Fitness Test - Fail and you're out!
Join Date: Mar 2004
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Agree entirely with airborne_artist: should be fit for whatever situation arises, not just to perform in your own part of ship.
As a point to note, whilst I'm not sure if you get kicked out for failing (seems a bit dramatic!), the RN made a big thing a while ago (Much to the PTI/Club Swinger's delight...
) of making sure that everyone in the service passes the RNFT - a directive from 2SL.
BEagle does make a very valid point - that Doctors and not Jockstrappers should make the decision as far as fitness to fly goes. I Agree 100%.
However... Come on chaps! Surely there must be a bit of personal pride left in the Light Blue! Who can look themselves in the mirror having just failed the MSFT?
AL
As a point to note, whilst I'm not sure if you get kicked out for failing (seems a bit dramatic!), the RN made a big thing a while ago (Much to the PTI/Club Swinger's delight...
) of making sure that everyone in the service passes the RNFT - a directive from 2SL.BEagle does make a very valid point - that Doctors and not Jockstrappers should make the decision as far as fitness to fly goes. I Agree 100%.
However... Come on chaps! Surely there must be a bit of personal pride left in the Light Blue! Who can look themselves in the mirror having just failed the MSFT?
AL
MSFT?
Microsoft fitness test???
I supposse if one is to only fly tankers far fom danger or only to push paper in the rear (not that way, admin way) then one can be a porker. If however one can reasonably be expected to perform combat arms duties outside of the normal job you should be able to perform physically.
Microsoft fitness test???
I supposse if one is to only fly tankers far fom danger or only to push paper in the rear (not that way, admin way) then one can be a porker. If however one can reasonably be expected to perform combat arms duties outside of the normal job you should be able to perform physically.
Join Date: Apr 2002
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West Coast.......so tankers fly far from danger do they? during the conflicts they were over Iraq, Afghanistan and not too far from Serbia and Kosovo.
But they do have an oven for the pies.
But they do have an oven for the pies.
Join Date: Jul 2003
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Lionel,
Are you a tanker man? If so, then a million thanks for saving my bacon on more than one occasion in Bosnia, Kosovo, GW1, Afghanistan and GW2!!!
I only wish you could find a way of getting Pies and Mars bars down that little tube!!
Kind regards
The Swinging Monkey
Are you a tanker man? If so, then a million thanks for saving my bacon on more than one occasion in Bosnia, Kosovo, GW1, Afghanistan and GW2!!!
I only wish you could find a way of getting Pies and Mars bars down that little tube!!
Kind regards
The Swinging Monkey
More tongue in cheek. Tankers have saved bacon also. Was on CH53E that was low and running out of options until a KC130 saved the day.
If your going to be in the military then look the part is the point.
If your going to be in the military then look the part is the point.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
The fitness regime kicked off with Charles Maughan of London-Paris air race fame. As OC IX about 1966 he ordered enough Canadian 5BX Plans for all aircrew on the station. They duly arrived from the RCAF and were opened by Central Registry. They saw the word PLANS and immediately sent them to the WAR PLANS Officer. The Vault Officer, realising how dangerous these plans were, secured them in the vault. Actually the 5BX is the best, incremental programme, designed to get you fit and keep you fit, that I have seen.
Next, when Charles became OC Waddo he tried again.
Then in the early 70s, following an article Fit to Survive? The CMedO got the ear of an Air Officer, guess who, and a quarterly 1.5 mile run was introduced for all aircrew. I think only the poor saps in 18Gp where, guess who, was working had to do it.
No time was allowed for training. As far as I know it is RAF Policy only to schedule fitness training in PTC. I did the run, once, without training, and passed. I saw little point in doing the same thing 3 months later especially as those who had failed it had neither the need nor the scheduled time for remedial training. Besides which, running 1.5 miles in x minutes hardly helps when you are stuck in an MS9 500 miles north of Saxa.
Now that we need so few aircrew we can perhaps beging to take it seriously again.
Next, when Charles became OC Waddo he tried again.
Then in the early 70s, following an article Fit to Survive? The CMedO got the ear of an Air Officer, guess who, and a quarterly 1.5 mile run was introduced for all aircrew. I think only the poor saps in 18Gp where, guess who, was working had to do it.
No time was allowed for training. As far as I know it is RAF Policy only to schedule fitness training in PTC. I did the run, once, without training, and passed. I saw little point in doing the same thing 3 months later especially as those who had failed it had neither the need nor the scheduled time for remedial training. Besides which, running 1.5 miles in x minutes hardly helps when you are stuck in an MS9 500 miles north of Saxa.
Now that we need so few aircrew we can perhaps beging to take it seriously again.
Tankers far from threat....?? When the RWR tag showed ambiguity with less than friendly types behind us (Floggers) in a particular theatRE of operations not that long ago, it was at least reassuring to be told by AWACS that they were, in fact, homeward bound friendlies! Some of Uncle Spam's finest Naval Aviators sent some very nice thankyougrams after it was all over, so I guess our fitness to conduct ops was satis!
The 1.5 mile without timelimit nonsense had amusing consequences back in the real days of Eating Command (before I joined it) when some racing snake Boss decided to make all his aircrew set off around the station sports field....and to record their times. Ambitious young lad had reckoned without Aircrew Cunning - so when a large number of dear old gents in hats and coats, plus walking sticks and labradors began a slow wander around the field, stopping every so often - quite often, in fact - for an amiable chat whilst lighting their pipes, he was somewhat outf*cked. Evidently the last of the old reprobates eventually ambled across the line about 3 hours after they'd set off!
So he didn't try it again...!
The 1.5 mile without timelimit nonsense had amusing consequences back in the real days of Eating Command (before I joined it) when some racing snake Boss decided to make all his aircrew set off around the station sports field....and to record their times. Ambitious young lad had reckoned without Aircrew Cunning - so when a large number of dear old gents in hats and coats, plus walking sticks and labradors began a slow wander around the field, stopping every so often - quite often, in fact - for an amiable chat whilst lighting their pipes, he was somewhat outf*cked. Evidently the last of the old reprobates eventually ambled across the line about 3 hours after they'd set off!
So he didn't try it again...!
Join Date: May 2004
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Standby
Certainly within the RN Fleet legal advisers are in the throws of rewriting the guidance to ensure that the fitness test is complied with and that common disciplinary action is taken fleet wide.
At first glance it appears that failure to achieve the fitness test will result in compulsory attendance at remedial training. The remedial package apparently is excellent value however the big prob is people chose not to attend. This is likely to lead to being charged with absent fm place of duty and possibly wilful disobedience as the requirement to attend will be laid down as an order.
See the audit trail being built. Repeated failure/attendance at remedial training will allow ultimately for discharge to be brought about one way or another.
Personally - if you're in the military you should be fit. For an organisation that has a very limited EO policy on diasabled people we owe it to ourselves to be professional and uphold the standards req'd. Afterall - its not difficult.
At first glance it appears that failure to achieve the fitness test will result in compulsory attendance at remedial training. The remedial package apparently is excellent value however the big prob is people chose not to attend. This is likely to lead to being charged with absent fm place of duty and possibly wilful disobedience as the requirement to attend will be laid down as an order.
See the audit trail being built. Repeated failure/attendance at remedial training will allow ultimately for discharge to be brought about one way or another.
Personally - if you're in the military you should be fit. For an organisation that has a very limited EO policy on diasabled people we owe it to ourselves to be professional and uphold the standards req'd. Afterall - its not difficult.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Beagle I think they also had plenty of liquid refreshment too.
On the survival aspects we had the record on our sqn for erecting a suspension para teepee, setting out the camp site, and getting a fire going for a meal, a coke fire no less.
We were not allowed, as nuclear deterent crews, to spend the night out in case we caught colds or some such and crippled the super white detergent.
We went to the old airfield at Folkingham and the bus dropped us off in the old bomb dump. Unknown to the PJIs who were supervising this was the same spot as the previous year.
We recovered the rock, with its paracord on, slung it over a tree, hauled up the parachute, recovered our cache of tent pegs made the previous year and set too.
The old radio crate, full of coke, was dry in its hidehole from last year too, and away we went.
Mind you even the modern racing snakes do that. We discovered a cache of parachutes, cooking utensils etc in the wood at Otterburn.
On the survival aspects we had the record on our sqn for erecting a suspension para teepee, setting out the camp site, and getting a fire going for a meal, a coke fire no less.
We were not allowed, as nuclear deterent crews, to spend the night out in case we caught colds or some such and crippled the super white detergent.
We went to the old airfield at Folkingham and the bus dropped us off in the old bomb dump. Unknown to the PJIs who were supervising this was the same spot as the previous year.
We recovered the rock, with its paracord on, slung it over a tree, hauled up the parachute, recovered our cache of tent pegs made the previous year and set too.
The old radio crate, full of coke, was dry in its hidehole from last year too, and away we went.
Mind you even the modern racing snakes do that. We discovered a cache of parachutes, cooking utensils etc in the wood at Otterburn.
Join Date: May 2002
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I remember, many moons ago, when I was scheduled to fly a certain Mrs (now Lady) T to Brussels for a Conference, that I needed to do a Dinghy Drill to maintain currency. There was just enough time for me to complete the drill in Uxbridge swimming pool first thing in the morning and return to Northolt in time for the Task.
Cpl PTI demanded that we all complete 15 lengths of the pool before we commenced the Drill and told me that if I did not then I would be marked down as "FAIL".
I pointed out that, if the aircraft ditched, the 2 people least likely to survive were the Pilots. If we did survive and the Dinghy did not inflate and our LSJ's did not inflate then the likelyhood of our being within 15 pool lengths of the shore were minimal!!!
Cpl PTI demanded that we all complete 15 lengths of the pool before we commenced the Drill and told me that if I did not then I would be marked down as "FAIL".
I pointed out that, if the aircraft ditched, the 2 people least likely to survive were the Pilots. If we did survive and the Dinghy did not inflate and our LSJ's did not inflate then the likelyhood of our being within 15 pool lengths of the shore were minimal!!!
