Station or base?

[allan907]

airborne

Imagine going up to a native Norfolk type and asking where Little Snoring was - he'd know if you were born more than 15 miles away from the minute you opened your mouth, so then he'd shove his pitchfork up your @rse, and march you off to PC Plod.

I think that still applies today

[LXGB]

Originally Posted by Navaleye

I won't lose any sleep over this either way, but I'm quite happy having a different naming convention to the Spams. Station works fine for Light and Dark blue. What do the AAC boys call home?

"XXXX Station" or "XXXX Airfield" seems to be the norm with the AAC.

Not sure which one is official. If you want to p155 them off, call it RAF XXXX.

The media always do

[212man]

"Going back to wierd and wonderful station names, Weston Zoyland has to one of my favourites..."

RNAS **** has to provoke a slight smile too....

Editted to add: I see the software doesn't like that, let's try RNAS Tw@ ! Good job it's closed now..

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

I'm sure it must have been fun training at Husbands Bosworth. We had a Flying Training Command in those days.

[MarkD]

Wait until they're all "Royal Forces Base"s like they are (as CFBs) over here.

[Always a Sapper]

Originally Posted by philrigger

but there was a Base Hangar at Lyneham (Britannias) in 1967.

Right, thats it ..... them 'Pikies' at Brize would have anything not tied down ..... Its going back in the morning .......
..... It will fit in a Volvo won't it???

[WPH]

All the senior RN officers in JFH refer to RAF Cott/ Witt as Air Stations - still don't think they can bring themselves round to saying RAF!

[airborne_artist]

The Light Blue at Leeming didn't like it when the Dark Blue lodgers referred to Harry Staish as the Station Master

[MG]

Two points:
Totally agree; what's wrong with the term station? We've let the media give us Americanisms for too long. It's even worse when serving 'troops' refer to it as a base. That just saddens me.
Which brings me to 'troops' not airmen or aircrew. We are not troops! Endex!
Would the media be allowed to get away wityh such ill-prepared jottings if it were about the government or the NHS or something similar? No, of course not because we're easy. get it wrong and nobody's going to worry about putting a rocket up their a e
Rant over. Time for my cup of tea. Now, where are my tablets? Nurse?!

[buoy15]

Where are you based or where are you stationed ?
Simple really - I'm based at Toyland but presently stationed at Muppetland until they finish digging up and replacing the runway at Toyland - Bolthole !! - but right now, I am camped out in a tent at Fantasyland, because the mess at Muppetland is full
Toyland still does my admin and pays my wages - so I am very happy

[diginagain]

Originally Posted by Navaleye

What do the AAC boys call home?

Kaserne used to be popular.

[The Helpful Stacker]

troop (trp)
n.
A group or company of people, animals, or things. See Synonyms at band2. See Synonyms at flock1.

1. A group of soldiers.
troops Military units; soldiers.
2. A unit of cavalry, armored vehicles, or artillery in a European army, corresponding to a platoon in the U.S. Army.
3. A unit of at least five Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts under the guidance of an adult leader.
4. A great many; a lot.

Perhaps description 3 is aimed at RAF Regt rather than the RAF as a whole.

[Mighty Norman]

Ice Base Kilo? Nah!

[diginagain]

IIRC, wasn't Aldergove known as 'Mud Base Alpha'?

[Roadster280]

I suppose it is a sense of historical perspective.

RAF Weston-on-the-Green can hardly be called a "base". It is most definitely a station. On the other hand, base implies a scale somewhat greater, and BZZ is probably more approaching that. The term "station" is obviously more habitual than base. I hesitate to use the term "traditional", as these things take time to evolve.

I hate to do this , but the term station has been around significantly longer than the RAF, as a station is an Army term used to describe a location with multiple units, but smaller than a garrison. Since RAF stations housed multiple Sqns, it was appropriate with the seccession of the RFC from the Army. Same as the term "troops" really.

So for those supporting the term "station" over "base", there's implicit acceptance of "troop" too.

[teeteringhead]

But doesn't a "Base" mean a "Base Commander" rather than a Station Commander - definitely too septic for my tastes.

And would the "Staish" have to be a "Baish"??

[Zoom]

MarkD
Fortunately, since His Majesticness Tony Blair is well and truly on his way out, we might just have avoided the term PFBs - Presidential Forces Bases.

[Wader2]

Originally Posted by airborne_artist

The Light Blue at Leeming didn't like it when the Dark Blue lodgers referred to Harry Staish as the Station Master

Tosh.

At Wittering long ago there was a British Rail "Station Master" sign outside the staish's offic in Ops.

[Razor61]

Originally Posted by MajorMadMax

Just a little trivia, but they are only 'AFBs' if they are in the US, outside of the US they are simply 'ABs' (e.g. Ramstein, Bagram, etc); except of course in the UK...
Cheers! M2

Or 'field'.
Overheard a buff pilot say he was 'inbound to Fairford field' once...

[FormerFlake]

When reffering to a collective of RAF flying Stns, I tend to call them airfileds. Is that correct, or have I watched the Battle of Britain film too many times?