Fat loadies!
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Sadly our system allows guys to keep flying with 'fablon biff-chits' -fit to fly but unable to complete a fitness test for medical reasons.
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I thought the reason for fat rearcrew was in case of dropping the aircraft in the Andes. Ready made food supply for the drivers
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Guided Weapons,
So am I correct in thinking that in your opinion the appearance of a person is an important factor in promoting our armed forces? Should they be ggod looking also? What about if they have spots and are ugly??
When I left the mob a few ago now, I was one of your 'heavies' In fact, I would go so far as to say that I was considerably over-weight, however, I was damned good looking as well!!
Oh, and more importantly, I could still do the job (ex RAF SAR)
Now, there will always be those idiots (like you) who believe that we should all look like racing snakes, and be able to run for ever blah. (don't worry if you are up to the job - just make sure you look good!)
The facts however, are that as we get older, we tend to 'expand' a little, and in my case, and others, quite a lot. But it doesn't stop us from doing our job, and doing it well. (a few extra pounds, on a freezing cold night, dangling on the end of 100' of wire comes in handy I can tell you)
Anyway, since leaving the RAF, I'm looking at things slightly differently now, and have worked out that for my weight, I should be 18 feet tall!! So maybe I'm now just a little short-arse eh ??!!
TSM
So am I correct in thinking that in your opinion the appearance of a person is an important factor in promoting our armed forces? Should they be ggod looking also? What about if they have spots and are ugly??
When I left the mob a few ago now, I was one of your 'heavies' In fact, I would go so far as to say that I was considerably over-weight, however, I was damned good looking as well!!
Oh, and more importantly, I could still do the job (ex RAF SAR)
Now, there will always be those idiots (like you) who believe that we should all look like racing snakes, and be able to run for ever blah. (don't worry if you are up to the job - just make sure you look good!)
The facts however, are that as we get older, we tend to 'expand' a little, and in my case, and others, quite a lot. But it doesn't stop us from doing our job, and doing it well. (a few extra pounds, on a freezing cold night, dangling on the end of 100' of wire comes in handy I can tell you)
Anyway, since leaving the RAF, I'm looking at things slightly differently now, and have worked out that for my weight, I should be 18 feet tall!! So maybe I'm now just a little short-arse eh ??!!
TSM
"So am I correct in thinking that in your opinion the appearance of a person is an important factor in promoting our armed forces? Should they be ggod looking also? What about if they have spots and are ugly??"
Believe it or not, a chap who went through RAFC with me was once told by his utter wanqueurre of a Flt Cdr that he had 'unofficer-like bone structure'.........
Incidentally, throughout the '70s, '80s and '90s, no-one was forced to prance around the gym (whatever one of those is), but I don't recall any aircrew having any weight-related medical problems. The just did their jobs.
The only injuries were amongst those who committed jockstrappery.....
Believe it or not, a chap who went through RAFC with me was once told by his utter wanqueurre of a Flt Cdr that he had 'unofficer-like bone structure'.........
Incidentally, throughout the '70s, '80s and '90s, no-one was forced to prance around the gym (whatever one of those is), but I don't recall any aircrew having any weight-related medical problems. The just did their jobs.
The only injuries were amongst those who committed jockstrappery.....
Red On, Green On
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The fittest guy on my RN aircrew survival course was a wiry, cross-country running, rock-climbing enthusiast. The least fit was at least one stone overweight, probably two.
Imagine a cold, snowy February, OK, only the New Forest, not the Cairngorms, but still brassy. And who got mild hypothermia and had to be "nursed" through the next couple of days until the weather warmed up?
That's right, the fitness freak. The lardy one just lost a stone, and continued chortling.
Imagine a cold, snowy February, OK, only the New Forest, not the Cairngorms, but still brassy. And who got mild hypothermia and had to be "nursed" through the next couple of days until the weather warmed up?
That's right, the fitness freak. The lardy one just lost a stone, and continued chortling.
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Let me put a few things straight, my uniform is light blue, I am not a racing snake, but I am not chunky either.
I am not a doctor or dietician but my eyesight is fine and I can tell the difference from a fat F**ker and a healthy big fella. What right does being aircrew give you to be a lardy wheezy bag of ****e. Face facts this is the military, and you are expected to maintain a basic level of fitness, my mum could get the job done! Unfortunatly some of you believe the RAF is exempt from having weight disipline. If you are fat - do one, and spin war stories or (SAR) stories to passing folk while sat in your mobility scooter blocking the pavement!
I am not a doctor or dietician but my eyesight is fine and I can tell the difference from a fat F**ker and a healthy big fella. What right does being aircrew give you to be a lardy wheezy bag of ****e. Face facts this is the military, and you are expected to maintain a basic level of fitness, my mum could get the job done! Unfortunatly some of you believe the RAF is exempt from having weight disipline. If you are fat - do one, and spin war stories or (SAR) stories to passing folk while sat in your mobility scooter blocking the pavement!
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How difficult is it to grasp? The purpose of the RAF IS to fly, anything else is an side issue, nothing sad about it -
Yet again, some of you appear to be breaking into a sweat just thinking about this subject. Its not about being like skinny marathon runners or gym queens. Its just about setting an example by being healthy.
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he primary purpose of the RAF IS to fly, if you can't understand and accept that then you should stick to ARRSE when you can talk about the joys of Breacon and how you stood next to Fiji Bob on the balcony......
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Maple,
After reading your post I have come up with an excelent recruitment solution. We fit a Stana stair lift to the our transport aircraft, modify the Chinooks ramp to allow wheelchair access, fit a few pulleys and levers inside and give the likes of Steven Hawkins a bell and invite him to cranwell for some aptitude tests, Thinking about it I reckon Rik Waller could push and pull a few knobs as well.
After reading your post I have come up with an excelent recruitment solution. We fit a Stana stair lift to the our transport aircraft, modify the Chinooks ramp to allow wheelchair access, fit a few pulleys and levers inside and give the likes of Steven Hawkins a bell and invite him to cranwell for some aptitude tests, Thinking about it I reckon Rik Waller could push and pull a few knobs as well.
It's a real shame that these fat useless biffs cannot be simply thrown out of the service on the say-so of a gym-poser who has cast his well-trained eye over them in his lunch break and decided that they cannot do a job that is so physically undemanding it could be done by his mum.
They are clearly setting a terrible example by whiling away the years in the easy-life world of an SH crewman. If life still isn't easy enough they could then get one of the dodgy sick chits that are regularly issued to 40+ yr old crewmen - allowing the feigning of a crocked back, neck or knees; injuries that must be consistently faked as they would never occur to any gym-poser in the same undemanding job. The final tactic to crown their career of nest-feathering is to obtain one of those Christmas-cracker CFS(H) qualifications, allowing them to pass on years of experience in malingering to the next generation trainee slackers. Ideally they would set such a bad example that any BBC documentary featuring their former students engaged in operational flying would reveal the lazy ethos that they have passed on and result in a badly-received expose of poor practices in the SH world.
We are all aware of the health issues of being over-weight and the service is quite right to promote a healthy lifestyle. I have no objection to those that enjoy "phys" encouraging those that don't to be a little more active - perhaps by setting their own good example. However, in our business of delivering airpower I have seen plenty of "tubbys" be far more effective at flying or servicing aircraft than their gym-loving colleagues. I am not saying that fat = competent, but I have enough experience to disbelieve any claim that fat = less effective than thin.
GW - Your attitude is holier-than-thou and you are making a snap judgement on people who have probably seen and done more than you. In passing on their skills and experience they are invaluable and they are having a direct effect on frontline ops in Telic and Herrick. You should try showing a little respect instead of scorn.
The "warfighter first, specialist second" policy is wrong. We are specialists - that's why the independant air force was created. A Harrier Chief Tech delivers airpower by ensuring that the ac are serviceable to fight the war. A Chinook crewman delivers airpower by supervising the ac load, monitoring the flightpath, operating the weapons etc. Yes - there are some basic military skills that we all need and these become more important in jobs that work in harness with the Army, but the cart is starting to come before the horse. Do we think that 617 Sqn in 1943 tried to be as fit as the Ox and Bucks Lt Inf - or did they simply drink beer, smoke tabs and kill Germans?
They are clearly setting a terrible example by whiling away the years in the easy-life world of an SH crewman. If life still isn't easy enough they could then get one of the dodgy sick chits that are regularly issued to 40+ yr old crewmen - allowing the feigning of a crocked back, neck or knees; injuries that must be consistently faked as they would never occur to any gym-poser in the same undemanding job. The final tactic to crown their career of nest-feathering is to obtain one of those Christmas-cracker CFS(H) qualifications, allowing them to pass on years of experience in malingering to the next generation trainee slackers. Ideally they would set such a bad example that any BBC documentary featuring their former students engaged in operational flying would reveal the lazy ethos that they have passed on and result in a badly-received expose of poor practices in the SH world.
We are all aware of the health issues of being over-weight and the service is quite right to promote a healthy lifestyle. I have no objection to those that enjoy "phys" encouraging those that don't to be a little more active - perhaps by setting their own good example. However, in our business of delivering airpower I have seen plenty of "tubbys" be far more effective at flying or servicing aircraft than their gym-loving colleagues. I am not saying that fat = competent, but I have enough experience to disbelieve any claim that fat = less effective than thin.
GW - Your attitude is holier-than-thou and you are making a snap judgement on people who have probably seen and done more than you. In passing on their skills and experience they are invaluable and they are having a direct effect on frontline ops in Telic and Herrick. You should try showing a little respect instead of scorn.
The "warfighter first, specialist second" policy is wrong. We are specialists - that's why the independant air force was created. A Harrier Chief Tech delivers airpower by ensuring that the ac are serviceable to fight the war. A Chinook crewman delivers airpower by supervising the ac load, monitoring the flightpath, operating the weapons etc. Yes - there are some basic military skills that we all need and these become more important in jobs that work in harness with the Army, but the cart is starting to come before the horse. Do we think that 617 Sqn in 1943 tried to be as fit as the Ox and Bucks Lt Inf - or did they simply drink beer, smoke tabs and kill Germans?
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Seem to remember the fit as **** blokes were never available for any detachments / war zones. Due to the fact they were always representing station / RAF in sports competitions, or too busy training for aforementioned competitions.
Hmm decisions do we send SGT 'A' to a sandy place for 6 months or do we keep him in the UK so he can play for Scotland in the 6 Nations.
Forget it send the fat ****
Hmm decisions do we send SGT 'A' to a sandy place for 6 months or do we keep him in the UK so he can play for Scotland in the 6 Nations.
Forget it send the fat ****
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Here is a quote from the RAF website,
"‘In our particular trade you need to be really fit, because there’s so much “humping and dumping”. But, in any trade, it’s a good idea to be fit: RAF operations are often carried out in the field, and living in tents can take it out of you physically."
Its not about being super fit, its about looking reasonably armed forces like. I realise some of you may come back with the Fat does not equall unfit. Call me an old tradionalist but when you look like Jabba the Hut in a flying suit, you aint about to out run the Taliban accross Helmand. Therefore you become a liability to the rest of the crew.
http://www.raf.mod.uk/careers/lifein...andfitness.cfm
"‘In our particular trade you need to be really fit, because there’s so much “humping and dumping”. But, in any trade, it’s a good idea to be fit: RAF operations are often carried out in the field, and living in tents can take it out of you physically."
Its not about being super fit, its about looking reasonably armed forces like. I realise some of you may come back with the Fat does not equall unfit. Call me an old tradionalist but when you look like Jabba the Hut in a flying suit, you aint about to out run the Taliban accross Helmand. Therefore you become a liability to the rest of the crew.
http://www.raf.mod.uk/careers/lifein...andfitness.cfm
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GW:
This isn't an argument about fit or fat any more... It's all about self respect and self discipline... and those that lack either or both are immediately apparent.
You should just drop it... There are many here that will go to extraordinary lengths to justify said shortfalls...
This isn't an argument about fit or fat any more... It's all about self respect and self discipline... and those that lack either or both are immediately apparent.
You should just drop it... There are many here that will go to extraordinary lengths to justify said shortfalls...
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So very true AA. Some are trying very hard to twist the original post by yet again turning it into a 'we are not SAS, we are Airpower providers nothing more' angle.
Pathetic that people who as supposedly military are trying to justify why they should be fat bloaters. Again, no one is suggesting you should all be Olympic athletes, just resemble something vaguely military.
Pathetic that people who as supposedly military are trying to justify why they should be fat bloaters. Again, no one is suggesting you should all be Olympic athletes, just resemble something vaguely military.
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Its not about being super fit, its about looking reasonably armed forces like.
I'd rather have an overweight lump with a brain and the sense to use it than a muscled moron in the back of my aircraft.
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Wrong. It's about being able to do your job, and ideally do it well. Anything else is just Bullsh!t (of the brain-baffling variety).
I'd rather have an overweight lump with a brain and the sense to use it than a muscled moron in the back of my aircraft.
I'd rather have an overweight lump with a brain and the sense to use it than a muscled moron in the back of my aircraft.
Obviously to make up for the lack brain you have.
If all you are after is 'just being able to do your job', poke off to SleazyJet.
Yet again, its not about being a bronzed, muscle bound adonis, its about setting a vaguely military like standard that the young chaps can look up to. Being a fat wheezy knacker with a sick note from matron doesn't exactly set you up to be classed as a cut above the rest, does it?
I'd rather have a capable bloke with a brain who wouldn't become a liability if I had to start doing a Billy Whizz away from the teletubbies somewhere sharp.
As has been said already, someone who doesnt have at least the basic personal discipline to stop being a fat bloke is probably lazy in the brain too.