripley]

SS,

I believe you must have been talking about me:

R&R Centre Saunders Island, Falklands

then

without portfolio, Belize
CFS sandbag, Scampton

then

AEF pilot, Abingdon

All the holding posts had their moments and I was convinced that I could have got myself lost in the system for longer than I did.

[Red Line Entry]

mickeyamsterdam,

I don't believe you wear a military uniform (of whatever hue) otherwise you'd know that by agreeing to wear it you are also agreeing to be sent to whatever sh!!!ole our Lords and Masters wish to send us.

Consequently, when someone is lucky enough to go somewhere nice, the correct response is not a vitriolic diatribe but rather "Lucky b@st@rd!"

I guarantee that Need for Speed will eventually see his share of the less pleasant parts of the world - it's what we do!

[StopStart]

Quite possibly Mr R :D, however I do hope you didn't choose it over OIC Japanese Debauchery, Tokyo? Thought not. That said, it probably beat the arse off the In-House Bid Team for Advancezzzzzzzzzz....... sorry, nodded off just thinking about it again :zzz:

[moggiee]

FL70 at CH VOR because that means that you were about to fly the IGS at Kai Tak!

[Need for Speed!]

Ah, my first PPRuNe abuse, I was wondering how long it would be, I signed up in March!! :) Although it didn’t take mickey long to give it out, he registered the same day as his post.

spout chocolate chip holiday chat about his "amazing" Tokyo hold.

Unfortunately the thread is called “Best/Worst Holds” – no point in writing it up as mediocre! :ok:

If you want to share your favourable experience then why not try the grown up approach of advising one how to get this hold and the benefits involved ie How one has enjoyed experiencing a new culture and met many foreign diplomats and seen places that some never will.

PM me your email address and I could go on for hours, I have already PM’d others not just about Japan but other foreign holds, I am more than happy to help. Oh, and i'll start with the fact it is spelt Favorable. ;) (No it isn't! :E )

I'm sure a flat in downtown smog ridden Tokyo would make most of us outdoor/adventure lovers run a mile.

I must admit that the hustle and bustle of all the Japanese schoolgirls can get a bit hectic so I am lucky that I am 40 mins from the beach, one hour from the mountains and can see Mount Fuji from where I live. I spent Monday white water Kayaking, didn’t realize it was so hard! :ouch:

Hmmmm makes us wonder why you were sent thousands of miles away?

Probably to gain the sort of experience that is unparalleled by any other Junior Officer post in the air force. A few have done it before me and I hope many will get to do so after me. Its not limited to service, I replaced an outgoing RN Lieutenant who’s ship had been in refit. :cool:

Thanks to all you guys who stood up for me, I guess I just fell on my feet; I bit my boss’ arm off when he offered it to my course! Let’s just say I know how lucky I am and I am definitely making the most of it!

Happy Holding! :ok:

NFS

[Need for Speed!]

I am working with the US military; therefore, here it is spelt favorable. I do, however, stand corrected on the UK spelling!;)

[Cambridge Crash]

After transfer to the RAF, and two weeks on a truncated SE&RE course at RAFC, I then joined the British Sailing Team for a year on an RAF-sponsored crew for the Admirals' Cup. It was physically and emotionally demanding and the team spent time in Spain, France, Germany and on nthe Hamble....could be worse, I 'pose, but my career was subsequently plagued with "Oh, CC, he's the guy who spends his career sailing....". I

CC
Bitang, Thailand

[mickeyamsterdam]

To all my fans

I spent ths morning picking myself up off the floor, nursing a broken nose,bloody lip and some blows below the belt. My how you PPrune prunes know how to hit back at a message, and deservedly I took it on the chin. Obviously I have roused the unstable fires of the slightly disgruntled holding officer, and for this I apologise. I feel that many have missed my point especially when pointing out to me that sometimes we have to accept that one will be sent to nasty locations - my point was entirely that itself.

My sarcastic and slightly harsh words were only a response of the naive points of view that were expressed in the original Tokyo email. But don't get me wrong I am pleased for the Chap and I can admit perhaps a little jealous ?...yes, perhaps I am. Yet when one receives responses questioning if I am "Aircrew" blah blah blah Japanese school girls blah blah I can only see justification to challenge your postings.

I'm sure there's one thing we agree on... Holding is generally rubbish but it is something that cannot be removed from the system over night thus we have to get on with it and make the most of it....but lets not suck our own, in teenage boy style emails. I suggest that some of you wake up and realise that some military money and personel(ie mickey) are put towards helping 3rd world countries handing out relief aid to a dying population amongst motherless children and child mourning mothers. Enjoy the champagne.....

Out of interest, "Need for Speed", how did you get on with DW at IOT?

[anya mutha]

NFS

Did you host us on the tropical island starting with 'O' a couple of weeks back? We were on the big grey party bus heading south.

[Need for Speed!]

Yeah that was me! About 170 more of your guys and gals turned up at very short notice last week in a big grey piece of metal! Hope you enjoyed your stay on sunny ‘O’ and made it home safely…

Think I may have found those ‘panties in a can’ that a certain member of your crew was looking for! Just got to pluck up the courage to buy them and they will be inbound! ;)

NFS

[Spacer]

NFS: I think I may know you, unless you are recently arrived in your post... if so, it may be your predecessor I know.... Would your g/f happen to be up north studying?

[Need for Speed!]

Spacer,

I think that may have been my predecessor, i've not been here too long...

...although if there's a northern girl claiming to know me then you are more than welcome to point her in my direction! :ok:

Regards,

NFS

[CarPete]

Missing the point slightly but thought this was amusing when I read it on another forum:-

recently landed away at Teesside (sorry Durham and Tees Valley), paid my landing fee, drank coffee, booked out, started up etc etc.....finally getting myself at the holding point for 05 ready to go. The reply to "G-**** ready for departure" was "hold present position. Landing Cesna reports 2 dogs mating on the threshold!" Ranger was dispatched to investigate. Do they carry buckets of water for such occasions?

[kippermate]

NFS,

Your No8 Jacket is in the post.

Be careful with the red wine!

:ok:

kipper