Flying Suits to be scrapped for SH aircrew
Join Date: Dec 2004
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The new boots absolutely shred my heels so I stopped wearing them. The stitching on the Desert version is horizontal inside the boot, the perfect place to rub on your achilles. Painful and not ideal if I had to hot foot it so i binned them and stuck with the Lowas instead which gave me no issues.
HG
HG
I seem to recall a move for us to fly in combats on Hercs during the 1991 shenanigans out East. One of the major questions was how would the pax know who to follow when running away bravely from the burning mess in the event of an aircraft evacuation at a critical stage of having the big spinny things switched to "noisy".
Personally I liked the grobag and zips on my flying boots. Three firm upward motions and I was dressed for a big day filled with adventure, and if I lost a flying boot in the case of an ejection then it was probably my fault for getting into a nasty Whittle things with one of those many handled seats of instantaneous transportation instead of the trusty flying restaurant car.
Personally I liked the grobag and zips on my flying boots. Three firm upward motions and I was dressed for a big day filled with adventure, and if I lost a flying boot in the case of an ejection then it was probably my fault for getting into a nasty Whittle things with one of those many handled seats of instantaneous transportation instead of the trusty flying restaurant car.
into a nasty Whittle things with one of those many handled seats of instantaneous transportation instead of the trusty flying restaurant car
Presumably you wrote that after your third joint?
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It isn't, usually.
But, when one sees one's mission crew swanning around a foreign squadron bar, the flight deck crew have gone back to their accommodation for a ****, shower and shave and returned to said bar before heading into town, it makes one smile.
Particularly when mission crew come off somewhat for the worse after a scuffle with our host nation's finest.
But, when one sees one's mission crew swanning around a foreign squadron bar, the flight deck crew have gone back to their accommodation for a ****, shower and shave and returned to said bar before heading into town, it makes one smile.
Particularly when mission crew come off somewhat for the worse after a scuffle with our host nation's finest.
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I think the average age of our flight deck that trip was 37.
Average time to bed about 01:00
No bruises from fighting in the bar, either.
Any similarity between flight deck age and mission crew IQ was purely coincidental, I'm certain.
Average time to bed about 01:00
No bruises from fighting in the bar, either.
Any similarity between flight deck age and mission crew IQ was purely coincidental, I'm certain.
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STOP START. 2 Of my friends banged out today, but obviously they are not cool because they are not SH. I also hope that when then arrived at the hospital that they were mocked for wearing flying suits not CS 95. The respect from fast jet crews for SH in the stan is absolute take my word for it. It would seem that that just because some guys wear different clothes in the DFAC then its not mutual.
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Any similarity between flight deck age and mission crew IQ was purely coincidental, I'm certain
E3 flight deck is the RAF equivalent of gods waiting room (or last chance OCU), in this case its beauty before age 
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You're barking up the wrong tree - Stoppers is not SH and, like the rest of us on his fleet, have the utmost respect for ALL crews (except T*) currently deployed. It just makes us smile that you can't prise some away from their beloved growbags!
In the early days of the VC10K, one 10 Sqn truckie asked why we wore flying suits on the VC10K, whereas they always wore blues on the VC10.
"Because chinagraph makes such a mess on blue trousers", was one co-pilot (ex-Jaguars) logical reply.
Some trucky captains on 10 Sqn even had clip-on ties for those moments when they used to go and 'talk to the passengers' - whilst wearing their SD caps, of course..... Clip-on ties, I ask you. How distressingly lower order...
Hasn't the RAF learned after all these years - or is there some tradition of looking so scruffy? It was just as bad at RAF Mount Pleasant, anywhere during Gulf War 1, Incirlik AB etc. etc...... There was an attempt to standardise flying suit badges to make the wearers look less like spotters, but the TLP and/or Red Flag folk didn't much like that.
"Because chinagraph makes such a mess on blue trousers", was one co-pilot (ex-Jaguars) logical reply.
Some trucky captains on 10 Sqn even had clip-on ties for those moments when they used to go and 'talk to the passengers' - whilst wearing their SD caps, of course..... Clip-on ties, I ask you. How distressingly lower order...
I agree with this totally. All of the above uniforms (except the green flying suits and CS95) can be seen in use at KAF, with various combinations - e.g. which of the 4 possible smocks/jackets is the correct one to wear over a desert flying suit whilst out around KAF? Which way out do you wear the reversible thermal jacket? Throw in a mixture of belts (green and desert) and hats (desert and MTP floppies with brims of varying size, berets, even the odd chip bag on some of the many senior officers) and suddenly we look like a bag o'****e.. I know it's not important in the grand scheme of things but it just looks a bit crap compared to the identi-kitted US Army, USAF, RCAF, etc...
Nemo Me Impune Lacessit
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I have read this thread right through and my point may have been well made already and I've missed it, or not understood some of the acronyms, if so apologies.
If crewing an aircraft that goes into or near the FEBA would it not be best for the crew, if the aircraft becomes disabled, for them to be wearing kit that is more suitable to their new conditions and also may allow them to merge with the ground troops and not be singled out for 'special' treatment if captured? I think I would prefer to look just like one of the 'lads' and without any special badges or brevets.
If crewing an aircraft that goes into or near the FEBA would it not be best for the crew, if the aircraft becomes disabled, for them to be wearing kit that is more suitable to their new conditions and also may allow them to merge with the ground troops and not be singled out for 'special' treatment if captured? I think I would prefer to look just like one of the 'lads' and without any special badges or brevets.
wearing kit that is more suitable to their new conditions and also may allow them to merge with the ground troops and not be singled out for 'special' treatment if captured? I think I would prefer to look just like one of the 'lads' and without any special badges or brevets.
As for badges, ground forces seem to have overtaken aircrew in the badge fetish stakes... DZ flashes, TRFs, service badges, specialist badges galore! Aircrew fly fully "sanitised", although quite why the Taliban would care which squadron you were from somewhat escapes me.
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I would echo Easy Street's sentiments about trying to impersonate ground-pounders in an E & E scenario. In any case, if the Taliban did get their mitts on you, your sartorial choices would be forcibly rendered moot with the orange boiler suit you'd be sporting on your YouTube debut.......
Personally I'd prefer to wear kit that's optimised for flying and, come the worst, surviving the crash..... and carry sufficient personal weapons and ammunition to brass the feckers up until the cavalry arrives!
Personally I'd prefer to wear kit that's optimised for flying and, come the worst, surviving the crash..... and carry sufficient personal weapons and ammunition to brass the feckers up until the cavalry arrives!
Last edited by Father Jack Hackett; 29th Jan 2011 at 15:34.
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Father Jack
I doubt whether anyone would be able to carry sufficient personal weapons and ammunition to brass the feckers up until the cavalry arrives! Carry enough for personal defence/comfort whilst on the run but I would advocate prioritising the clothing that combines camouflage and comfort. Outrunning/hiding from 'them' is your only realistic option I. You'd lose a firefight rather quickly I fear.
Of course you could always fly Tri*. As long as you could outrun the 30st 'stewardess' in spray on coverall you'd be fine. They wouldn't know whether to f**k, climb, or eat her.
I doubt whether anyone would be able to carry sufficient personal weapons and ammunition to brass the feckers up until the cavalry arrives! Carry enough for personal defence/comfort whilst on the run but I would advocate prioritising the clothing that combines camouflage and comfort. Outrunning/hiding from 'them' is your only realistic option I. You'd lose a firefight rather quickly I fear.
Of course you could always fly Tri*. As long as you could outrun the 30st 'stewardess' in spray on coverall you'd be fine. They wouldn't know whether to f**k, climb, or eat her.
If we are fighting a more conventional type of war, once captured by the enemy they can expect you to state your name, rank, service number,...etc (big 6).
In which case, no matter what you are wearing, when you state your rank as Flt Sgt, Fg Off, Flt Lt, Sqn Ldr, etc it is fairly obvious that you are in the RAF.
Only Sgts have some chance of passing unnoticed....and I wouldn't hold your breath, no doubt the service number would be a giveaway.
I could never understand why the Iraqi interrogations seemed so keen to determine which of Peters and Nichol were the pilot or Nav - other than that it was a crack in their "sticking to the big4/6" approach. Given that the service numbers had been offered up, a simple check in a copy of the RAF list, obtainable at the time from HMSO, would have told them who was the pilot....
In which case, no matter what you are wearing, when you state your rank as Flt Sgt, Fg Off, Flt Lt, Sqn Ldr, etc it is fairly obvious that you are in the RAF.
Only Sgts have some chance of passing unnoticed....and I wouldn't hold your breath, no doubt the service number would be a giveaway.
I could never understand why the Iraqi interrogations seemed so keen to determine which of Peters and Nichol were the pilot or Nav - other than that it was a crack in their "sticking to the big4/6" approach. Given that the service numbers had been offered up, a simple check in a copy of the RAF list, obtainable at the time from HMSO, would have told them who was the pilot....
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The Taliban may be relatively primitive but they're anything but stupid. That coupled with the proximity of the burning aircraft is liable to make any attempts at cunningly disguising oneself as an infanteer mostly futile....
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FJH hits the nail on the head - primitive, yes, stupid, no, effective, very!
Flight of foot would be the best option and avoiding getting caught the second. The Taliban are not idiots and getting their hands on anyone, pilot, WSO, or Pte would be a win for them.
30 stone of moving stewardess flying suit does not paint a pretty picture. The VPL on a flight back made even the most female company starved Booties on one of my exit journeys squirm a little..but only a little after 6 months!
What was the nickname conjured up by a septic who saw her in a hotel swimming pool? The Iceberg?
With her bikini top out of the water 7/8 of the mass remains below the waterline!
G
Flight of foot would be the best option and avoiding getting caught the second. The Taliban are not idiots and getting their hands on anyone, pilot, WSO, or Pte would be a win for them.
30 stone of moving stewardess flying suit does not paint a pretty picture. The VPL on a flight back made even the most female company starved Booties on one of my exit journeys squirm a little..but only a little after 6 months!
What was the nickname conjured up by a septic who saw her in a hotel swimming pool? The Iceberg?
With her bikini top out of the water 7/8 of the mass remains below the waterline!
G
