Fat loadies!
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 33
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From: All over!
Fat loadies!
A few days ago I had the pleasure of visiting RAF Shawbury, it's always a pleasure to use the feeder, great food and a welcoming smile. I was dismayed to see so many overweight rear crew! Have they changed the medical criteria and increased the BMI for existing aircrew? Shawbury I assume is the first place the students get to see their future Peers, what sort of example is it setting to see clinically obese bosses?
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 792
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From: EGLD
Well they're not loady'ing (sorry, WSOP'ing) in a microlight are they? I heard they take the loadies weight into account for the max all up weight on the Merlin..
If you left one of the two behind you can carry an extra oil drum or six and a aircon pack.
If you left one of the two behind you can carry an extra oil drum or six and a aircon pack.
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 33
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From: All over!
The question or observation has still not been addressed, can anybody enlighten me to the possible reasons why clinically obese aircrew are still allowed to fly? It may just be that they are sent to outstations away from the frontline to graze, or are they grounded but just wearing flying suits! Top tip, under no circumstances allow them to be the ration key custodian.
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 489
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From: England
can anybody enlighten me to the possible reasons why clinically obese aircrew
The service can ill-afford to lose any experience these days. Squadrons of complex aircraft wholly manned by inexperienced people will become a far bigger safety threat to everyone when the guidance and wisdom of a few older but less 'gym-fit' hands is removed by the health and fitness Hitler Youth. This applies equally to air and ground crew. I predict that in future the RAF will have younger, fitter and more Army-like force that cannot achieve as much from it's older ac - because much of the experience has left amid the ever increasing BS driven by policies that are red herrings.
Joined: Jul 2006
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From: inside the train looking onto the platform.
Fat WSOps
In some circumstances fat crewmen and crewgirls are what we have, we cant afford to lose them and their experience granted; that said, they are an eyesore and a blight on the service in the joint arena. It isnt just Shawbury though, there are even more of them at Lyneham and Brize - even 99 has its fair share at senior level and what about the fatigators that are abundant on the truckie fleets?
To their credit, they have the the experience and they have the enthusiasm to do the jobs in austere circumstances on the front line; there is just more of them to love. Students going through Shawbury know the difference between the civvy instructors and the mil ones - after all they arent supid - they are educated beings. Its just a shame they have let them selves go to such an extent, especially when they have a good gym at Shawbs and some fantastic running routes.
To their credit, they have the the experience and they have the enthusiasm to do the jobs in austere circumstances on the front line; there is just more of them to love. Students going through Shawbury know the difference between the civvy instructors and the mil ones - after all they arent supid - they are educated beings. Its just a shame they have let them selves go to such an extent, especially when they have a good gym at Shawbs and some fantastic running routes.
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 715
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From: Far far away
Got to agree with Brain Potter here. Perhaps a study of levels of fitness of various Air Forces versus human factor induced aviation incidents would be appropriate? Or a paper on the evolution of fitness testing as could be correlated against retention of experienced and talented aviators? It might be interesting simply to research the levels of, say, NAT structure violations by the apparently uber-fit, young and less experienced crews of the USAF AMC fleet compared to the knackered old pie-eaters of the RAF AT fleet, perhaps.
Misguided weapon - I see you are new.... Take some time to read a few posts. Although this is a rumour network, many of us like to back-up our rumours, thoughts and theories with facts, or at least accessible evidence. A sweeping generalization (yes, I did use a Z; I pronounced it 'Zee' too, in case you were wondering) suggesting Loadies are fat without giving at the very least the ratio of fatties to skinnies in the feeder, at the gym or in the pool, does not give the full picture. It is also unfair to Navigators.
Aye
Edited for spolling
Misguided weapon - I see you are new.... Take some time to read a few posts. Although this is a rumour network, many of us like to back-up our rumours, thoughts and theories with facts, or at least accessible evidence. A sweeping generalization (yes, I did use a Z; I pronounced it 'Zee' too, in case you were wondering) suggesting Loadies are fat without giving at the very least the ratio of fatties to skinnies in the feeder, at the gym or in the pool, does not give the full picture. It is also unfair to Navigators.
Aye
Edited for spolling
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 33
Likes: 0
From: All over!
Yes, perhaps you're right and there's nothing at all wrong with Lardys wondering around our RAF bases. Bums on seats are clearly the way ahead we will just have to make the seats bigger.........Much bigger! I do feel for the troops on the ground when being picked up and witnessing a sweating, huffing, puffing heafer who is unable to help with kit incase they suffer a cardiac arrest....................Experience is all!!
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 190
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From: Bristol
Miss-guided
You aparently seem to equate slim with brains and fat with incompedence. Would you like your bleeding injured grunt picked up in marginal conditions by a bloke/blokess who is straining their suit or would you like to leave them waiting for the good looking, slim, in-experienced young crews to pick them up in better conditions.
You also seem to be a clinician of great years so I was wondering what a medical officer was doing in the feeder. Did you conduct a medical exam in situ or did you ask if any of them had any medical conditions? Are you also able to see that all the people you have labeled are un fit or did you have them all off down the gym and conduct a fitness test?
You seem to be a very opinionated person with nothing but you opinions to back up your post. If your reason for posting was to get responses then you have succeded.
As for fitness V BMI I suggest that you take a bl00dy good look at the England front row. By the way one of the most fitest blokes I knew weighed 18 stone played for the RAF Vets at 40 had NO fat on his body and still strained his size 12 suit. Till he dropped dead a year later from a heart attack.
So as far as I'm concerned you are talking out of your rear end.
Read all the other posts about fitness and you'll find that a lot of people have opinions about fitness levels but experience will tell.
You aparently seem to equate slim with brains and fat with incompedence. Would you like your bleeding injured grunt picked up in marginal conditions by a bloke/blokess who is straining their suit or would you like to leave them waiting for the good looking, slim, in-experienced young crews to pick them up in better conditions.
You also seem to be a clinician of great years so I was wondering what a medical officer was doing in the feeder. Did you conduct a medical exam in situ or did you ask if any of them had any medical conditions? Are you also able to see that all the people you have labeled are un fit or did you have them all off down the gym and conduct a fitness test?
You seem to be a very opinionated person with nothing but you opinions to back up your post. If your reason for posting was to get responses then you have succeded.
As for fitness V BMI I suggest that you take a bl00dy good look at the England front row. By the way one of the most fitest blokes I knew weighed 18 stone played for the RAF Vets at 40 had NO fat on his body and still strained his size 12 suit. Till he dropped dead a year later from a heart attack.
So as far as I'm concerned you are talking out of your rear end.
Read all the other posts about fitness and you'll find that a lot of people have opinions about fitness levels but experience will tell.
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 157
Likes: 29
From: on the edge of a big fall
It is not their fault, it's the girls in the Aircrew Feeder fattening them up for Christmas in a new money generating scheme. The expanding waistlines at Shawbury are not confined to Loadies, the 2-wing demi-gods are also getting a bit portly, widen your scan and you'll see what I mean. You were worried about the Christmas turkey lasting for ages, these will see you through till well past the daffodils!