You know you're getting old when......

[Herod]

When your first solo was closer to the first flight of the Sopwith Camel than it is to today.

[CoffmanStarter]

When you know a PAR was called a GCA

[zkdli]

when you had three in the circuit, all practicing one in ones and the radar was a S264.
You had to boil a kettle to get the MTI to work

[Shack37]

When you thought a T3 Bombsight "computer" was complicated.

[kintyred]

Decca chains?

[ian16th]

... And you remember the first time you bought sweets without having to use a Ration Book

If you handed in your Ration Book at attestation!

[big v]

........ when you are explaining to the chap in the museum how to use a piece of kit (GPI in this particular instance)......

Sad isn't it?

Regards,

Vernon

[PFMG]

ARAR/ARAX was cutting edge EW kit

[kintyred]

When your sim instructor was a Master Pilot.

[MPN11]

If you handed in your Ration Book at attestation!

I defer to my elders

[goudie]

When 'Zero Reader' was the latest
technical and flight aid gizmo

[PFMG]

An overseas training flight (remember them?) to Valkenburg was a thinly veiled excuse for a weekend in Amsterdam

[ExAscoteer]

Originally Posted by goudie

When 'Zero Reader' was the latest
technical and flight aid gizmo

Oh dear gods we had one of those on the (pre-Mod) Dominie.

Flying a raw ILS was far simpler than buggering about with that piece of ****e!

Sadly however, the ME Stds QFIs insisted upon us using it for IRTs.


(Bastards!)

[ExAscoteer]

Originally Posted by PFMG

An overseas training flight (remember them?) to Valkenburg was a thinly veiled excuse for a weekend in Amsterdam

We did a Group 2 End of Course run to Valkenburg on a 4-6 week basis on the Dominie.

I generally stayed in Leiden - Amsterdam held no interest for me after my first visit.

[smujsmith]

..... You attend a service function at a former unit, and no one knows what a pair of "shreddies" are, particularly when they claim to be ex Halton apprentices.

Smudge

[Herod]

When your sim instructor was a Master Pilot.

My FLYING instructor was a Master Pilot.

[Cows getting bigger]

When you've been to more funerals than weddings.

When you completely understand those who march past the cenotaph every Remembrance Sunday.

When you smile at the youngsters who are doing the job you did, knowing that they are a precise clone and wishing that you were in their shoes.

When you relate to knackered old sh 1ts who post such sentimental nonsense on Internet forums.

[ValMORNA]

. . . when the Link Trainer instructor on 4 FTS was a Sergeant.

[Legalapproach]

When somebody you regularly got pi**ed with as a student becomes a High Court Judge. At least I now have a decent character witness when I need one.

[goudie]

Oh dear gods we had one of those on the (pre-Mod) Dominie.

As a Cpl. Techie at Bassingbourn I was responsible for testing and calibrating the Zero Reader. One day a QFI pitches up in the Inst Bay to see it being tested etc. It had very recently been installed in the T4's and he was having a bit of trouble getting the studes to accept using it, especially on approaches.
After some chat he suggests that I meet him next morning for a trip, with a view to me trying it out for real. So off we go with a stude nav. and he hands over the controls and talks me through some gentle turns, dives and climbs, strictly using just the ZR. Eventually we head for Honington and at the top of the descent he tells me to follow the the ZR down, keeping my head down in the cockpit, until he says ''I have control''.
(God knows what the the young nav in the back was thinking!) This I did, whilst he handles the non-essential tasks such as u/c, flaps, trim, throttles, radio etc. No sooner had he said ''I have control' and it seemed, we touched down, did a roller and headed off back home.
As we walked back to the line hut he said ''thanks corp, I'll be able to tell the studes that if a bloody corporal can fly the ZR so can you!