You know it's a Civvy World out there ...
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You know it's a Civvy World out there ...
... when BBC R4 refers to the Culdrose SK fly-about using the term "The Sea King Emm Kay Seven". 
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Ha! But ... but ... the BBC is British, innit?
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Hmmm ... M. K. Seven ... or Mk. 7 if you prefer. 
Mainly Kargo?
Marine Killer ... forget that, bad taste.
Maritime Kab?
Is there a MoD Working Group to make these decisions?
Mainly Kargo?
Marine Killer ... forget that, bad taste.
Maritime Kab?
Is there a MoD Working Group to make these decisions?
Sloppy reporting by BBC. Image of an old HAS Mk6.
Decision made quickly in 1995 to call her AEW Mk7. ASAC was a later RN affectation, long after initial trials finished. Would have cost a fortune at that late stage.
Maiden flight, AEW Mk7, January 2000... Pilot was Westland test pilot Ted Mustard. She'd been stripped to nothing for over two years. It was meant to be a rotors turning ground run, but Ted thought she was fine and off he went. Came back having passed all comms and homing run tests. Saved 5 months on the programme.
Decision made quickly in 1995 to call her AEW Mk7. ASAC was a later RN affectation, long after initial trials finished. Would have cost a fortune at that late stage.
Maiden flight, AEW Mk7, January 2000... Pilot was Westland test pilot Ted Mustard. She'd been stripped to nothing for over two years. It was meant to be a rotors turning ground run, but Ted thought she was fine and off he went. Came back having passed all comms and homing run tests. Saved 5 months on the programme.
It's just as bad in other areas. I heard somebody on the radio reading a story set in the 60s and they read "I spent an hour sticking on 3d stamps" as "I spent an hour sticking on three dee stamps". But then, why would they know any better if they were younger than around 55?
Gentleman Aviator
I recall hearing some American (fairly senior) politician talking about security and kept mentioning "M fifteen" in a UK context.
Took a while before I realised he meant MI5......
Took a while before I realised he meant MI5......
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Some years ago, at a joint meeting of Russian MoD with some civilian structures (either Parliament/"Duma" or government) one of the speakers tried to refer to some data on the Russian AF. And the Air Force in the Russian language has the abbreviation ВВС
(though is pronounced like ˈvɛ-ˈvɛ-ɛs )
So, that civvy said, looking through the text: "According to the data provided by biː-biː-siː......
Oh, those civvies ....
(though is pronounced like ˈvɛ-ˈvɛ-ɛs )
So, that civvy said, looking through the text: "According to the data provided by biː-biː-siː......
Oh, those civvies ....
In the 1960s, an American (in a large American car) from Lakenheath or Mildenhall to a local pedestrian:
IS THIS THE ROAD TO BURY STREET, EDMUNDS?
IS THIS THE ROAD TO BURY STREET, EDMUNDS?
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I recall hearing some American (fairly senior) politician talking about security and kept mentioning "M fifteen" in a UK context.
Took a while before I realised he meant MI5......
Took a while before I realised he meant MI5......
"What's on there"
"Dunno. Something called Richard the Hundred and Eleventh".
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Can anyone have faith in what the BBC says these days? They have set themselves a very low target but consistently failed to achieve it. Sic transit Gloria...……….
I was obviously a civvy well before my time...
On the gate at Odiham one evening in the late 80's I stopped a car and asked the driver for his ID and waived him on saying "Okay 'Mister Af' off you go"...Luckily he laughed and drove off.
On the gate at Odiham one evening in the late 80's I stopped a car and asked the driver for his ID and waived him on saying "Okay 'Mister Af' off you go"...Luckily he laughed and drove off.
)
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CISTRS (#11),
Similar experience: Toddling along in York, big Buick pulls alongside: "Buddy, can you tell me the way to Ke-Narris -Boro ?
Fortunately, having just returned from RAF(G), was able to interpret this as "Knaresborough", and sent him on his way.
Why is it always me ? (I must have had a kind face).
Similar experience: Toddling along in York, big Buick pulls alongside: "Buddy, can you tell me the way to Ke-Narris -Boro ?
Fortunately, having just returned from RAF(G), was able to interpret this as "Knaresborough", and sent him on his way.
Why is it always me ? (I must have had a kind face).
When I commanded an ATC squadron I managed to persuade our local radio station to do a feature on the ATC, including live interviews with some of my senior cadets. Realising that they wouldn't have the first clue what to ask them, I drafted a series of question to be put to the cadets. The interviewer began: "Tell me Flight Sergeant, how long have you been in the corpse?"
Obama Mispronounces 'Corpsman' | Military.com
Or there is the European Helicopter Industies 01 which morphed into the EH101, was allocated the service name Marlin (very appropriate for a whale-killer) which morphed into Merlin.
