Anglesey or Bust?
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You spend the majority of your time in work, therefore, make your work fun. Given the choice between flying a tincan with a top speed of 300kts or a nice pointy jet - I'd go for the Hawk every time. Granted, York is so much more fun than Holyhead, however, get a pad in Chester and escape there at every opportunity.
A lot of 2nd-tourists (ex-Fast jet) stuck at Linton aren't having a great a time as you'd imagine - I know one has PVRd recently.
A lot of 2nd-tourists (ex-Fast jet) stuck at Linton aren't having a great a time as you'd imagine - I know one has PVRd recently.
Join Date: Jul 2005
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Likewise, there are those who advise that you only fly for 2-3 hours a day: where would you rather spend the remaining 21? 
York vs Anglesey's no contest, even if the Tucano's awful. Get yourself to 100 Sqn and go for the best of both....? I think most people PVRing aren't necessarily doing it because Linton's awful......
York vs Anglesey's no contest, even if the Tucano's awful. Get yourself to 100 Sqn and go for the best of both....? I think most people PVRing aren't necessarily doing it because Linton's awful......
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Agree, Elmlea. I did my second tour at Linton, albeit a couple of 
yrs ago, and loved it. 'Old codgers' were some of the most conscientious, hilarious guys I've ever flown with. It was a great place to be and the tour is what you make it. Spent a fair bit of time at both places recently, and Valley is the same as it ever was - a pretty miserable, stressed out, uninviting workshed. Linton had a bad rep over the last 2 years with reduced course numbers and FTRS layed off, but all that has changed and the atmosphere is buzzing again with loads of great people.
I'd guess that for the single guys still needing to be strapped to a fast jet and happy to bomb burst to London every weekend like the studes, then it would be OK. For those a bit more settled and wanting a great quality of life and to be able to fly a lot too, Linton's the way ahead.
yrs ago, and loved it. 'Old codgers' were some of the most conscientious, hilarious guys I've ever flown with. It was a great place to be and the tour is what you make it. Spent a fair bit of time at both places recently, and Valley is the same as it ever was - a pretty miserable, stressed out, uninviting workshed. Linton had a bad rep over the last 2 years with reduced course numbers and FTRS layed off, but all that has changed and the atmosphere is buzzing again with loads of great people.I'd guess that for the single guys still needing to be strapped to a fast jet and happy to bomb burst to London every weekend like the studes, then it would be OK. For those a bit more settled and wanting a great quality of life and to be able to fly a lot too, Linton's the way ahead.
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It's all very much about what you want out of life, and where you are in life. There will always be banter between mates as to who has got the 'best jet'. Believe it or not, there is banter between Boeing and Airbus mates as to who has got it right. Long haul/shorthaul, Pax/cargo.
Like I said in an earlier post, you've done something faster and pointier than a Hawk. It's where you want to live that counts, based on age, marital status, family etc. I know guys who work in Saudi who are always looking to the next time when they 'escape' to somewhere they would rather be. And it ain't Chester. I don't think that's a way to live your life, despite the money. In this rich pageant of life, there are always those who hold a different view. Horses for courses, as they say. Given your own personal circumstances, only you can decide what's best for you. And your Posting Officer, obviously.
Like I said in an earlier post, you've done something faster and pointier than a Hawk. It's where you want to live that counts, based on age, marital status, family etc. I know guys who work in Saudi who are always looking to the next time when they 'escape' to somewhere they would rather be. And it ain't Chester. I don't think that's a way to live your life, despite the money. In this rich pageant of life, there are always those who hold a different view. Horses for courses, as they say. Given your own personal circumstances, only you can decide what's best for you. And your Posting Officer, obviously.
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There was a bit of a push from the last Stn Cdr to change this, and there're two guys promoted from Linton in the 1 Jan list and another two "maybes" from what I hear. So hopefully that problem's a bit outdated.
Join Date: Jul 2004
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Chaps and Chapesses!
Serious question from old f**t. In the1970s I spent 4 years as an instructor on No 3 Sqn (Hunters) which was based on the Western side of the airfield, adjacent to the beach. Whilst Anglesey was in some ways the pits ( unfriendly locals , weird pub times etc), we made up for that through all the other things (good Mess life, lots of MQ parties, Sqn bashes at the local hosteries etc). Comradarie was pretty good, with lots of inter-Sqn bull****.
What has changed to make you guys dislike it so much?
Serious question from old f**t. In the1970s I spent 4 years as an instructor on No 3 Sqn (Hunters) which was based on the Western side of the airfield, adjacent to the beach. Whilst Anglesey was in some ways the pits ( unfriendly locals , weird pub times etc), we made up for that through all the other things (good Mess life, lots of MQ parties, Sqn bashes at the local hosteries etc). Comradarie was pretty good, with lots of inter-Sqn bull****.
What has changed to make you guys dislike it so much?
Last edited by jindabyne; 7th Jan 2007 at 10:56.
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Chaps and Chapesses!
Serious question from old f**t. In the1970s I spent 4 years as an instructor on No 3 Sqn (Hunters) which was based on the Western side of the airfield, adjacent to the beach. Whilst Anglesey was in some ways the pits ( unfriendly locals , weird pub times etc), we made up for that through all the other things (good Mess life, lots of MQ parties, Sqn bashes at the local hosteries etc). Comaradie was pretty good, with lots of inter-Sqn bull****.
What has changed to make you guys dislike it so much?
Serious question from old f**t. In the1970s I spent 4 years as an instructor on No 3 Sqn (Hunters) which was based on the Western side of the airfield, adjacent to the beach. Whilst Anglesey was in some ways the pits ( unfriendly locals , weird pub times etc), we made up for that through all the other things (good Mess life, lots of MQ parties, Sqn bashes at the local hosteries etc). Comaradie was pretty good, with lots of inter-Sqn bull****.
What has changed to make you guys dislike it so much?
.My opinion........ it's got to be Linton every time.....I would rather fry my nads in oil than go back to Valley a third time.
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Chaps and Chapesses!
Serious question from old f**t. In the1970s I spent 4 years as an instructor on No 3 Sqn (Hunters) which was based on the Western side of the airfield, adjacent to the beach. Whilst Anglesey was in some ways the pits ( unfriendly locals , weird pub times etc), we made up for that through all the other things (good Mess life, lots of MQ parties, Sqn bashes at the local hosteries etc). Comaradie was pretty good, with lots of inter-Sqn bull****.
What has changed to make you guys dislike it so much?
Serious question from old f**t. In the1970s I spent 4 years as an instructor on No 3 Sqn (Hunters) which was based on the Western side of the airfield, adjacent to the beach. Whilst Anglesey was in some ways the pits ( unfriendly locals , weird pub times etc), we made up for that through all the other things (good Mess life, lots of MQ parties, Sqn bashes at the local hosteries etc). Comaradie was pretty good, with lots of inter-Sqn bull****.
What has changed to make you guys dislike it so much?
Jinda' - it was perhaps because Valley was more or less an 'overseas tour' that your and your colleagues made the most of it the way you did! As your students, we didn't run away every weekend either - get wasted at Happy Hour followed by brattie and chips from Mary in the Dragon Room (later closed by the food police, I gather
) , quiet Saturday (or perhaps a trip to Bangor), Sandymount on Sunday (whatever happened to Jane-Anne? 
)... With no dual carriageway anywhere on the island, only the one bridge over the Menai and Bangor to drive through before you connected with either the tortuous A55 or A5, it took b£oody ages to get anywhere - so instead we stayed and had a great time.
Also, there was none of this childish 'fear' nonsense. 4FTS taught advanced flying training to a very high standard, but didn't even teach battle formation or pretend to be 'tactical' in any way at all. TWUs did all that - and the transition from Valley to Brawdy marked one's graduation from red-and-white Learning Command to green-and-grey Strike Command. It was a proud moment.
I saw a documentary about the present day Valley training on TV a while back - and I'm very glad I knew Valley whilst you guys were QFI'ing there rather than 30 years later!
Even if I was rather cr@p!
) , quiet Saturday (or perhaps a trip to Bangor), Sandymount on Sunday (whatever happened to Jane-Anne? )... With no dual carriageway anywhere on the island, only the one bridge over the Menai and Bangor to drive through before you connected with either the tortuous A55 or A5, it took b£oody ages to get anywhere - so instead we stayed and had a great time. Also, there was none of this childish 'fear' nonsense. 4FTS taught advanced flying training to a very high standard, but didn't even teach battle formation or pretend to be 'tactical' in any way at all. TWUs did all that - and the transition from Valley to Brawdy marked one's graduation from red-and-white Learning Command to green-and-grey Strike Command. It was a proud moment.
I saw a documentary about the present day Valley training on TV a while back - and I'm very glad I knew Valley whilst you guys were QFI'ing there rather than 30 years later!
Even if I was rather cr@p!
