Loadmasters
 

Just wondered if anyone could share with me info regarding civillian 'loadmastering'.

I have found plenty of info from the RAF etc but wondered if anyone could explain about their role outside the military. Also, what opportunities exist and who conducts training.

Any info would be appreciated and if any loadmasters could share their experiences this would be a bonus!

Sounds like quite an interesting job....

Thanks.

Not many companies with loadies now but we are still out there!!!
Try and contact Freight Doggy Dog as he is our all seeing, all knowing Loadie oracle!!!

TNT in LGG where looking last time I heard but with the loss of heavylift and cougar jobs are thin on the ground

As for the difference with the military I cant really comment having not been a crab loadie......but.....
Less time to plan loads.
More pressure as time sensative departures apply.
No military bull!!!!.
More relaxed atmosphere.
But no combat 95 or flightsuit to sew your big knife on upside down!!!!
No Paras to throw horrorbags at!!!
On choppers no Gympie to shoot *******s with!!!!:ok:

Shuperstar Loadie

I have to disagree with you on one point. I,ve never known an RAF Loadie plan a load EVER as it's all done for him/her by the ground staff. Also, they are usually conspicuous by their absence when the hard graft is being done.

skinteastwood.

I apologise as that didn't help to answer your question but I just had to get one in.

Skint

Most civilians who get into loadmastering start on the ground with the likes of TNT/DHL etc and then with experience get the odd flight and progress.

Shuperstar

If you are a civvie Loadie you will know that most of the Brit one's are ex-RAF Movers and rarely an ex-RAF Loadmaster. Why? Because the Movers know payload is profit and it's them who PLAN the load and put it on and off. Planning sometimes takes 2-3 mins on a 90 min turnround. The RAF Loadie will have left the aircraft with the sharp end people to re-order his cheesecakes for the next segment.

Blakey875

You put that message over so well.

Loadmasters
 

I agree with all that has been said-my own RAF experience led me straight into civilian work -still 'at it' thirty years later and I doubt if the RAF loadmasters could hack the graft-they'd dirty their chammy gloves dirty!
Guppydog

I agree with Blakey875 and rrtyne, with regard to most civi loadies being ex movers.
Don't think an RAF loadie could hack the pace.


PS By the way, best of luck to the three lads who got the DHL job out from Baghdad.:ok:

Well thanks for putting me straight on RAF loadies!!

Obviously I have heard all this from ex-RAF loadies but not having anything to do with the air farce ever in my life this has made me such an excellent civie loadie!!!!:cool:

loadmasters
 

shuperstar loadie, shame your excellence does not extend to your grammar.;)

Damn!!!!

Sorry dc8 but A level English aint wot it used to be innit!!!:O

Time for an ex-movers forum I think

MSF

I assume you mean ex RAF Movers in which case I totally agree.
However I think it would be better placed on the Military Aircrew Forum as we would probably get a few more bites. Obviously RAF Loadmasters are so narrow minded that they haven't found the Freight Dogs Forum as yet.
In the mean time Skint hasn't as yet received any really useful advice.

By saying RAF Movers plan loads do you mean rolling the aircraft in 17C centre seats 2-18 and then insist on loading flat floor loads at every stop? In so doing almost exceed the planned turn round time. But manage to meet it by the assistance of the ALM and rest of the crew humping and dumping. This happens every weekend!
Would it not be better to palletise all the frt. and bags as per the role and so meet the turn round times that have been planned by the movers??
Or send an aircraft to pick up a lynx and 3000 kg of loose frt with a planned turn round time of 1 hour and 30 mins. Oh yes and a re role from 17F to flat floor. When questioned by the ALM and Captain, they were told it was nothing to do them.
Just wondering????

But what would I know.
Good luck skinteastwood

All spelling mistakes are because I cant spell

Skint
 

I belive the way to go about it, without any previous experience, is to start at the bottom loading aircraft. Then progress to loadcontrol (or whatever you choose to call it) and from there work your way up (or down, depending on perspective) to become a loadmaster. Make sure you're well connected to whomever does the hiring.

Muppet Leader

It's actually 4 guys on contract, and rumours has it they're looking for a 5th.

A very good point Flip Flop Flyer. Such a shame to see that this topic has become another oportunity for Echo 5 and Muppet Leader to tell the world how wonderful they and movers are and how bad Loadmasters are. Sad. Very Sad. Do you 2 not realise how pathetic you sound? Grow up.

FLIP FLOP FLYER
May I say what a smart and mature post.
That is what I did and it has worked for me.
My only small grumble it that If you feel you would be doing a job which is lower than yourself, then why do it??????

As for the other posters, do actually know what a ALM is their for.
Lets run through it in the style of Hong Kong Fooey (I have had a drink or two as I’m flying in 10 hours. Sorry I mean 50 feet.)

Is he/she their to load the bags???????????? NO
Is he/she their to load the freight?????????? NO
Is he/she their to raise the paperwork???????? NO
Is he/she their to check in the PAX?????????? NO
Is he/she their to drive the ACHE????????? NO
Is he/she their to unload it all????????? NO
Is he/she their to be the last independent check and their in a worse case stop a multi million pound aircraft and lets not forget the passengers and crew making a small hole in the ground?????????????????? YES.

Did we not go through a number of air crashes a few years ago? Which I regret to say saw the loss of both crew and people on the ground through loads moving in flight.
Do I need to go on? Movers do a hard job and disserve the respect and help. Some bring the whole trade down with their childish and uneducated verbal diarrea.
If any one would like to be a ALM civy or military, go for it, it’s a great life and a great job. The only quality that you really need is to know your own limits
My fingers hurt now so Ill shut up

All spelling mistakes are because I can’t spell and I type too fast for my finger.

Muppet Leader / Echo 5

Inter service rivalry apart, you and your fellow crabs seem to have some issues with each other!!!

I have no RAF experience and no aviation experience before i rose to the heights of a civvy loadie and have found in my limited 3 years at it, that it has actually helped!

We have to plan the load, supervise the loading (many cases getting hands on involved), produce the paperwork for the flight deck, carry out safety checks and then make the tea!!. So loadie or mover, shed the RAF blue and come to the real world!

Oh and before you spout off about combat and stuff DON'T as in that dept i will put you to shame. Just count the medals!!!!

Regards
SL

Ps : I do have the utmost respect for the RAF coz without them they wouldn't have lost all my kit in Q8 in 91!!!!

I've been reading the thread on the Mil forum with interest. Been civvy 74 L/M for 13 years now, never been in the Services either. I agree with Shuperstar on what the job entails (though :mad: making the tea!)

One thing I didn't quite figure out. What the heck is a "mover" ?

:confused: :confused:

Skint, its not what you know but who you know in this game. Work from the bottom up and get stuck in. Currently with so many brit civil loadies out of work I can recruit from a vast experience pool. So unfortunately a personal reccomendation will help no end.
I am aware that GSS are looking for a loadie on the 747, STN based for their 3rd A/C, cos they are trying to nick one of my top trainers!!. DHL are also looking for loadies down in BAH, but again experience is required.
As for RAF air-loadmasters', employed 2 in the past and they were complete toss£rs, employed a mover and he was excellent. However as the work is "express" freight it doesn't suit the RAF air-loadmaster mentality of needing at least 3 months notice to get a tank from A to B.
PS, can Darren please put the pineapple chunks back in the urinal?:ok:

FreightDoggy Dog.

If you have employed 2 ex RAF Air Loadmasters and they were tossers then that must mean that we all are. And that 1 excellent mover must mean that they are all excellent. Its nice not to see a sweeping statement from an obviously mature and unpredudiced Civvy. Thanks.

:hmm:

TAC Queen
 

Sorry if it came across like that. What I meant to say was, what one individual will see as a move up the ladder might be quite the opposite for another one. I'm usually commanding a desk-job but do the odd LM trip from time to time. It's good fun but can be quite physically demanding :)

Islandflug are allegedly looking for ad-hoc contract loadies. However, they are prejudiced and will for whatever reason not hire British loadies. Don't know why, and I don't agree to "banning" anyone on nationalistic grounds, but it's their trainset to play with ....

And I would also like to know what a mover is.

Flip Flop Flyer.

See the topic " Movers" for the answer to your question.

c130, you said it not me! I would not want to tar all growbags with the same brush, however once bitten twice shy. Unlike our whale meat eating friends we employ any race or sex and positively discrimnate if you eat porridge and wear a badger on yer skirt! Hey you can even support Crystal Palace and still be a loadie at our gaff.

A PALACE SUPPORTER!!:eek: Steady on Dog.

EXCUSE ME!!!!

There is nothing wrong with THE MIGHTY CRYSTAL PALACE!!!

Pray tell who is top of Division 1!?!

C of G I know your name and I know where you live!! (In an Ulster accent).

Darren has put the pineapple chunks back but now has progressed to the new game of putting and elastic band round ones head and pulling at it so it slaps on ones forehead.
Last one to not cry wins!! Ex-Paras eh!!!!
(This cost one of the boys he works with a day off sick coz he had two black eyes!! Jocks dont you just luv em!!)

Skint try a few companies at STN lots of rumours flying about there at the mo.

And yes my company even has a pompey supporter in a supervisory role!!!!

Freight Dodgy Dog, gets it wrong...... again!!!!
 

Just to clarify, GSS does not employee loadmasters directly, its contracts this service out.

I have been reading the comments on this site and the drivel on the military site I feel quite ashamed at the level of the slagging that has been going on.
As an EX-RAF mover and a civvy loadmaster of 14 years standing(most of the time ) I can say without doubt that the loadmasters flying for commercial companies today are some of the most competent and professional 'tradesmen' around, regardless of whether they came from a civillian or a military background.
What is really needed is a high level of flexibility,professionalism,honesty,common sense,good communcatiion skills and above all a bloody good sense of humour.
As for ex RAF loadmasters, I would agree that not many of the 'old breed' would fit into the commercial environment, but times are changing, the new breed could (and probably will in time) adapt with relative ease.
These days it is hard enough for professional loadmasters to stay ahead of the game, with so many ('rock solid') companies going to the wall. So I say we should be looking out for each other, regardless of backgrounds, and help maintain the high standards that have come to be expected of ALL of us.

Lets stop slagging each other off!!!!
:ok:

I echo the sentiments expressed by Mike loady.
It is horses for courses, some of the ex airforce guys have done excellent jobs on things like the 747. But the overnight parcel business is totally different.
Yes the air force have movers or movement staff to physically load the beast but the Loadmaster has the responsibility. The pressures on Loadmasters today are intense at times. In my view it is also up to all Loadmasters to spread the message to everyone about the importance of the job.
The importance of proper Load control no matter whether you are dealing with a small or a large aeroplane. You only have to look at the tradgedy of the Fine Air DC8 in Florida, and other incidents and accidents. The CAA keep a good record and are actively interested in the issue. Good Luck to anyone who want to join the ranks.

freight doggy dog

if somebody is trying to nick one of your loadies
and the said person is interested
prehaps the working conditions/package are better
or maybe they are fed up of pushing bins around europe

'pushing bins around Europe' ??? That doesnt sound like much fun at all!! I would have thought by now UPS would have taken that in-house??

Itsinthebox

Why don't UPS keep it in house?

The answer is that Channex has a better reliability figure than the brown tailed fleet and is better value for money!
So it makes commercial sense.

Fly the green fin.......