POST METS POSTING OF CHOICE?

[stevenlamb77]

Having only ever experienced ME life at Brize and Lyneham I am feeling somewhat ill-equipped to fill in my dream sheet for after METS. Being a singley, I was not very impressed with the Mess life at Brize (nor the amount of honking that went on when people did visit the bar on rare occasions). I did, however, thoroughly enjoy my time in Wiltshire and it is therefore, at present, my posting of choice, (Ks first, Js second). But I am very curious about the VVIP Flt (if I'm good enough) and would love to hear from some Royal Flt pilots about life on the Sqn, etc.

The 2 places I dread are Kinloss and Waddo purely because of things one hears in the crewroom and bar. Please could someone offer an opinion, positive or negative, about life at these 2 Stns based on their own time served there.

Please feel free to blow your own trumpets (if you have them) but slagging off life on bases where you havent served is not really what I'm after.

Thanks for any help,

TLP <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

[mr ripley]

I would interested to know what you are after in your choice of posting?

And what is your rational behind Ks 1st Js 2nd.

You asked for views from own types only however I will give you my penniesworth anyway.

C130K
good variety of roles, some very demanding, can be difficult to pole at times
AT role not as demanding, slow speed of aircraft can at times make up for lack of capacity

C130J
gucci kit, handles similar but better than K, 2 pilot cockpit means no room for slow developers
computer literacy a must.
will in time assume C130Ks demanding roles.

Sentry
Can be a pig to fly at times, good dets.

Nimrod
Good role, demanding flying, good area, bad location (distance from rest of world)

125/146
Few slots, good role, good station and a sqn from the halcion days.
125 more demanding than 146
146 flies at J speeds and heights not hard to fly but lot involved in operation and potential for captaincy on type expected

VC10
Fast but not that demanding a pole. AAR role demands good capacity.

TriStar
Bags of flying, AAR adds variety. Aircraft not as hard as was made out, but 3 man flight deck means no passengers in the RHS

mr ripley's unbiaised view

[stevenlamb77]

The rationale behind Ks first, Js second is a preferance for TAC flying rather than route. I know the J is gradually developing a TAC role but the general consensus seems to be that although it will inherit 70s TAC role relatively soon it will not be given an SF role for quite some time. I would not have minded a crack at 47 and its not like I would miss out on the J since all Herc crews will end up there eventually.
My ideal posting would be somewhere with a good variety of interesting Dets, weeks and months away don't bother me and preferably not always seeing the world via night-stops in 4star hotels, a little time in each place would be nice.
Some info about Dets would be nice and the social life on the Sqns.
Cheers Lads.

[goldcup]

The reason the bar at Brize is quiet is that everyone is having a party in Cheltenham and Oxford. Don't base your decision on mess life, you'll want to get out of the mess pretty damn quick, I promise you!

[kippermate]

Having spent almost eight ( yes 8 ) years on my first tour 'up North' I feel qualified enough to write about life and the job there. The flying can be good, most of it 'hands on' and generally when you go on det it's with a bunch of good guys and to a hotel for a fortnight. I realise that some folks are in tents in the desert and FI has finally reared its head, but I'm not qualified to talk about that.

It is a long way from the rest of the world, but you can fly direct to Londonshire from INS at Cease Work on a Friday.

You can buy a castle for the price of a single room in London if you want to move out and although the night life does leave a lot to be desired you learn to make the most of what you have got, namely outdoor pursuits, hillwalking etc.

If you want to spend your weekends in Londonshire shopping at Harvey Nicks forget it, otherwise I would go and have a look.

My wife, who's English has spent time in Wiltshire and Morayshire and she prefers the latter. <img src="confused.gif" border="0">

[BEagle]

Regrettably, the abject failure of 'contractorisation' of the OM at our secret Oxfordshire Air Base has turned what was once a well-run and pleasant establishment into the sort of run-down and charmless institution which no-one in their right mind would want to stay in, given the choice. Probably the only people you'll find at Happy Hour are koalas, people on various courses and the Cartoontown drunks who can stagger home to their pre-fab ghetto at chucking out time. I say 'probably' because I don't actually know - I haven't been to a so-called Happy Hour there for years, the place is so lacking in conviviality.........

But the Cheltenham chapter have themselves an excellent social life, I understand.

However, if you want to fly the RAF's fastest 4-jets in both AT and AAR roles world-wide, don't be overly influenced by the OM life! Incidentally, presumably you know that we now train all new pilots on both the VC10 and the VC10K in both AT and AAR? Neither squadron is single-role, so once you've finished the course you will indeed have a variety of short AAR trips, AT trips bouncing round Europe and back in a day, detachments to Turkey, the Gulf, the Islas Malvinas (which, bar the awful DeathStar flights there and back isn't too bad when you're actually there), North American AT trips, eventually AAR trails and the world will indeed be your lobster! You are trained to First Pilot, not co-piglet standard and most people find it very rewarding. The only turd currently festering in the water pipe is the standard of accommodation in Onan.....

But if you just want to drone round at a sedate pace in a 130 (your chances of going straight to TS are virtually zero, by the way), then if that's your bag, baby, who am I to sway you! They seem to like it at Wooty B International though.

Why you would want to fly TTTIPs around in a little biz-jet, I wouldn't know. Apart from the fact that the OM is good and Ruislip Gardens tube station is only a 5 minute walk if going up to the Smoke is what you want to do in your time off.

Ice Station Kilo seems to have either those who want to stay there forever, or those who will try anything to escape from the place......

Waddo used to heave with activity when it had 40-odd Vulcans based there.....note that I say 'used to'!

[ 30 December 2001: Message edited by: BEagle ]</p>

[Jackonicko]

For a fascinating role and interesting dets, (that you can't talk about) it's worth remembering that Nimrods operate from Waddo as well as Deadloss. Whether they take first tourists is another matter. Think they have done in the past......

[Farfrompuken]

TLP,

Consier 3*. OK, you're at cartoontown, again, but you'll soon hook up with chums in 'Nam, or Oxford, and won't look back.
Sqn wise, life's good. Good characters, the average age for Co's is in the late 20s. These guys are filtering into the LHS, so the Spec Aircrew museum pieces are slowly getting fewer in numbers. Bar life is good, whenever you catch up with sqn mates, which is difficult since you're always at far-flung places round the world.
Flying's varied, with a good mix of AT/AAR tasks, and you get plenty of say as a Co, since you're acting as P1 on your legs, and plenty of string to hang yourself with when you F**k up!
It handles well (when you do pole it), and presents new challenges each trip, but the cruise is as cruises are, I'm afraid.
Its very serviceable, and capable, so it's rarely the aircraft that is the limiting factor that frustrates you (Normally Movers-but they afflict most members of the ME fraternity, I'm afraid).
Det-wise you've got ASI (AT) for that all year round tan; Bah (AAR) - v popular; and queer place, mentioned in various threads on this forum!

Finally you get shed loads of hours in a modern (yes, it is!) widebodied airliner, something handy for the future, maybe?

Good luck on METS and for your posting. More importantly, enjoy.....
And remember, wherever you end up, you'll make the most of it and have a great time.
:) :) :)

(edited for sh!te ingerlish)

[ 31 December 2001: Message edited by: Farfrompuken ]</p>

[Dan Winterland]

Beags, 'Happy Hours' finished years ago - they have been re-named 'Marginally Less Glum Hours!'

TLP - Big Jet hours look better on your CV than turbo-prop hours; thinking ahead for the future!

[stevenlamb77]

Perhaps I will change my mind in years to come but right now I have no interest in the airlines or grooming myself for a job therein, so logging hours that will look good on a CV is not playing a part in my decision.
However, if there is anybody here who has done a cross-over from ME to FJ, I would be interested in hearing their story. And before anybody bites my head off, as usually happens when broaching this subject, I've already heard the many reasons why not to do a cross-over but I'm still curious. Thanks again.

P.S, can anyone explain why two quite similar bases like lyneham and Brize do have such vastly differing atmospheres in the bar? <img src="confused.gif" border="0">

[Zoom]

TLP
A hearty slap on the back to you - you are just about the only correspondent on this whole web-site who is more interested in his present career than his next. Most refreshing and well done; I truly hope that it stays that way for you.

[15/15 flex]

FJ cross-overs have been done a few times in recent years. There's an ex-Victor Tornado chap, and a Herc chap of northern persuasion who I hear is on the Harrier now. So, it can be done but is usually via the CFS route.

BTW-is Happy Hour at Brize that bad these days? Surely the current PMC must have a few tricks up his sleeve for livening things up.

(Edited for excessive use of the word "chap)- almost :) :)

[ 02 January 2002: Message edited by: 15/15 flex ]</p>

[Biggus]

TLP

Another aspect to consider when making your choice, just how "military" do you want to be in the military? At the end of the day the Nimrod is the only RAF multi engine aircraft that is a weapon carrier and takes a frontline active aggressive role (I am sure the E-3D and AAR boys will dispute this, but they can't argue with the fact they don't carry weapons!!). The Nimrod MR2 is armed with ASW torpedos and anti ship missiles and goes looking for the bad guys with the aim of ruining their day!

The Nimrod MRA 4 is due in 2004/5 (yes I know, it is bound to be late) so you would have the prospect of a brand new jet to look forward to. It is supposed to have loads of hardpoints and be wired up for all sorts of "Gucci" weapons care of a 1553 databus, whatever that is (I am sure there is some BAe website you can look all this up on!!). The "A" in MRA 4 is for "attack" and I think BAe are pushing that it will have a considerably increased capability.

Anyway, this is not supposed to be an advert for Kinloss as such, and I do not work for BAe, but the Nimrod is an aggressive aircraft with a long term future. While I do not wish to "knock" the Oxfordshire boys my understanding is that all their airframes will be replaced by about 2007 by some sort of "contractorization", so going there is a dead end in the medium term.

Still, as has already been said, you will enjoy your first tour no matter where it is, so fill your boots!

I am now hunkering down in anticipation of all the aggrieved replys from the AEW and AAR boys.

Edited repeatedly after checking something in my Boys Own book of Aeroplanes, because I am new at this and I can't spell or punctuate!!!

[ 03 January 2002: Message edited by: Biggus ]

[ 03 January 2002: Message edited by: Biggus ]</p>

[Hengist Pod]

I would have thought that most pilots that end up at METS should take what they're given and be thankful they're being given yet another chance to get through. There's only so many courses you can fail guys!

[Charlie Luncher]

Biggus does have a very valid point - at least in the kipper you can fly and feel like you got a pair swinging between your legs.

As a new boy you will get to take the beast regularly down to 200' and go wanging around wishing you done better upsetting the siggies down the back and making them hurl.

Anyhow a Buckie fish wife is like an oyster you dont know if you like it until you try it or is it-it smells of fish and very salty I can never remember.

finger trouble again

[ 05 January 2002: Message edited by: Charlie Luncher ]</p>

[Dr Schlong]

TLP,

Hopefully, wherever you end up at least you'll be away from the likes of Hengist Pod.

HP,

If you can't think of anything constructive or witty to say then stay under your stone! You, sir, are an ar$e!

<img src="mad.gif" border="0"> <img src="mad.gif" border="0">

[15/15 flex]

I now wish I had continued with my original reply to Mr Pod of...

W@nker.

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

Not that I have any more right than a Weasel to post on this thread I will just say that Cheltenham is a suprisingly funky place to live for the average 20 something jet pilot as I am finding out to my very great pleasure.

I would have thought that the prospect of those lovely lovely B767K's maybe one day materialising and facilitating a very rapid PVR into the airlines, should future family commitments dictate, would be in the back of my mind...

I'll slope off now and stop talking about stuff I know nothing about <img src="wink.gif" border="0">

WWW

[egg sucker]

TLP! From my years in the RAF, you MUST go Nimrods (MR2s that is). Great flying (hard work mind), great "pilots" aeroplane and, I think people who disagree are a'holes, great location. It's what U make it. Best of luck.

[VPI Greenwood]

Isn't SLIM Kipper an oxymoron?

[Gainesy]

VPI
Possibly, but isn't an oxymoron a hypoxic Rockape?

[VPI Greenwood]

Asides from the oxymorons, I heartily concur with Slim Kipper and Kippermate about the Nimrod MR2 being a top choice of posting. I'd like to quote Kippermate when he was just about to finish METS in 92: (when METS was still at Finnington near Donchester)
" I joined the RAF to fly planes and drop bombs. I was too cr@p to fly Tornados BUT the Nimrod does have a huge bomb bay. "

(Or words to that effect!)