Christmas in Seeb
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Christmas in Seeb
I'm sure you'd all like to know that we had a wonderfull christmas here in our delux tent city. The CO shut the bar for an indefinate period on christmas day due to there being a few parties on christmas eve. The nice admin chaps organised a nice party at a local hotel (Novotel) for us but of corse we all had to stump up 4 rails each to pay for it. Not only that but they let the cateering to the cheapest bidder so half the camp now has the s**ts and the place smells worse than usual. Merry Bl**dy Christmas, I can't wait for the new year!!!
[ 28 December 2001: Message edited by: Sideshow Bob ]</p>
[ 28 December 2001: Message edited by: Sideshow Bob ]</p>
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festive greetings to all in BFOT. received an email on xmas day with all the details of moral suppression. heard that bar was closed because there was a bit of noise and a few cans were seen inside BFOT!
generally speaking my mates inside are threaders with the intransigence in improving conditions. they do not need bo$$ocking over their own efforts to improve moral.
if i were the co i'd stir my tea myself.
generally speaking my mates inside are threaders with the intransigence in improving conditions. they do not need bo$$ocking over their own efforts to improve moral.
if i were the co i'd stir my tea myself.
Join Date: Dec 2001
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How's our resident IntO, Kenny, doing? Has he caused any trouble. Because he did when he left Colt to go there!!!!!
Anyway, all i can say is whatever you guys n girls do have a great new year bash!!!
Anyway, all i can say is whatever you guys n girls do have a great new year bash!!!
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Christmas meal was in the Novotel, which I believe has a less than sparkling reputation for providing in flight- several crews have allegedly come a cropper after partaking. So no surprise that the blunties didn't research this. Looks like they went to the nearest hotel and struck a "deal."
On a brighter note, for all those still in theatre: apparently the Safari Bar gives you 15% off if you show your ID. And for those fortunate enough not to be working over New Year, the do at Trader Vic's looks good. At least there you'll be safe from the massive over-reaction that is bound to occur when someone has a drink somewhere other than the bar...
D-IFF_ident- the BFPO is 767- not classified. Or if it is, the little old lady at my local post office is a spy.
General41- if only there were some girls here...
On a brighter note, for all those still in theatre: apparently the Safari Bar gives you 15% off if you show your ID. And for those fortunate enough not to be working over New Year, the do at Trader Vic's looks good. At least there you'll be safe from the massive over-reaction that is bound to occur when someone has a drink somewhere other than the bar...
D-IFF_ident- the BFPO is 767- not classified. Or if it is, the little old lady at my local post office is a spy.
General41- if only there were some girls here...
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North Wilts MP James Gray, has posted questions in the house to Buff on both the suitability of tent city for long term operations, and the question of LOA. I will keep you posted on the answers. The last 2 transit crews have again claimed LOA on the grounds that the "substantial welfare package", ie phone cards, internet and laundry are not available to us. Will let you all know if we win. If we don't, my next course of action will be to sue the air farce for it. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all in tent city. No doubt will see you all again in Jan.
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...oh dear, has some one upset the hostess trolley? What a lot of moaning over what amounts to very little. It actually sounds like quite a reasonable camp site compared to some of those that I have experienced recently. It couldn't be the fact that it is just worse than normal?
Some of the allownaces issues are a farce however. As in FRY a few years ago:
Harrier mate = Italy, hire car, hotel, rates
RAF Helicopter = Croatia, only allowed off camp in pairs until 10 pm, no spirits (booze), no money
AAC = Bosnia, nowhere you'd ever want to go out, 2 (ish) can rule, 6 months no money
...and if you came from Germany they kindly reduced your LOA while you were away and there was no LSSA then!
No, I am not in the Army. No, the Air Force attitude does not impress me. <img src="rolleyes.gif" border="0">
Some of the allownaces issues are a farce however. As in FRY a few years ago:
Harrier mate = Italy, hire car, hotel, rates
RAF Helicopter = Croatia, only allowed off camp in pairs until 10 pm, no spirits (booze), no money
AAC = Bosnia, nowhere you'd ever want to go out, 2 (ish) can rule, 6 months no money
...and if you came from Germany they kindly reduced your LOA while you were away and there was no LSSA then!
No, I am not in the Army. No, the Air Force attitude does not impress me. <img src="rolleyes.gif" border="0">
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"I had that morning gone to say my farewells to Broadhurst and to the RAF. I had made a point of going to HQ at Schleswig in my 'Grand Charles'. Coming back I had taken him high up in the cloudless summer sky, for it was only there that I could fittingly take my leave.
Together we climbed for the last time straight towards the sun. We looped once, perhaps twice, we lovingly did a few slow, meticulous rolls, so that I could take away in my finger-tips the vibration of his supple, docile wings.
And in that narrow cockpit I wept, as I shall never weep again, when I felt the concrete brush against his wheels and, with a great sweep of the wrist, dropped him on the ground like a cut flower.
As always, I carefully cleared the engine, turned off all the switches one by one, removed the straps, the wires and the tubes which tied me to him, like a child to his mother. And when my waiting pilots and my mechanics saw my downcast eyes and my shaking shoulders, they understood and returned to the dispersal in silence.
Pierre Clostermann, 'The big show,' 1951".
(Grand Charles is his Typhoon)
AND THEN HE WENT BACK TO HIS STINKY TENT, HAD THE LIGHTS TURNED OUT ON HIM AT 2300 AND LOOKED FORWARD TO ANOTHER DAY, BATTLING AGAINST THE BLUNTIES ONCE MORE.
Together we climbed for the last time straight towards the sun. We looped once, perhaps twice, we lovingly did a few slow, meticulous rolls, so that I could take away in my finger-tips the vibration of his supple, docile wings.
And in that narrow cockpit I wept, as I shall never weep again, when I felt the concrete brush against his wheels and, with a great sweep of the wrist, dropped him on the ground like a cut flower.
As always, I carefully cleared the engine, turned off all the switches one by one, removed the straps, the wires and the tubes which tied me to him, like a child to his mother. And when my waiting pilots and my mechanics saw my downcast eyes and my shaking shoulders, they understood and returned to the dispersal in silence.
Pierre Clostermann, 'The big show,' 1951".
(Grand Charles is his Typhoon)
AND THEN HE WENT BACK TO HIS STINKY TENT, HAD THE LIGHTS TURNED OUT ON HIM AT 2300 AND LOOKED FORWARD TO ANOTHER DAY, BATTLING AGAINST THE BLUNTIES ONCE MORE.
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what checks
you forgot the junglies in FRY
built their own bar
invited everyone else round
had a really smashing time
woke up the next morning
rebuilt the bar
carried on again
repeat for about 8 years
what f8cking loa? becks was only 30p <img src="wink.gif" border="0">
joking aside - all the best to the guys out there - you would think those in charge could get it right for once during the festive season <img src="frown.gif" border="0">
[ 28 December 2001: Message edited by: jockspice ]</p>
you forgot the junglies in FRY
built their own bar
invited everyone else round
had a really smashing time
woke up the next morning
rebuilt the bar
carried on again
repeat for about 8 years
what f8cking loa? becks was only 30p <img src="wink.gif" border="0">
joking aside - all the best to the guys out there - you would think those in charge could get it right for once during the festive season <img src="frown.gif" border="0">
[ 28 December 2001: Message edited by: jockspice ]</p>
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What checks? live in squalor , no alternative, no problem. Live forever at the end of Heathrow airport (Muscat) because some theiving fuc£wit has decided to allow the treasury to save money. You think this is clever? You stupid, sad, incompetent bast$ard.
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Beagle or feeble or whatever, welcome to the real world. This is the world that has to choose between hotels at a £ucking squilion quid or proper kit for the poor sod Commando bod in theatre. (but he is probably shelling out for this himself). You cant raise flight safety because how and where will it end. My hotel air conditioning is making a noise we must upgrade to the Burj Al Arab then I will be ok. The bottom line is that we have to make the best from a bad lot. I suppose that when you say we ‘we demand that everyone is moved into decent accommodation.’ That is the aircrew? Or everyone? Fat chance.
oldgit47 the treasury doesn’t profit from the lack of spending from one part of the defence vote the rest of the Plc benefits.
P.S. Every one could be a little less rude with their remarks. Oh including me, sorry.
oldgit47 the treasury doesn’t profit from the lack of spending from one part of the defence vote the rest of the Plc benefits.
P.S. Every one could be a little less rude with their remarks. Oh including me, sorry.
Enormous sympathy for the hardships (maybe not great, short-term, but UNNECESSARY and counter-productive, and unacceptable) but I would point out that using the S**b word, or referring to O**n (as opposed to a 'Gulf nation' or somesuch) is something we journos aren't allowed to do, with D notices etc. We all know exactly what's where, natch, but 'host nation sensibilities' are apparently high on this one, and could become a stick with which PPR could be beaten.
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It may seem to some poeple out there that we are moaning because we have to live in an awful little tent (which isn't plesent when 6 of the crew have the S**ts). There is a big differance between a SH Helicopter sqn which is funded and trained to deploy into the field (Which I have worked on in the past) and a 4 engine jet Sqn which has been pitched into a tent at a camp at the side of a runway. A camp which is run with the full blunty back-up, including a SWO, OC Admin, OC Police, OC MT, the full works (we even have a Contract Management Team). Have you ever layed awake at 3 am in the morning listening to a VC10 start up not 400 yards from your tent and thought I've got an 8 hour sortie to do in 3 hour!!!
[ 29 December 2001: Message edited by: Sideshow Bob ]
[ 29 December 2001: Message edited by: Sideshow Bob ]</p>
[ 29 December 2001: Message edited by: Sideshow Bob ]
[ 29 December 2001: Message edited by: Sideshow Bob ]</p>
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Hey there Stbd beam
Pierre Closterman!!! Suns got to you hasn't it old chap, or are u trying to get sent home on mental grounds? How's the digs? I hope you are taking care of our sunflowers....how they gettin on? What about the new Melchit....doing ok I hear. Did you find ma wee nest 'o friendly spiders I left under my/your bed!!!!! Hope Christmas was better than what everyone was makin out, but I suppose I shouldn't count on those blunties gettin it right for the boys!!! (I'm not taring all with same brush though.)
All the best dude and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to u all.
Mighty.
Pierre Closterman!!! Suns got to you hasn't it old chap, or are u trying to get sent home on mental grounds? How's the digs? I hope you are taking care of our sunflowers....how they gettin on? What about the new Melchit....doing ok I hear. Did you find ma wee nest 'o friendly spiders I left under my/your bed!!!!! Hope Christmas was better than what everyone was makin out, but I suppose I shouldn't count on those blunties gettin it right for the boys!!! (I'm not taring all with same brush though.)
All the best dude and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to u all.
Mighty.
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pnvs - a quick question. how utterly distraught would your family be if (god forbid) you were on board the mighty 3* and then something catastrophic happens which is directly attributable to chronic fatigue?
although i agree conditions should be improved across the board, when you are directly responsible for hundreds of pax it is not churlish to expect the environment and support to accomplish this safely.
what concerns me and several others is the fact, as stated by beags, that the orders designed to legislate as to what is and what is not safe, accepted practice, are being flouted. however, if something does happen, these flouted regulations will then be used by the spineless ones to devolve all responsibility on to the crew.
flight safety is and always has been paramount. if you ever travel as pax i am sure you dont want your captain to pitch up bleary eyed having had 3 hours sleep. do you think we have a point?
although i agree conditions should be improved across the board, when you are directly responsible for hundreds of pax it is not churlish to expect the environment and support to accomplish this safely.
what concerns me and several others is the fact, as stated by beags, that the orders designed to legislate as to what is and what is not safe, accepted practice, are being flouted. however, if something does happen, these flouted regulations will then be used by the spineless ones to devolve all responsibility on to the crew.
flight safety is and always has been paramount. if you ever travel as pax i am sure you dont want your captain to pitch up bleary eyed having had 3 hours sleep. do you think we have a point?
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There appears to be a lot of moaning and groaning going on here, you obviously take the Queens shilling every month. If you ain't happy with your lot..................pull the black and yellow. Don't just gob off, move on.
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I agree with uncle peter. The spineless ones should at least have the guts to "ammend" the appropriate Gaso's. That would take responsibility for the mistakes of tired aircrew from the shoulders of the crew / authorisor and place it firmly on their own. That would take "moral courage". Will it happen? Fat chance.
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Merry Christmas to all in the sunnier climes.
Please don't expect too much sympathy when you preach flight safety in one breath and then complain that you cannot get sh*t faced in the next breath. Terrorists do not close shop for Christmas and missions do not stop for it either.
I would genuinely want to see all my RAF colleagues put up in better conditions, but whinging just upsets everyone, especially our Army counterparts who put up with more sh*t than you ever will. Now contructive criticism backed up by playing the game (e.g. Not whinging about bars being closed - I've had months of that in some OOAs) could get you somewhere.
Please don't expect too much sympathy when you preach flight safety in one breath and then complain that you cannot get sh*t faced in the next breath. Terrorists do not close shop for Christmas and missions do not stop for it either.
I would genuinely want to see all my RAF colleagues put up in better conditions, but whinging just upsets everyone, especially our Army counterparts who put up with more sh*t than you ever will. Now contructive criticism backed up by playing the game (e.g. Not whinging about bars being closed - I've had months of that in some OOAs) could get you somewhere.