It's still fun!!
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It's still fun!!
It strikes me that a huuuuuge amount of this forum is a recollection of old memories. And I love it for all that makes me smile - 30 years, 4 types, 9000+ hrs, and a voyeur to many of the stories therein.
I am just a little wary of 'it used to be so good'...
So to those who glance through these mumblings, thinking of joining our ranks...
It's still good!
Ok, it's different. Things have changed. But that's just life and normality. Nobody else will ask you to fly around with your arse on fire, thinking not how to fly, but how to use your platform to the best of its abilities to defeat the other guy.
Nobody else will give you the variety the forces still offer - no, it's not the same, but realistic expectations change as well.
How many of us would bother to subscribe to this forum if we didn't look back with a smile...?
So thank you guys for all the old stories.
Here's looking forward to the new ones to come.
I am just a little wary of 'it used to be so good'...
So to those who glance through these mumblings, thinking of joining our ranks...
It's still good!
Ok, it's different. Things have changed. But that's just life and normality. Nobody else will ask you to fly around with your arse on fire, thinking not how to fly, but how to use your platform to the best of its abilities to defeat the other guy.
Nobody else will give you the variety the forces still offer - no, it's not the same, but realistic expectations change as well.
How many of us would bother to subscribe to this forum if we didn't look back with a smile...?
So thank you guys for all the old stories.
Here's looking forward to the new ones to come.
isaneng,
Is it fun? Was it EVER fun? You know, real fun as enjoyable and a pleasant way to spend your time?
I really do agree that this forum is full of tales of yore that really should be in Aviation history and nostalgia, and totally agree that anyone who WANTS to do it should certainly give it a go and it in no way was ever "so good back then!"
I have to be frank that I was bored by my second tour. I enjoyed the challenge of flying, but it was never fun, and you only got to do it for between 20 and 30 hours a MONTH (unless you were on an FTS, OCU or TWU, I'm talking front line FJ) anyway, so IT is not what defines your actual experience, Air Force rubbish and secondary duties and all that those things entail is your daily lot.
And even when I did do IT, you are dressed like a Michelin Tyre man, trussed up like a chicken, strapped tightly to a thoroughly uncomfortable and incredibly dangerous seat (never EVER felt comfortable about bang seats) placed in an ergonomic and thoroughly uncomfortable nightmare that is either too hot or too cold, and subjected to rather unpleasant G and negative G whilst trying to do mental sums and stay alive AND listen to that nagging voice in the back who was ALWAYS saying we were too late or too early, pointing in slightly the wrong direction or moaning about landing and taking off again constantly or not quite landing and repeating over and over.
Fun?
I had much better things to be doing that I classed as fun.
But it IS a challenge. Lord knows how often today you are allowed to do IT, unless you are someone like BV and flying a delight, 20 hours a month? That leaves a LOT of hours when you are NOT doing it.
But to anyone contemplating joining now, go for it, it was never better back in the day, but folk will always tell you it was, they were doing it in the late 60's...
Is it fun? Was it EVER fun? You know, real fun as enjoyable and a pleasant way to spend your time?
I really do agree that this forum is full of tales of yore that really should be in Aviation history and nostalgia, and totally agree that anyone who WANTS to do it should certainly give it a go and it in no way was ever "so good back then!"
I have to be frank that I was bored by my second tour. I enjoyed the challenge of flying, but it was never fun, and you only got to do it for between 20 and 30 hours a MONTH (unless you were on an FTS, OCU or TWU, I'm talking front line FJ) anyway, so IT is not what defines your actual experience, Air Force rubbish and secondary duties and all that those things entail is your daily lot.
And even when I did do IT, you are dressed like a Michelin Tyre man, trussed up like a chicken, strapped tightly to a thoroughly uncomfortable and incredibly dangerous seat (never EVER felt comfortable about bang seats) placed in an ergonomic and thoroughly uncomfortable nightmare that is either too hot or too cold, and subjected to rather unpleasant G and negative G whilst trying to do mental sums and stay alive AND listen to that nagging voice in the back who was ALWAYS saying we were too late or too early, pointing in slightly the wrong direction or moaning about landing and taking off again constantly or not quite landing and repeating over and over.
Fun?
I had much better things to be doing that I classed as fun.
But it IS a challenge. Lord knows how often today you are allowed to do IT, unless you are someone like BV and flying a delight, 20 hours a month? That leaves a LOT of hours when you are NOT doing it.
But to anyone contemplating joining now, go for it, it was never better back in the day, but folk will always tell you it was, they were doing it in the late 60's...
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Was it fun...in absolute terms, sometimes, definitely not always. In relative terms (relative to other jobs paying a similar wage)....yeah it was a total blast, wish I could do it again.
And I strongly suspect that is still the case.
At the risk of over analyzing it, it is probably much harder now than in my time, but ***** me have you seen what civvy street is like for today's youth!
And I strongly suspect that is still the case.
At the risk of over analyzing it, it is probably much harder now than in my time, but ***** me have you seen what civvy street is like for today's youth!
The Old Fat One,
I think you'll find that Civvy Street for today's "youth" provides FAR more opportunity, choice, challenge, and options than in any previous time in history. I envy them a shed load, there was nothing to come close in the 40's/50's/60's and even 70's and 80's.
Back in the day? Pah! Today is the day.
I think you'll find that Civvy Street for today's "youth" provides FAR more opportunity, choice, challenge, and options than in any previous time in history. I envy them a shed load, there was nothing to come close in the 40's/50's/60's and even 70's and 80's.
Back in the day? Pah! Today is the day.
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A colleague of mine and myself just worked the Scampton Airshow 2017 Operational side (Blue Area), Runway Crossings, Crowd Line, etc!
Between us we have over 51yrs RAF experience (The RAF is not yet 100yrs old!)
Go Figure!!!!
Between us we have over 51yrs RAF experience (The RAF is not yet 100yrs old!)
Go Figure!!!!
And even when I did do IT, you are dressed like a Michelin Tyre man, trussed up like a chicken
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'A lonely impulse of delight'
10 tons of thrust in 5 inches of wrist movement.
'I've seen things you people wouldn't believe'
Getting airborne is always a blast in whatever form. We should count our blessings.
10 tons of thrust in 5 inches of wrist movement.
'I've seen things you people wouldn't believe'
Getting airborne is always a blast in whatever form. We should count our blessings.
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I think you'll find that Civvy Street for today's "youth" provides FAR more opportunity, choice, challenge, and options than in any previous time in history.
I was never a pilot in the RAF, although in recent years I have enjoyed a certain amount of stooging around in a Cessna, which gave me a huge amount a pleasure.
But I genuinely loved my time as a nav. I used to sit down the back of a Victor looking at the NBS screen in which you could see your own reflection. I used to think - bloody hell, is that really me - have they really let me be part of operating this amazing machine?
Yes ok, maybe two hours of tanker tanker work over the North Sea, or 45 minutes of circuit bashing could be a bit tedious for those of us down the back, but overall I just loved it.
But I genuinely loved my time as a nav. I used to sit down the back of a Victor looking at the NBS screen in which you could see your own reflection. I used to think - bloody hell, is that really me - have they really let me be part of operating this amazing machine?
Yes ok, maybe two hours of tanker tanker work over the North Sea, or 45 minutes of circuit bashing could be a bit tedious for those of us down the back, but overall I just loved it.
Below the Glidepath - not correcting
Like many things in life, you can never truly appreciate something until you no longer have it. Looking back, my time serving could easily fill one of those glossy recruiting brochures, all while getting paid to fly, but at the time it was harder to appreciate just how much fun and freedom of action we had.
Every generation says it was "harder in my day" but it wasn't harder, it was just different.
Every generation says it was "harder in my day" but it wasn't harder, it was just different.
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Yes ..... but ......forget the jets and try remembering what it was like when you were let loose with a 550hp big noisy engine up front and a big fan and you could actually FLY!!
Proone - as fareastdriver says - you just joined the wrong part of the RAf - helicopters was the way to go
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Originally Posted by [email protected]
Proone - as fareastdriver says - you just joined the wrong part of the RAf - helicopters was the way to go
Anyway, it all worked out in the end.
Given my life again, I'd still want to be a pilot but do it at 18 instead of 23.
How quickly has this thread degenerated into historical reminiscences.
I am so pleased that the younger generation subscribe to this forum and am delighted that they find today's military flying both challenging and fun. I look forward to hearing their stories but I suppose discretion will limit the retelling of the more interesting tales😋
I am so pleased that the younger generation subscribe to this forum and am delighted that they find today's military flying both challenging and fun. I look forward to hearing their stories but I suppose discretion will limit the retelling of the more interesting tales😋
Fareastdriver and [email protected],
Alas while I take your point, you guys always looked far more comfortable and relaxed and dressed far more sensibly for work, I didn't fail or get chopped so made it all the way through to FJ. Sorry, cheap jibe and firmly tongue in cheek!
But you may indeed have a point. IF I had stayed in after my second tour, and that was a big IF, then I may well have considered Rotary. It looked more interesting and involved, and you always seemed more of a part of what you were doing in terms of effort and end result, rather than merely whooshing by in a flash and disappearing over the far horizon.
I was destined to convert to the Jaguar (heaven forbid!) or go AD with my existing fleet had I decided to stay, and I was still a little agin the AD folks after my experiences of many a QFI at Valley who had warned us against the Lightning (who on earth wants to blast off, fly in circles with your head stuck in a rubber bucket for 20 mins, hope you don't catch fire, and land again in a fuel driven panic HOPEFULLY on a runway and not the North Sea) and then of course we all feared going Vulcan, as one entire 228 OCU course around the time did when Spey problems grounded the fleet for a time. WE all wanted the new shiney beasts of Phantom, Harrier and Buccaneer, and when I was training RW was a tiny part of what we could look forward to, and even then we'd have had to fail at some point to get it, I got what I wanted, then.
Alas while I take your point, you guys always looked far more comfortable and relaxed and dressed far more sensibly for work, I didn't fail or get chopped so made it all the way through to FJ. Sorry, cheap jibe and firmly tongue in cheek!
But you may indeed have a point. IF I had stayed in after my second tour, and that was a big IF, then I may well have considered Rotary. It looked more interesting and involved, and you always seemed more of a part of what you were doing in terms of effort and end result, rather than merely whooshing by in a flash and disappearing over the far horizon.
I was destined to convert to the Jaguar (heaven forbid!) or go AD with my existing fleet had I decided to stay, and I was still a little agin the AD folks after my experiences of many a QFI at Valley who had warned us against the Lightning (who on earth wants to blast off, fly in circles with your head stuck in a rubber bucket for 20 mins, hope you don't catch fire, and land again in a fuel driven panic HOPEFULLY on a runway and not the North Sea) and then of course we all feared going Vulcan, as one entire 228 OCU course around the time did when Spey problems grounded the fleet for a time. WE all wanted the new shiney beasts of Phantom, Harrier and Buccaneer, and when I was training RW was a tiny part of what we could look forward to, and even then we'd have had to fail at some point to get it, I got what I wanted, then.
jindabyne,
Very happy in the crewroom thanks, as I said I left WHEN I got bored and fed up, not after, I didn't hang around like many crew room doom and gloom merchants bemoaning their lot and whining about how it was "back in the day! And I certainly didn't want to become one of those VSO's who I think secretly shared my view of flying after a few tours and decided to become flying avoiding VSO's as soon as they could.
In fact as far as laugh-a-minute went, I was carpeted by a SO for "an irreverent sense of humour, particularly toward those in authority..." so afraid you're a bit off there, and I keep in touch with mates from those days, so no probs.
Don't be sad for me, I loved it at first, and as I said as soon as I stopped enjoying it I did something about it and left. It WAS a challenge, and I loved achieving it, but I grew bored and needed a new challenge, one that was outside of flying and the military.
Very happy in the crewroom thanks, as I said I left WHEN I got bored and fed up, not after, I didn't hang around like many crew room doom and gloom merchants bemoaning their lot and whining about how it was "back in the day! And I certainly didn't want to become one of those VSO's who I think secretly shared my view of flying after a few tours and decided to become flying avoiding VSO's as soon as they could.
In fact as far as laugh-a-minute went, I was carpeted by a SO for "an irreverent sense of humour, particularly toward those in authority..." so afraid you're a bit off there, and I keep in touch with mates from those days, so no probs.
Don't be sad for me, I loved it at first, and as I said as soon as I stopped enjoying it I did something about it and left. It WAS a challenge, and I loved achieving it, but I grew bored and needed a new challenge, one that was outside of flying and the military.