What's so interesting about my house this week?

[Pandora]

Master of None, many thanks for your reasoned reply. As you surmised;

I personally as a Chinook Pilot thought you were just asking a simple question rather than seeking to grind any particular axe.

I was indeed just wishing to see whether there was a reason rather than having a go.

You mentioned pheasant breeding, which would make sense as there are places very very close to me where that happens. It would sound as though this unique field you mention is indeed close to me. This answers my question.

Also thank you to the others who could see my point of view. Not all who ask questions are NIMBYs. My last home had a grass strip 200m from the end of the garden with all the hairdryer powered light aircraft they attract, I still marvel at the sight of the Red Arrows flying over, and love to watch local 'lazy Friday afternoon' pilots in their little Pitts and Zlins looping the loop nearby. Is it so unreasonable to wonder what is happening when a 14 ton woppa woppa seems to be peering in your window on a frequent basis?

[exscribbler]

I wish they'd come and fly over my house; we haven't seen any military aircraft over this part of South Yorkshire for bl@@dy years!

[airborne_artist]

Pitts and Zlins looping the loop nearby

Que? Doing aeros, including a loop, but looping the loop, never!

[Seldomfitforpurpose]

Pandora,

Apologies if I am wrong but your opening post whilst on the face of it a fairly innocuous question also included the following observations

"just as I was trying to get my baby to sleep"

"It hasn't upset my horses yet, though I do wear a fluorescent bib when I am with them as your lovely bosses at the MOD have told the British Horse Society that all horsey peeps need to do to get the Chinook chappies to avoid them is wear one"

"but by far the most irritating of the lot is this Chinook."

At first glance you appear to be asking a simple question but you rather needlessly included the 3 references above with regards to how the Chinook's noise was affecting your life which certainly had the sceptic in me raising my eyebrows.

You then follow this with a very eloquent put down for Grabbers where you tell him

"I fly with lots of ex-mil pilots who are generally lovely people, and whenever I have come across an ex-mil who has the uncanny knack of being able to pee people off without saying more than a sentence they invariably turn out to have been navigators who wanted to be Tornado pilots."

Followed with

"Eloquent words mightyr. Please let me never find myself in a cockpit for 10 hours with you when you have finished saving the world.

to shut mightyr up.

But you also tell us that

"L Peacock - if I was a naturist you'd all be flying in the other direction"

"Also it is upsetting my chickens - small problems I know, but Mr Pandora is not going to be pleased if I don't have enough eggs to make him currant buns tonight."

Now whilst it is conceivable that a self confessed Ge's bird who purports to be Barbara from the good life yet has enough knowledge of things military to know that Nav's are all frustrated Tornado pilots and have an innate ability to piss people off could exist I am sorry but I have do have my doubts.

My initial thoughts that there is more than a hint of Nimby now include a whiff of Walt.

[Al R]

First things first. My Nimby post was done semi-tongue in cheek and because it was a lazy Friday afternoon. I assumed that Pandora was (is) having a laugh when I read 'her' post and although I'm not half as gallant as most others here, there you go.

Pandora, I hope your current buns are a-ok this morning.

[Ventre A Terre]

...and not all navigators are frustrated Tornado pilots (I like to think for a living ) but that's probably for a different thread.

VAT

[Hempy]

Sounds like a noise complaint I kept a copy of around here somewhere about Hornets and the Salt Ash weapons range near Willy, hang on...

here it is, MA 15+ strong coarse language

[Al R]

Coffee --> Mouth --> Keyboard.

Thats the funniest thing I've heard in ages.

[Pandora]

Deary me. Some of you have a sense of humour, and some definitely don't! Yes, I'm flowery - I'm a girl. You don't have too many of those in the Forces from what I gather. And it is possible to have a baby, an ability to bake cakes AND a flying licence of some sort. We have different skillsets to blokes.

Have none of the slightly more aggressive ones of you out there EVER had a WTFIT? moment and on being told the answer, gone 'oh right! There you go!'

If truth be told it's rather nice to have a bit of a banter, and I am looking forward to flying with some of my ex-mil colleagues in the near future, having spent the last year reproducing. I particularly remember a sidesplittingly funny trip with a chap who was once rather involved in a particularly notorious incident in the Navy, which resulted in (among other things) a famous return from the dead and a lot of telling off. I like to hear your stories and enjoy going to the bar with you, but that doesn't mean that I LOVE every aspect of everything aviation or military. Would be boring if we all did.

Al R - my buns are a bit burnt this morning if truth be told, and a bit larger than I would expect them to be. I don't know why. But Mr Pandora liked them all the same.

Toodle-oo, all.

[Chicken Leg]

I thought Pandora'a post read as an innocent question with a hint of humour, but making some valid points. She just wanted an answer, not a lecture on how great you lot are.

Now the conspiracy theorists are out as well!

Pandora You'll know better next time than to post onto a forum that is frequented by so many Lord Flasheart's. Did you not realise that it is not the place of a pathetic civvy to ever question their actions. Now tottle off back to the kitchen whilst they save the human race. To55ers!

P.S. They won't appreciate your comments regarding your land, chickens, horses etc as they don't do outdoor activity (unless of course they are saving the world). Don't have time for it your see. It would affect the flying programme.

[Al R]

Pandora said: .. we have different skillsets to blokes.

Al R - my buns are a bit burnt this morning if truth be told, and a bit larger than I would expect them to be. I don't know why. But Mr Pandora liked them all the same.

Thats dreadful, and I do accept your point about skillsets. But before you start expanding (although it seems you're done with that for the time being) with things like flying and socialising, shouldn't you be getting the key core skills right first? Mr P might be mortified to learn that Mrs P is quietly struggling with domestic basics.

I've always appreciated buns too, and I'm sure that you are grateful of Mr P's sympathetic handling of a potentially delicate situation.

Chicken Leg said: Well, lots really.

You need to have a word with Mrs P about morale and keeping your chin up. Although, if I suspect, your chicken legs compare unfavourably with her whopping buns, you might end up feeling even more grumpy.

[minigundiplomat]

Pandora You'll know better next time than to post onto a forum that is frequented by so many Lord Flasheart's. Did you not realise that it is not the place of a pathetic civvy to ever question their actions. Now tottle off back to the kitchen whilst they save the human race. To55ers!

I had already replied:

Pandora,

as someone who has kids myself, I can understand your frustration. I am probably one of the people you are threaders with at the moment, and although I am sorry for any inconvenience, I can tell you that it is essential and that we do not target set properties for our 'attention'.

However, I am sure this will be of little comfort to you and your offspring. As others have mentioned, there is a system in existence for you to register your frustration, and see if there is a way of meeting in the middle. The Corporate Communications Officer or Officer Commanding Operations Wing at RAF Odiham are probably a good start.

The telephone number for RAF Odiham is 01256 702134.

I await your apology.

[Seldomfitforpurpose]

Imagine my surprise when old drumstick enters a thread contributes nothing but can't resist having a bit of a crab bash..........as predictable as ever chap

[Wingswinger]

Since I have worked out that Pandy must live somewhere quite near me I reckon the "famous person" is Andrew Lloyd-Webber.

Shame West Berks is not in the more popular parts of the UK LFS for the FJ chaps or we'd have a few simulated attacks and LL combat training as well.

WS
(ex-mil fast-jet noise and general nuisance-maker but I usually did it over Wales, NE and NW England or Scotland )

[Out Of Trim]

According to the myth, Pandora opened a jar (commonly referred to as Pandora's box) releasing all the evils of mankind— greed, vanity, slander, envy, pining, chinooks, fast jets — leaving only hope inside once she had closed it again.

She just opened her box again, and let let hope out - If she was hoping to cut down the number of Chinook overflights that is!





OK - I added the bit about chinooks and fast jets...

[GPMG]

What? She had Chinooks and Fast jets trapped in her box? Is she a relation to Joan Crawford?

Any Spanish revolutionaries?

[Chicken Leg]

I await your apology.

Not sure that I owe you one smallweaponambassadore. My post was clearly aimed at the idiots who berated poor Pandora for asking a perfectly reasonable question. As you were not one of said idiots, my post obviously did not apply to you.

Imagine my surprise when old drumstick enters a thread contributes nothing but can't resist having a bit of a crab bash..........as predictable as ever chap

Perhaps, but this whole 'the world owes us a living' crap and the 'I can't believe the lack of respect I get' boll***s is self appreciating horse 5hit. The MOD is a Government Department and is therefore accountable, ultimately, to Joe Public. That includes Pandora and her chickens (arrrrr chickens!). I was gob smacked by some of the responses to her question. Is it any wonder that the public hold us in such low regard. Let's just go and keep trashing her property and then in a couple of weeks/months/years, we can start another thread and whine about why people like her don't support the Help for Heroes campaign or don't sign the latest petition aimed at giving us better accommodation or the like.

If we want to discourage people (who have the wherewithal to come onto a military forum) from asking us questions about what we do, that's fine. But we can't then expect their support when this Governments next 5hits all over us.

Rant over!

[Chicken Leg]

And another thing!

When you post on an internet forum, you invite all and sundry to read your opinions and answer your questions; you are highly unlikely to please everyone and may even attract some harsh replies. Dry your eyes princess and get on with it.

You don't expect to please everyone? She asked a question and was viscously attacked (yeah, I know. Maybe a little exaggeration! ) for having the neck to do so. Are we so important that we are now beyond having our actions questioned?

[Pontius]

I particularly remember a sidesplittingly funny trip with a chap who was once rather involved in a particularly notorious incident in the Navy, which resulted in (among other things) a famous return from the dead and a lot of telling off.

Well, some of us know exactly who you're talking about (good mate but he does work for the competition)

Now to have a look at the status list and see who's been on maternity leave for a bit.......I think I know who the mysterious Pandora is and hope the 10 hours+ spent with me wasn't too bad

[Backwards PLT]

This is getting interesting - so can Pandora get me a job and/or rating etc? We should all start be extra nice to her.

I always did like chickens and horses.

ps and I am with the "it was a reasonable question, get over yourselves" crowd