RAF missing a trick?

[Jayand]

Anyone else reckon the RAF is missing a trick with regards to publicity and recruitment?
It seems every time I turn on the tv there is another documentary about he RN, the latest one the very good documentary about Queen Elizabeth entering service, before that there was Warship about HMS Ocean, RN School about their basic training school and others including Royal Marines.
The RAF would benefit massively from some sort of tv publicty show/documentary.
Lots of positive and exciting stuff that could be used to publicise what the guys and girls get upto around the globe.

[Bob Viking]

From what I can gather the RN need a lot of sailors to fill their new boats and a lot of recruitment is required.

The RAF might have a retention problem but probably doesn’t need to turn on the recruitment taps in quite the same way.

Why waste money on expensive advertising campaigns when they don’t need them?

Just my quick precis. It doesn’t mean I’m right of course.

BV

[diginagain]

Such a shame Princess Productions are no longer in business. They had some cracking ideas during Herrick.

Princess Productions (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Productions)

[oldmansquipper]

The RAF has recently been rebranded and it now has a nice new meejah inspired green and yellow roundel. ��

This will clearly appeal to yoof and they will flock to the colours. No need to panic.

[Pure Pursuit]

From what I can gather the RN need a lot of sailors to fill their new boats and a lot of recruitment is required.

The RAF might have a retention problem but probably doesn’t need to turn on the recruitment taps in quite the same way.

Why waste money on expensive advertising campaigns when they don’t need them?

Just my quick precis. It doesn’t mean I’m right of course.

BV

I think you certainly have a point BV however, there a few huge gaps opening in our manning that need a lot of focus on. NCA recruitment is in dire straits and TG1 is massively struggling to meet current demands without Protector, P8, F35 and whatever is about to happen on the airborne C2 front.

I’d definitely be spending money on some serious PR time via the big screen in everyone’s living room! The RAF Valley programme with Rhod Gilbert was a woeful attempt. The RN do it far better and we should take notice of the effect it may well have on their recruitment.

Fly safe.

[Bigpants]

"Lots of positive and exciting stuff that could be used to publicise what the guys and girls get upto around the globe."

Maybe but not convinced. The RAF has made a huge mess of Air Cadet Flying, pilots have been made redundant in recent times and those training today take years to get through the system and onto the frontline. Engineering? RAF Cosford "The Home of RAF Engineering" has not maintained its flying units in years thanks to contractorisation and the VGS first formed there in 1948 was disbanded. I fear RAF Cosford mostly trains bright young people to change boxes which are sent back to the manufacturer, not sure airframes or engines much different.

[MPN11]

My dealings with RAF Meeja Con[t]sultants in the 90s was severely depressing. No grasp of the topic, but pre-conceived ideas of how things ‘should be done’. Instead of a marginal air cdre, I do believe the right wg cdr would make the best DPR(RAF) ... if he was given the right to say “Poke off, that’s ludicrous.”

[Old-Duffer]

I recall the best that the TV system could do for the RAFs image were two purile efforts called: "Get Some In" and "Around The Watch Tower".

The first dealt with a group of NS airmen and the latter some remote radar site commanded by a wg cdr. Both efforts were truly awful IMHO.

Even when the RAF was involved in "Helicopter Rescue", the RN seemed to have greater exposure than did the air force.

It ought not to be beyond the capability of the RAF media and comms mob to develop a series following a couple of people through the system or even to have a couple who were at both ends of the system - one a recruit t'other an experienced operator.

Regrettably, the whole thing would be spoiled because it would have to be served up with large doses of inclusivity, diversity and several other 'itys', instead of just telling the story and getting the message across.

Old Duffer

[BEagle]

Back when the last recruiting crisis arose, MoD(Air) asked some advertising company about the best way to catch the attention of prospective recruits....

"What's the demographic you have in mind?"
"Mainly young men in their late teens, so what do you suggest?"
"Bums and tits"
"What? We couldn't possibly allow that"
"OK - your choice. Unlikely that you'll grab their attention any other way. Here's our invoice...."

[diginagain]

A catchy title is what you need. Something along the lines of "Spirit of Adventure" perhaps?

[Jayand]

Recruitment is always ongoing and needed.
Perfect opportunity to film out in Akrotiri right now, what better than a hot, sunny overseas base with lots of Operational and social/sporting stuff going on? They'd be queing up at the AFCO's.

[falcon900]

Going back to the original question posed at the start of the thread, I do believe the RAF is missing a trick here.
The various "fly on the wall" documentaries featuring the Navy, of which the Queen Elizabeth series was the latest, are basically free adverts for the Navy and are almost 100% puffery reminiscent of 1950s Pathe newsreels. The degree of deference shown, and the almost sycophantic adherence to the party line could almost restore faith in the media, if you didnt know better!
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy watching them, and they are interesting, but they could hardly be described as hard hitting, insightful or thought provoking. Nevertheless, I invariably come away from them with a warmish glow about the Navy.
Even allowing for the fact that their recruitment needs are different from the RAF's a bit of free goodwill never comes amiss, and could help address what seems to me to be a growing issue, that the visibility of the RAF to the UK public continues to diminish .
The TV companies need content to fill the airwaves, and this sort of thing is cheap to produce and hence attractive to them. Why not take advantage?

[Old-Duffer]

I have a very jaundiced view of 'publicity' programmes. They can't be insightful, thought provoking etc because the great unwashed couldn't understand them or would rapidly lose interest in the subject matter.

The thought processes of many, including those at supposed bastions of education and learning, are very shallow and their knowledge of anything other than the 'here and now' sparse.

O-D

[Heathrow Harry]

Recruitment is always ongoing and needed.
Perfect opportunity to film out in Akrotiri right now, what better than a hot, sunny overseas base with lots of Operational and social/sporting stuff going on? They'd be queing up at the AFCO's.

Trades Description Act?? You'd have to put in a statement "you might also finish up at Lossiemouth or Mt Pleasant"...............:bored:

[Jayand]

Almost certainly would end up at Lossiemouth given dwindling number of other bases! You're not comparing Mt Pleasant to Lossie though surely? ;-)
It doesn't have to be hard hitting or too in depth, look at the helicopter hero's programme on tv just now, they have tv crews at three or four seperate locations and show the interesting jobs they get called to.
Could easily do similar for RAF, imagine a crew being followed on Q getting scrambled to an intercept, tonka crew in Cyprus flying into Syria, humanitarian job somewhere sunny for a C17 or herc crew, a crew following recruits at Halton or Cranwell, new MPA Sqn forming at Lossie, Reaper ops etc.....there's plenty of material

[Wander00]

Lossiemouth THEN Mt Pleasant.......

[Heathrow Harry]

these days they'd probably get a better response showing drone operators and people working on decent trades.. 99% of people don't think they'd qualify for aircrew anyway

Sell quality training ............. especially to those who don't go off to do Advanced TV programming at their local "Uni"

[Melchett01]

these days they'd probably get a better response showing drone operators and people working on decent trades.. 99% of people don't think they'd qualify for aircrew anyway

Sell quality training ............. especially to those who don't go off to do Advanced TV programming at their local "Uni"

Talk to the RAF Regt. From what I’ve heard talking to colleagues who’ve seen it, the RAF Regt have a very slick recruiting set up that has a degree of impact and gets people in the door. They reportedly struggle to keep them, often when the reality fails to match the offer they’ve been sold as much as injuries, but that’s retention rather than recruiting. Might be worth looking at their approach for tips.

Other than that, I do recall a couple of quite warry advertising campaigns in the late 90s as I was joining up. If I recall they might even have been criticised for being too warry, but frankly that’s the sort of thing that would have worked on me back then - the RAF as a well equipped, relevant, elite fighting force. And am I imagining a campaign that was about a team in a supermarket with one of them cutting his finger and everyone rushing round to support him? I’m assuming that I’m getting wires crossed with age and making that up now because I don’t think anyone would sanction something so cringingly bad.

[Tengah Type]

Did we not try this thirty years ago with "Fighter Pilot", which I do not remember as a great success. It certainly set the cat amongst the pigeons with such issues as the lifestyle of the "livers out", causing the RAF to insist that first tourists had to live on base or in quarters. It is essential to retain editorial rights to prevent the media from setting its own agenda.https://www.pprune.org/images/infopop/icons/icon11.gif

[MPN11]

Optional programme titles could include:

”It’s an interesting life in Supply Squadron”
”Administration is Vitally Important”
”Accounting Careers Add Up”

[Two's in]

Lossiemouth THEN Mt Pleasant.......

Hardly a fair comparison, one is a barren, remote airfield in the middle of a cultural wasteland, hours from civilization, and the other is in the South Atlantic.

[BEagle]

"Lossiemouth? Is that a place?"

https://youtu.be/vh1eCDotdSc

[Rigga]

The problem with most comments on here is that they are in the main only aircrew related and in general ignorance of anything else outside their Mess.
Most aircraft trades have been decimated for years but denied by PC statements on-Station, within MOD and at Parliament. Even Contractor help is withdrawn in some places - I assume it is a similar trait across all the technical and support trades. The current dire straits are perfectly illuminated by the call for local ex-tradesmen to join up again as “Dads Air Force” Recruits. The RAF Trick was missed years ago by commercial attitudes to MOD training requirements - i.e. training budget is reduced first.

[Heathrow Harry]

The problem with most comments on here is that they are in the main only aircrew related and in general ignorance of anything else outside their Mess.
Most aircraft trades have been decimated for years but denied by PC statements on-Station, within MOD and at Parliament. Even Contractor help is withdrawn in some places - I assume it is a similar trait across all the technical and support trades. The current dire straits are perfectly illuminated by the call for local ex-tradesmen to join up again as “Dads Air Force” Recruits. The RAF Trick was missed years ago by commercial attitudes to MOD training requirements - i.e. training budget is reduced first.

Same in most UK industries TBH

First the R&D budget goes, then training, then maintenance, then recruitment and finally travel.............. (the "we can save this Billion $ company by stopping people going to see a customer in Bristol" syndrome)

Oddly bonuses and share otions are never cut

[The Old Fat One]

NCA recruitment is in dire straits

This caught my eye (coz I was one once). May I politely ask for an elaboration? Is it a recruitment or training funnel problem (or both)?

[camelspyyder]

Well I heard recently the contractor has said that no-one asked them to train NCA so it could be 2022 before they're ready.

Those face to face meetings I had with them 4 or 5 years ago never happened then?

The kids flying training sorties on Avenger are figments of my imagination too, I expect.

[N.HEALD]

it would bee good though if they did a 21st century version of Fighter Pilot and Test Pilot which were great in the 70's and I'm sure did wonders for recruitment and the RAF in general.

What about a fly-on-the-wall documentary following the build up of aircrew on the F35?

I'm sure there at plenty of other opportunities for a fly-on-the-wall documentary which if done correctly could be great for the service.

If the TV company are making the documentary surely they carry the costs not the MOD/RAF

[Jayand]

The problem with most comments on here is that they are in the main only aircrew related and in general ignorance of anything else outside their Mess.
Most aircraft trades have been decimated for years but denied by PC statements on-Station, within MOD and at Parliament. Even Contractor help is withdrawn in some places - I assume it is a similar trait across all the technical and support trades. The current dire straits are perfectly illuminated by the call for local ex-tradesmen to join up again as “Dads Air Force” Recruits. The RAF Trick was missed years ago by commercial attitudes to MOD training requirements - i.e. training budget is reduced first.
Largely I suspect due to the fact that most users on here are or were aircrew?
I don't doubt that there are recruitment issues across the board, I would like to think like the latest RN programme about Queen Elizabeth carrier any programme done about the RAF would cover a broad scope of trades and characters. If ever done however I wouldn't bank on it!

[Martin the Martian]

There was the superb series Rescue about the Lossiemouth SAR flight back in the early 1990s but the only other series I can think about was the Sky one about Brize Norton three or four years ago. I would agree that the Navy are far more switched on about TV PR, and the RAF -particularly in this year- really ought to do better.

[Bob Viking]

Army do soldiering and tanks.

Navy do ships.

Air Force do planes (as far as the public is concerned that means fighters).

There have been two series that I can think of in the not so distant past about jets. There was Combat Pilot (I think that was the name) filmed at Valley in 2003 (I can be seen briefly in the background trying to get out of shot - I’ve never liked the idea of being on TV) and then the Lossie GR4 OCU programme a few years later. You can also add the aforementioned Brize programme to the list.

Maybe the TV companies think there have been enough jet programmes recently and that if it’s not a programme about jets, then what’s the point? I mean, seriously, who is going to watch a programme about admin or suppliers?

I know that sounds mean and flippant and will just serve to perpetuate the image of an arrogant FJ pilot, but am I wrong?!

BV

[MPN11]

Ah, Bob Viking, but what about the days when ...

The Army also had a Navy (RCT) and an Air Force (AAC)
The Navy also had an Army (RM) and an Air Force (FAA)
The RAF also had a Navy (Marine Branch) and an Army (RAF Regt)

Now try and advertise that melange!!

Sadly it tends to be all about Aircrew ... especially FJ pilots.

[drugsdontwork]

Losing the yellow/red and gray helicopters was an interesting decision. Difficult choices were made and arguably sharper platforms had priority but this was a capability that can’t really be resurrected and a PR goldmine for the military. Yes yes I know the argument for core capability etc but we live in a media driven world now. Still, the Coastguard did well out of it. Every cloud.

[reallydeskbound]

Ah, Bob Viking, but what about the days when ...

The Army also had a Navy (RCT) and an Air Force (AAC)
The Navy also had an Army (RM) and an Air Force (FAA)
The RAF also had a Navy (Marine Branch) and an Army (RAF Regt)

Now try and advertise that melange!!

Sadly it tends to be all about Aircrew ... especially FJ pilots.
Hooray!!!!

[BEagle]

Maybe this (from over 50 years ago), brought up to date with the Typhoon?

https://youtu.be/j3xVAxBM4RI

[Herod]

Thanks, BEagle. That's the sort of thing that made me want to join. Luckily, my JP instructor reckoned the Lightning would be beyond me. He was almost certainly right. I'd have enjoyed the chance, but probably wouldn't be here today.

[pr00ne]

While my instructor(s) advised me to steer well clear of the Lightning to avoid "climbing straight up to fly round in circles for 20 mins talking with your head stuck in a rubber bucket and then, if you haven't caught fire, had a hydraulic leak or run out of fuel, try to land." Only thing worse than that in their eyes was, heaven forfend, the V-Force!