First Name Basis or 'Sir'?

[Top Bunk Tester]

Not apocryphal at all Beags....and for ever more she was known, and probably still is, as the 'Drift Bitch', a name which, as far as I know she didn't take offence to.

[bayete]

Pontious,
Not really sure that the story about the Buff would have changed if they were using rank, crew positions or first names.
Are you saying there should never be any non operational/aircraft specific chatter?
Does anyone operate a 'sterile' cockpit? Some civvies do below 10000'.
It reminds me of the aprocryphyl story along the lines of...
On the run in to a drop zone:
Copilot-"Can you see the truck over there?"
Captain-"The red one?"
Copilot-"No green one"
Loadie-"Load gone!"

[Mmmmnice]

Personally - when I was trying to get the job done my crew usually used my nickname as has been the fashion in SH for many years. In front of non- aircrew, other services, and anyone else who was particularly rank-sensitive I would expect subordinates to use sir, and others to use my real name as nicknames inevitably confused sailors, soldiers and foreigners! Just because light blue aviators sometimes have a slightly different take on the whole rank thing I don't feel it is necessarily better, or worse (although I know many out there disagree) Being polite, and doing my job as professionally as possible, seemed more important than getting a h*rd-on about what people called me?

Bast0n - did you once try to shoot a police station - only narrowly missing from extreme range?

[Wensleydale]

Lots of different opinions... What is clear is that those aircraft with a crew of two or three seem to have much more leeway than those with a crew of 18! In the latter case, comms discipline is vital to ensure that the message gets through to the correct person.

[Wader2]

Originally Posted by bayete

Are you saying there should never be any non operational/aircraft specific chatter?

And this one isn't aprocraphyl.

"Mic"

"Yes?"

"MICROPHONE"

And yes, no on-intercom chatter. As Wensleydale says, on a large multi-crew aircraft if 2-3 are having a natter then you are probably p1ssing off 10 others trying to do a job.

OTOH

"Nav-Captain - TAC"

will see EVERY crew member selecting TAC intercom.

[Chicken Leg]

In my experience, it was normally first name terms in the RAF, but generally 'Sir' in military units!!

[Blacksheep]

Call him Sir by all means, but one should omit tugging the forelock...

[thunderbird7]

.. or the chappie calling home via Portishead, on the way back from a certain 3 week det in Florida involving rum, before being able to warn his missus that every man and his dog was listening in, being regaled with;

"Why the ******* hell haven't you called me for the past 3 weeks you selfish bastard!?"

[minigundiplomat]

'Sir' is merely a form of address. It does not (trust me on this) convey any respect.

Some people seem confused over this, but it's quite simple really.

I'm sorry Sir! (Bugger, Ive been caught)

Can you pass the (Whatever) please Sir? (Your in the bloody way again!)

Yes Sir. (I'll make all the right noises before doing exactly as I planned
before we started this chat)

As opposed to:

Sorry John! (Bugger, Ive let the poor sod down)

Can you pass the (Whatever) please John? (I can't reach it)

Yep, ok John. (Fair Point)

[KENNYR]

It has been my experience during my flying time with the Army that "Sir" has nearly always been used when addressing officers in the aircraft and on the ground. However when one of my officer studes was having a bad sortie I would resort to using first names (with his permission) just to make things a little more informal and low key, help him to relax.

[Shack37]

Yonks ago on one aircraft plus groundcrew detachments we often played Bridge as a way of passing the time. This always involved officer/nco/erk mix and match. On these occasions it was always first name basis, mostly because "where did you get five no trumps from you stupid c**t.... sir" didn't always go down well with the det CO after a few wets.

s37

[exscribbler]

#2 son told me that PO Tidbull was still being quoted around BRNC in 1999!

[Pontius Navigator]

Originally Posted by Shack37

Yonks ago on one aircraft plus groundcrew detachments we often played Bridge as a way of passing the time. This always involved officer/nco/erk mix and match. On these occasions it was always first name basis, mostly because "where did you get five no trumps from you stupid c**t.... sir" didn't always go down well with the det CO after a few wets.

s37

However what do you call a flt cdr, who was on call, in No 2, no tie, carpet slippers, jacket open, playing 10-pin bowls when you are a JO, in proper uniform


and



one of the airmen with whom he was playing called him Dave and seemed a bit annoyed that I was interrupting their game.

cnob and haycnut spring to mind and the bugga made wg cdr

[exscribbler]

The flt cdr or the airman?

[Pontius Navigator]

flt cdr, could have been Mr McGoo even.

[taxydual]

Long time ago, one very famous/infamous (delete as necessary) Sqn Ldr doc was doing a medical on a very prissy Air Marshal who was attending RFS at Leeming.

A part of the examination involved latex gloves and the AM's 'private parts'.

AM objected to the doc calling him by his Christian name.

The doc replied "Whilst I've got you by the balls, I'll call you what I like".

The doc's final dining-out was attended by the ex-AM, who had passed his 11 plus, and progressed onto being an ACM.

It was the ACM who told the story.

[Seldomfitforpurpose]

For a Baldric calling someone Sir is the easiest thing in the world........meaning it is something completely different

But heres the thing, there are plenty of Officers out there able to spot difference and very few who can't

[bast0n]

Mmmmnice

T'was not I that clobbered the police station!! There is a very good report of the attack in "Falklands crash" sites in the Military Forum. See you over there!

[Thud_and_Blunder]

A quote from "the crewman who shall not be named":

- "you don't mind me calling you "Sir", do you sir? You know I don't mean anything by it..."

[exscribbler]

Surely that depended on how he was spelling it.