RAF Uniform - What do you think?
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Navaleye, are you referring to the No 5 Dress Uniform(Officers)? If so it was because there was a surplus of material going very cheap since it no longer had a customer following the overthrow of the Russian czars etc
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Since when have you lot been individual? Great herds of folk a wandering around the Station in green babygro's (even in non flying posts) is hardly being individual now is it?
If you look closely, each flying suit (normally) has the wearer's name written on it. It doesn't really get more individual than that does it?
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
If you look closely, each flying suit (normally) has the wearer's name written on it. It doesn't really get more individual than that does it?
Please guys, stop all this slagging...
Please guys, stop all this slagging... Yes the RAF are no winners in the Military uniform stakes, but we get given what we are given. Yes we look like a bag of wan4 . we may not provide the ideal air asset at the ideal time ( but give our lives to try), or provide a club-class lounge at evry FOB: We do try to do the best we can given what we have to work with.
Want support; try you MP...
Want support; try you MP...
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I've never understood the need or requirement to flounce around in a flying suit when not actually flying.
Why do people feel the need to do this?
And why oh why turn up for CCS in a flying suit? You're just asking for a gassing of massive proportions!!
Don't bother with the 'its my working dress' rubbish. Techies work in grimy oil soaked coveralls, yet if they were to turn up in the mess/ admin HQ/ CCS wearing them then their feet wouldn't touch the floor.
In short, if you are not briefing to fly, actually flying, or debriefing then stop dressing like a pillock.
CC
ps This is not a uniform jealousy thing either. I have badged up flying suits. I just wouldn't be seen dead wearing one if not in an aircraft.
Why do people feel the need to do this?
And why oh why turn up for CCS in a flying suit? You're just asking for a gassing of massive proportions!!
Don't bother with the 'its my working dress' rubbish. Techies work in grimy oil soaked coveralls, yet if they were to turn up in the mess/ admin HQ/ CCS wearing them then their feet wouldn't touch the floor.
In short, if you are not briefing to fly, actually flying, or debriefing then stop dressing like a pillock.
CC
ps This is not a uniform jealousy thing either. I have badged up flying suits. I just wouldn't be seen dead wearing one if not in an aircraft.
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I've never understood the need or requirement to flounce around in a flying suit when not actually flying.
Why do people feel the need to do this?
And why oh why turn up for CCS in a flying suit? You're just asking for a gassing of massive proportions!!
Don't bother with the 'its my working dress' rubbish. Techies work in grimy oil soaked coveralls, yet if they were to turn up in the mess/ admin HQ/ CCS wearing them then their feet wouldn't touch the floor.
In short, if you are not briefing to fly, actually flying, or debriefing then stop dressing like a pillock.
CC
ps This is not a uniform jealousy thing either. I have badged up flying suits. I just wouldn't be seen dead wearing one if not in an aircraft.
Why do people feel the need to do this?
And why oh why turn up for CCS in a flying suit? You're just asking for a gassing of massive proportions!!
Don't bother with the 'its my working dress' rubbish. Techies work in grimy oil soaked coveralls, yet if they were to turn up in the mess/ admin HQ/ CCS wearing them then their feet wouldn't touch the floor.
In short, if you are not briefing to fly, actually flying, or debriefing then stop dressing like a pillock.
CC
ps This is not a uniform jealousy thing either. I have badged up flying suits. I just wouldn't be seen dead wearing one if not in an aircraft.
I know that there is a Wg Cdr Ops at a secret London airbase who wears a growbag, although he doesn't fly. AT ALL. (He's not even Q'd on the aircraft types at that station).
There is another who is in charge of Ops at an AT base who wears a growbag.
The question has to be asked. WHY??? Coppers don't wear their flourescent jacket, movers don't wear their yellow vests, and Educ Sect Sgts don't wear blues at CCS (Citing "working dress"!)
I've seen officers turn up for CCS in a growbag and an SD hat FFS. And they wonder why they get gassed?
I must admit, I groan when I see the likes of DCINC STC wearing a rubbish jumble of uniform he seems to have authorised on the day.
Attack all you like fellow aircrew. It gives everybody the wrong impression, no matter what rank you are. Harrier boots, forage cap, brevet on S95, etc.
The man at the top sets the example.
Can we really wonder why people are now wandering around their stations with a pic of said man in their back pocket? Any charge from the SWO of being improperly dressed is now impotent thanks to our new rash of "no win no fee" solicitiors.
Cheers Clive.
And roll your sleeves up!
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Patton's Revolvers
In the Big One (WW2), George Patton carried a variety of handguns. The two he most commonly carried were a Colt Peacemaker in .45 Long Colt, and a Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum. He also carried (most often as a hideout) the Colt .32 ACP automatic that at one time was issued to General officers in the U.S. Army.
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A techy can simply take his/her 'coveralls' off and still be correctly dressed in order to go to the mess. If aircrew simply took their flying suit off they would be walking around in their underware - probably be frowned on in the mess even more than the flying suit
However, there is no excuse for those that need to get changed into emersion suits, g-pants, etc to go flying. If you need to get changed to fly then you may as well wear blues at all other times
MadMark!!!
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Whenever the talk gets round to uniform matters, as it inevitably does, I always think that uniform should be practical and equip the wearer for the proper performance of their duties.
One is reminded of Chief Technician Frank Parson's comment, when challenged on the 'flyaway' style (as preferred by most 1950/60's Chiefies) of his headgear, that "berets is fer keepin' the oil outta yer 'air." Frank of course generally sported black wellington boots, a brown dustcoat with custom built aluminium C/T arm badges rivetted to the sleeves and tied round the middle with a sisal string 'belt.' A paragon of practicality that would have confounded any enemy sniper.
I think the Air Marshal looks quite dapper - with that natty hat he'd certainly never be mistaken for either a civilian or a common or garden Lieutenant General. The return of spats is only to be welcomed as they keep the water out of the brogues when out shooting. I do also like the way he has his sleeves rolled up as a gentleman. I squirm when ever I see officers with their sleeves rolled up workman fashion above the elbow. Its just so common.
One is reminded of Chief Technician Frank Parson's comment, when challenged on the 'flyaway' style (as preferred by most 1950/60's Chiefies) of his headgear, that "berets is fer keepin' the oil outta yer 'air." Frank of course generally sported black wellington boots, a brown dustcoat with custom built aluminium C/T arm badges rivetted to the sleeves and tied round the middle with a sisal string 'belt.' A paragon of practicality that would have confounded any enemy sniper.
I think the Air Marshal looks quite dapper - with that natty hat he'd certainly never be mistaken for either a civilian or a common or garden Lieutenant General. The return of spats is only to be welcomed as they keep the water out of the brogues when out shooting. I do also like the way he has his sleeves rolled up as a gentleman. I squirm when ever I see officers with their sleeves rolled up workman fashion above the elbow. Its just so common.
Nixor ut Ledo
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A flying unit (probably clocking up far more hours than anyone in today's RAF).
2 x working No 1s
2 x old style barrathea battledresses
1 x old style "hairy blue" battledress
.......and not a grow bag in sight! oh, and drinking during working hours - now that wouldn't be allowed now - would it?
2 x working No 1s
2 x old style barrathea battledresses
1 x old style "hairy blue" battledress
.......and not a grow bag in sight! oh, and drinking during working hours - now that wouldn't be allowed now - would it?
An interesting period photo! Also, those V-bomber types would have had the benefit of a huge changing room/safety equipment store and their own clothing lockers - so easy enought to change before flight from uniform into immersion suit etc. Also to have a hot shower and put uniform back on after flying - then down to the OM bar for 5 pints!
Each....
Probably only flew twice per week, plus some admin or other work on maybe one or two days. Overseas trips? 1 or 2 Goose Rangers and an Offutt Ranger each per year.
An altogether far more agreeable lifestyle.
Each....
Probably only flew twice per week, plus some admin or other work on maybe one or two days. Overseas trips? 1 or 2 Goose Rangers and an Offutt Ranger each per year.
An altogether far more agreeable lifestyle.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Sorry, the two on the right are wearing flying suits. A suit is a two-piece garment. The growbag is a coverall. The winter two-piece is a flying suit.
These flying suits were issued to Mark 2 V-bomber crews and Lightning crews. The clue is to sewn down epaulettes. The later lookalike battle dress had proper epaulettes.
Sometime we would simply remove the jacket and pull a flying coverall over the top. We invariably flew with all our flying suits in a diversion bag so that we would be nattily dressed in case of diversion.
At Prestwich once, as our crew was correctly dressed but the bosses crew only had grow bags I was despatched to the airport terminal to buy diversion kit. For the bosses crew it was one of everything. Our crew settled for one razor with 5 blades, one tube of tooth paste and 5 toothbrushes. We had lots of spare drinking tickets.
These flying suits were issued to Mark 2 V-bomber crews and Lightning crews. The clue is to sewn down epaulettes. The later lookalike battle dress had proper epaulettes.
Sometime we would simply remove the jacket and pull a flying coverall over the top. We invariably flew with all our flying suits in a diversion bag so that we would be nattily dressed in case of diversion.
At Prestwich once, as our crew was correctly dressed but the bosses crew only had grow bags I was despatched to the airport terminal to buy diversion kit. For the bosses crew it was one of everything. Our crew settled for one razor with 5 blades, one tube of tooth paste and 5 toothbrushes. We had lots of spare drinking tickets.
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You could extend the 'why wear a flying suit when you are not actually flying' argument to CS95 (which is where this thread started). RAF Regt aside, you could ask why are so many RAF folks wear CS95 as their normal 'working' dress. Maybe they too should wear blues then change into CS95 when they are actually doing something that requires then to wear disruptive pattern pyjamas. There is a lot of CS95 at the secret combined HQ in the Chilterns - maybe because it is free from stores.
Can Royal explain why some Booties wear desert DPM for a couple of weeks prior to deployment?
Can Royal explain why some Booties wear desert DPM for a couple of weeks prior to deployment?
I am with Blacksheep on this one. A gentleman would never roll his shirt sleeves up beyond the elbow. Far too working class!!
And CC. We wear flying kit because it is our war dress (unless you are SH). The groundcrews war dress is CS95. Spot the difference?
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Probably to make sure the buttons stay on, seams don't open, and they fit properly. No aircrew would take a new flying suit out of the box and go fly. Gotta get the creases out first.
TAC Int Bloke
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Actually Roland my war dress at one point was a nice two piece suit, iffy tie and umbrella (obviously not bespoke, M&S special suit, polyester tie) there may have been some other accoutrements, I forget. CS95? Baaaaahhh humbug! We lower-orders have standards too...
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In my early days in the RAF I worked in close proximity to many aircrew (dentist) and I must say many of them niffed a bit when they attended in their growbags. The best were the aircrew that obviously had special growbags for walking out. They didn't niff and they all had extra badges on them. Passed the time reading the badges whilst the anaesthetic worked.
