Aircrews perspective of TSW?
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I'm not aircrew as you can tell by my name, but I have had the honour to come across the TSW lads and lassies whilst on detachments to Akrotiri! What a top bunch they are and REALLY know how to party. Made alot of friends in TSW. Keep up the good work!
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Top Blokes and lasses especially the one with Falsies at Banja who isisted on topless refuelling. Oh and the one who bust our tele at Dungannon with a 9mm . Seriously though fookin good team keep up the hard work guys and gals
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Don't want to take anything away from TSW but not all refuellers are from the wing! I (and many others) have done the job in Belize (Salamanca Camp) and FI (Hill Cove & Fox Bay as well as temp sites scattered around the rest of the islands) for rotary wing and Gutersloh (Hohne, Sennelager etc) for fixed wing. Hot (and cold) Refuelling is just another part of the supply trade, alas in my experience most wing warriors consider it to be the be-all and end-all and would be lost in most other supply environments.
That said, they do a good job in often less than ideal environments and have my respect for that
- I do wish though that they would show the same respect for less tactical (but nonetheless essential) arms of the supply trade.
I suspect there may be incoming
That said, they do a good job in often less than ideal environments and have my respect for that
- I do wish though that they would show the same respect for less tactical (but nonetheless essential) arms of the supply trade.I suspect there may be incoming
NUFC1892 - No incoming from me - I hold a similar perspective. I certainly remember the POL staff at MPA (including the Tac Fuels and replen sites) all seemed to come from Lossie, Kinloss, Leeming, Lyneham and Marham (with the exception of the sgt pongo in the PSD and the solitary Pioneer). Some of our 'customers' - including the Lt Col OC Supply Wing - seemed genuinely surprised when they discovered that we were not from Stafford.
That said, I met many wing warriors over the years and, in the main, they were a sound as a pound and very good at what they do in difficult and, all too often, dangerous situations.
That said, I met many wing warriors over the years and, in the main, they were a sound as a pound and very good at what they do in difficult and, all too often, dangerous situations.
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Yes, Sue Bravo, without TSW and the POL guys where would we be? On the ground, unable to do the mission.
Like the techies, adminers, cooks, medical, dental, deep hub servicing, IPT, chaplains, works services, GD, Police, FDO, ops, ATC, fire, met, supply, armourers, and housing, ALL do their bit to ensure that the mission is accomplished.
So let's celebrate TSW in this thread, and give thanks for the can-do, 24/7 attitude that is 'TISWAS'. And hopefully they're no longer so 'unsung'.
Like the techies, adminers, cooks, medical, dental, deep hub servicing, IPT, chaplains, works services, GD, Police, FDO, ops, ATC, fire, met, supply, armourers, and housing, ALL do their bit to ensure that the mission is accomplished.
So let's celebrate TSW in this thread, and give thanks for the can-do, 24/7 attitude that is 'TISWAS'. And hopefully they're no longer so 'unsung'.
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Unfailingly excellent service from TSW in my experience. I try and avoid blowing TSW to sh!t when I pitch up and depart, and when I wave 'thanks' from the cockpit I genuinely mean it - they're a good bunch.
I don't have time to shutdown and go and say hello most of the time - I try to do so when possible though.
But from me, it's a big
To echo an earlier point about all the other support elements which need recognition - we do appreciate all the effort, and it should always be the aim of anyone in charge to make it plain and clear to those involved, just how their contribution makes up part of the big picture...(Just my 2p)
I don't have time to shutdown and go and say hello most of the time - I try to do so when possible though.
But from me, it's a big
To echo an earlier point about all the other support elements which need recognition - we do appreciate all the effort, and it should always be the aim of anyone in charge to make it plain and clear to those involved, just how their contribution makes up part of the big picture...(Just my 2p)
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Out of all my years in the RAF I never felt as appreciated by those of the aircrew master race as during the six years I was honoured to have served on TSW.
Whilst a thread such as this is nice I know myself and many others have always been content with just a wave or mouthed "thank you" from the loadie as you depart or a quick nod of the cab before departing.
In all honesty 'The Wing' is the only part of the RAF I truly miss. Rarely found in glamorous locations and no time for teabreaks nor room for passengers but a rewarding posting nonetheless.
Whilst a thread such as this is nice I know myself and many others have always been content with just a wave or mouthed "thank you" from the loadie as you depart or a quick nod of the cab before departing.
In all honesty 'The Wing' is the only part of the RAF I truly miss. Rarely found in glamorous locations and no time for teabreaks nor room for passengers but a rewarding posting nonetheless.
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Legends
Nothing to add but my support I'm afraid. I landed on at a FOB a long way east of Greenwich and the boys were digging in and setting up the bladders. It was about 45 deg and they were a long way outside the wire. They were preparing to operate this temp FOB in the badlands for up to a week on fairly hard routine. Proper unsung bunch of people.
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Yep, just to add, a great bunch that work extremely hard to make things happen.
Not come across a bad un, from Macedonia, Split, Malaysia, Mauratania, NI, UK of course and lovely FI to name but a few.
These guys and gals certainly deserve all praise due 'over', that is...
Service second to none.
Not come across a bad un, from Macedonia, Split, Malaysia, Mauratania, NI, UK of course and lovely FI to name but a few.
These guys and gals certainly deserve all praise due 'over', that is...
Service second to none.
Tizz Wozz
Belize, SPTA, Otterburn, Falklands, Bozz, 'orrid exercise locations alles uber der platz and the emerald toilet.Looked after me on Rotary & Fixed Wing with avtur, food and a smile. The unseen heroes of all military aviation deployments. sun bathing on the fuel farm at Bessbrook to skip bombing with underslung fuel bollox, life was good! Thanks guys......
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I am curious as to the need for this post. Real_McCoy, is there a reason why you desire the positive comments that you were bound to receive?
Also, the thank-you letters on the notice board in the HQ building from sqns we RTR seem to have dried up
Avoid imitations
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TSW? Top blokes in my time.
Except the one who could well have killed my Puma, me and my crewman, as well as himself and his bowser, at a field refuelling site in Germany, twenty five years or so since
How? By carelessly releasing a twelve foot by ten foot piece of painted black hessian "cam" into the main rotors as we hovered to land next to his bowser for replen. The hessian sheet got entangled with the rotor blades and the aircraft was out of cyclic control and doing its own thing for about ten seconds at fifteen feet agl. It was mainly by luck we didn't hit the bowser. When I got it under some control on the ground (actually, we more or less fell out of the sky) the main blades were about six feet over his bowser and he was running.....
Still have bad dreams about that one; I'll bet he does too.
Except the one who could well have killed my Puma, me and my crewman, as well as himself and his bowser, at a field refuelling site in Germany, twenty five years or so since
How? By carelessly releasing a twelve foot by ten foot piece of painted black hessian "cam" into the main rotors as we hovered to land next to his bowser for replen. The hessian sheet got entangled with the rotor blades and the aircraft was out of cyclic control and doing its own thing for about ten seconds at fifteen feet agl. It was mainly by luck we didn't hit the bowser. When I got it under some control on the ground (actually, we more or less fell out of the sky) the main blades were about six feet over his bowser and he was running.....
Still have bad dreams about that one; I'll bet he does too.
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Please pardon my ignorance guys, it's been a long time. What is TSW?
Guessing some sort of forward supply as opposed to forward "store".
Ignore the question please, just saw Tactical Supply Wing on another thread. (by Real McCoy)
Guessing some sort of forward supply as opposed to forward "store".
Ignore the question please, just saw Tactical Supply Wing on another thread. (by Real McCoy)
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My dealings with the lads in the FI and at Stafford, not to mention the many other places they seemed to inhabit, have always been excellent and they were on many an occasion the reason for a successful sortie. But if I ever meet that Tw** who kept giving me Mars Bars and Kit Kat's at a rate of 10 each per 50 litres of fuel uploaded at Port San Carlos I'll .....................I still don't know how they worked that scam.
Top Blokes, Top Service - good memories.
Best Wishes
Top Blokes, Top Service - good memories.
Best Wishes
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But if I ever meet that Tw** who kept giving me Mars Bars and Kit Kat's at a rate of 10 each per 50 litres of fuel uploaded at Port San Carlos I'll .....................I still don't know how they worked that scam.
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Makes perfect sense to those in the know.
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Brilliant bunch of people, given a choice of refuellers, TSW everytime for me!
Keep up the sterling work TisWas!
PS Is Bob McBey still on the wing? He must be a hundred years old if a day!
Keep up the sterling work TisWas!
PS Is Bob McBey still on the wing? He must be a hundred years old if a day!