RAF flying boot
Wow that seems incredible that the 65 boot lasted until circa '86 and changed to suit the Hawk and that boot lasted for another 20+ years before someone looked at the invoices and thought £250+ was a lot to be paying for a boot that was unchanged for two decades....
Then change to a generic US Belleville boot that is off the peg and presumably has none of the design features (Hawk heel profile) of the out going model.
Then change to a generic US Belleville boot that is off the peg and presumably has none of the design features (Hawk heel profile) of the out going model.
Beagle, my short sourjorn on the Bulldog saw us students wearing the tan desert boots for the use of. Being a fashion conscious 18 yr old, I knew that the black ones were far more trendy and fashionable. To boot, they would also look rather good with a pair of jeans at half mast for a trip to the local football stadium. Along with a service haircut one could really look the part on the North Bank. Alas my dreams were dashed, when the stores chappy told me all they had was tan. "Not so!" I cried ,"all our instructors wear black boots!" "Well they didn't get them here sonny,next!" Tan it was , I envied the Bosses boots from then on. Although the black service shoes did come in handy one evening for a bit of Town v Gown action. I still had those shoes up until about 2000, built to last.
Are the long johns still for sale?
* Not Arctic - haven't done that yet
rolling20, any of my students who claimed to be
would have been out on their ear toot sweet!
Students who were interested in beer, sports cars / bikes and fast women, well fine - those were the students we wanted. But not some mincing 'fashion conscious' kid keen on poncing about like some gay bar loiterer!
...a fashion conscious 18 yr old...
Students who were interested in beer, sports cars / bikes and fast women, well fine - those were the students we wanted. But not some mincing 'fashion conscious' kid keen on poncing about like some gay bar loiterer!
blimey wrote:
This modification came about for Harrier pilots only. After a number of such 'bona mates' lost their boots whilst ejecting from their jets, it was found that this was caused by the boot laces having rotted.
The cause of the rotting was soon identified. As is well-known, all Harrier pilots have very small willies and as a result would often widdle over their boot laces, due to dimensional limitations.
So a flap was provided to protect the laces henceforth and the problem was resolved....
I believe the RAF boot attained a pre-eminence with the addition of a flap.
The cause of the rotting was soon identified. As is well-known, all Harrier pilots have very small willies and as a result would often widdle over their boot laces, due to dimensional limitations.
So a flap was provided to protect the laces henceforth and the problem was resolved....
Beagle,
ah yes we did laugh at the flares, roll neck sweaters and natty check jackets of the instructors. Not to mention dubious facial hair. That was after of course we had raced up and down the runway for a car to car transfer, taken a few star struck floozies back to the OMQ that we used as a base and drunk the bar dry. I was once complimented on my smart attire by a Boozed up Flt Lt @ Lossie, who promptly fell off his stool!
ah yes we did laugh at the flares, roll neck sweaters and natty check jackets of the instructors. Not to mention dubious facial hair. That was after of course we had raced up and down the runway for a car to car transfer, taken a few star struck floozies back to the OMQ that we used as a base and drunk the bar dry. I was once complimented on my smart attire by a Boozed up Flt Lt @ Lossie, who promptly fell off his stool!
Bona Mates?
Yep..the p*ss flap story by BEagle is all true!!! Trust me.
As is the tale of the `Bona` who insisted on wearing his Special Trial Fit Gortex extreme cold weather boots in summer. For lesser mortals, it is of note that these trial boots had a Gortex `sock like` insert fitted and a nice `Gucci` Gortex label on the side....So you could distinguish the Bonas from the common erd, I guess.
Anyway, this chap then initiated an Air Incident because his feet were too hot (in summer)
- F760 raised at vast expense..but then took matters in to his own hands and cut the insert out 
Oh, how we laughed
My `65s` are still going strong after about 30 years, fitted the old USAF zip system whilst on Flag - fantastic.
and finally..I relished the look on the `Bona Mates` faces when, during the SCSR sea drills, we started pre-employment training for Typhie jocks going to Warton.. Typhoon pilots have inflatable boots, with a visible inflation tube, as part of the full cover anti G system - which set them apart, of course, from mere mortals with p*ss flaps....
As is the tale of the `Bona` who insisted on wearing his Special Trial Fit Gortex extreme cold weather boots in summer. For lesser mortals, it is of note that these trial boots had a Gortex `sock like` insert fitted and a nice `Gucci` Gortex label on the side....So you could distinguish the Bonas from the common erd, I guess.
Anyway, this chap then initiated an Air Incident because his feet were too hot (in summer)
- F760 raised at vast expense..but then took matters in to his own hands and cut the insert out Oh, how we laughed
My `65s` are still going strong after about 30 years, fitted the old USAF zip system whilst on Flag - fantastic.
and finally..I relished the look on the `Bona Mates` faces when, during the SCSR sea drills, we started pre-employment training for Typhie jocks going to Warton.. Typhoon pilots have inflatable boots, with a visible inflation tube, as part of the full cover anti G system - which set them apart, of course, from mere mortals with p*ss flaps....
Probably 
Aircrew boot saga:
1965-Use on all aircraft ages ago-not in use now.
Various Gortex pro boots,etc - Use on all aircraft ages ago.
MK.1-Use on all aircraft-in use untill they fall apart.
Belleville -Use on all aircraft bar Hawk (poss Tucano)
YDS Hawk - Hawk only (can hurt TP feet)
YDS - Use on all aircraft bar Hawk
Strange but true - the Aussies on the last ETPS course had flying boots which were also issued to the rest of the Aus Def Force as combat boots. Why can't we do that (yes I know they have to survive an ejection, parachute landing,etc,but at the end of the day they are only a pairt of boots!!).
Aircrew boot saga:
1965-Use on all aircraft ages ago-not in use now.
Various Gortex pro boots,etc - Use on all aircraft ages ago.
MK.1-Use on all aircraft-in use untill they fall apart.
Belleville -Use on all aircraft bar Hawk (poss Tucano)
YDS Hawk - Hawk only (can hurt TP feet)
YDS - Use on all aircraft bar Hawk
Strange but true - the Aussies on the last ETPS course had flying boots which were also issued to the rest of the Aus Def Force as combat boots. Why can't we do that (yes I know they have to survive an ejection, parachute landing,etc,but at the end of the day they are only a pairt of boots!!).
