Times have changed!
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Wasn't there a bit of a hoo hah on here a while back, over some FJ jocks being accommodated in luxury hotels, somewhere or other?
There seems to be a mindset, probably in the meeja, that servicemen being accommodated in hotels is not the done thing.
RAF crews, air and ground always stayed in hotels when travelling around the the States, hopefully they still do.
There seems to be a mindset, probably in the meeja, that servicemen being accommodated in hotels is not the done thing.
RAF crews, air and ground always stayed in hotels when travelling around the the States, hopefully they still do.
Join Date: Oct 2006
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Not true Goudie. When I was operating in the States (Tankers and A&AEE) we were accommodated in BOQs, ate there for nout but got no allowances. Only time in an hotel in 33 years was an unscheduled night in Bermuda and a short visit (also unscheduled) to Barbados. In Masirah I elected to sleep in a tent because the "air conditioned ?" sheds were so dreadful. Of course the Truckies always got the best of it. I supposed it was because the shock of the difference between a VC10 flight deck and the tanker trash accommodation would have blown their minds. This subject has always rankled and the passage of years (about 40) has not diminished the feeling.
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Sorry to hear that pontifex and I stand corrected. I was referring to 'States trainers' by 10's and Brits. Although I did stay on base when detached to Nellis.
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"Wasn't there a bit of a hoo hah on here a while back, over some FJ jocks being accommodated in luxury hotels, somewhere or other?"
Wasn't that Italy during the Libya campaign ?
Wasn't that Italy during the Libya campaign ?
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Is hotel acc uncommon then? I must have been lucky during my time, I thought it was fairly normal. I spent about four years going backwards and forwards to Aviano and was always put up in the good 'ol Hotel Santin in Pordenone. Plus I've done one off dets to other places and would say I had a hotel 50% of the time.
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Pontifex - you were on the wrong Western rangers - we used to stay at the Ramada Inn in Bellevue near Offutt (hardly 5-star but made a change from BOQs). As imprest holder I enjoyed the reaction when I paid the bill for the crew with a bundle of $100 bills - even back then they were mainly used to card payments. Also stayed in the quaint Tam O'Shanter motel in Las Vegas on a trip to Nellis. I saw an item on its demolition a few years back with people bemoaning the loss of one of the town's "heritage" buildings, dating back as it did to circa 1957!
Re tankers v VC10s - you must have heard about a certain fierce ginger flight commander navigator who had a VC10 LM chucked out of his air conditioned room at Akrotiri to make way for a couple of tanker guys after said NCO had made an unwise comment about "tankertrash" as they humped their way, hot and sweaty, to their inferior room! Furious VC10 captain took it all the way to the station commander, but got no joy!
Re tankers v VC10s - you must have heard about a certain fierce ginger flight commander navigator who had a VC10 LM chucked out of his air conditioned room at Akrotiri to make way for a couple of tanker guys after said NCO had made an unwise comment about "tankertrash" as they humped their way, hot and sweaty, to their inferior room! Furious VC10 captain took it all the way to the station commander, but got no joy!
Negotiated rate? If booked through DHRS (or what ever they are called this week) I seriously doubt it.
My apologies for suggesting they call their midday meal 'dinner'. More likely referred to as 'scran'.
My apologies for suggesting they call their midday meal 'dinner'. More likely referred to as 'scran'.
Ponti-in my 30+ years on tankers (Victors and VC10s) I can count on one hand the no of times we stayed in BOQs. All this idea of different entitlement etc is just a myth-the main point being that the VC10 mates knew the rules better and their execs would not put up with shi*e accommodation.
What I did find amusing though was the Kinloss mate who rang me (when I was planning a trail as AARC ) wanting to move the Nimrod from the place I had chosen (Halifax) to somewhere with on base accommodation. I told him not to worry since he wasn't paying and that I was sure his colleagues would be grateful for his concern.
What I did find amusing though was the Kinloss mate who rang me (when I was planning a trail as AARC ) wanting to move the Nimrod from the place I had chosen (Halifax) to somewhere with on base accommodation. I told him not to worry since he wasn't paying and that I was sure his colleagues would be grateful for his concern.
And whilst we are at it, what's the story about the massively reduced GYH mileage if you are INVOLSEP. From last week's pay slip it seems we now get only one funded journey home a month. Once again, I am getting fed up with subsiding HMG's activities out of my own pocket...
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Vasco
Sounds like you are a bit of a new boy on tankers! Mkll Victors and VC10s - luxury! I think the VC10 FD was the most comfortable and civilised way to fly ever invented. If I could remember what Coff taught me about posting pictures I would show you the first ever contact on VC10 tankers. Believe it or not it was a Canberra which we classed as a "benign prodder".
Sounds like you are a bit of a new boy on tankers! Mkll Victors and VC10s - luxury! I think the VC10 FD was the most comfortable and civilised way to fly ever invented. If I could remember what Coff taught me about posting pictures I would show you the first ever contact on VC10 tankers. Believe it or not it was a Canberra which we classed as a "benign prodder".
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Canberra In-Flight??
Seein' as 'ow all Canberras had "open line" (i.e. pour it in through filler caps on top) refuelling, it would be well worth watching an in-flight refuelling!! 
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"benign prodder".
Cunning Artificer
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As a young recruit in 1970, the government issue toilet paper certainly toughened us up
At home we had torn up pieces of the Evening Gazette stuck on a nail in the cludgy wall.
Tell young people today and they won't believe yer.
