RAF FLIGHT JACKET
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The jacket may be licensed by the RAF, but surely the Queen's Crown copywrite is held by a higher authority? I believe this is why the England Cricket Team badged their kit with a Baronet's coronet rather than the royal crown in order to be able to sell replica merchandise with the same badge applied.
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Oh, good god!
Are you all that shallow that you need to get so uptight about a bit of embroidery.... There are real issues in the world, perhaps diverting your outrage to those may be a better use of time effort and resources.
i literally could not care if every other person was wearing wings, brevets or surplus uniform. I am confident enough in myself to not have to invest my entire self worth in a piece of material.
Are you all that shallow that you need to get so uptight about a bit of embroidery.... There are real issues in the world, perhaps diverting your outrage to those may be a better use of time effort and resources.
i literally could not care if every other person was wearing wings, brevets or surplus uniform. I am confident enough in myself to not have to invest my entire self worth in a piece of material.
Award of the RAF Flying Badge is made only upon completion of an extremely demanding course of flying training, which will take many years under the present chaos. It is hardly a 'bit of embroidery'...
Some years ago, one of our Sqn Ldr Spec Aircrew navigators obtained a name badge for his airshow lady friend, which included the RAF Flying Badge. She would then strut around in an RAF flying suit with Sqn Ldr rank braid and this name badge... I was at an airshow at one stateside venue, which was most pleasant. Amongst our US aircrew visitors was 'Killer', a short, rather punchy 'fightergator' who instructed baby navs on the T-43 and who had a wicked sense of humour. After chatting with him for a few minutes, he asked me "Where's your AC (Aircraft Commander)?". "I'm the AC", I told him. "No, the female major", he queried. After I explained the situation, his previous humour evaporated. "Wearing something to which you're not entitled is bad enough, but lying to a brother aviator, that's unforgiveable!", he growled.
Some years ago, one of our Sqn Ldr Spec Aircrew navigators obtained a name badge for his airshow lady friend, which included the RAF Flying Badge. She would then strut around in an RAF flying suit with Sqn Ldr rank braid and this name badge... I was at an airshow at one stateside venue, which was most pleasant. Amongst our US aircrew visitors was 'Killer', a short, rather punchy 'fightergator' who instructed baby navs on the T-43 and who had a wicked sense of humour. After chatting with him for a few minutes, he asked me "Where's your AC (Aircraft Commander)?". "I'm the AC", I told him. "No, the female major", he queried. After I explained the situation, his previous humour evaporated. "Wearing something to which you're not entitled is bad enough, but lying to a brother aviator, that's unforgiveable!", he growled.
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Just a spot of Sunday morning ‘old man’ pedantry...
[pedant on] It should be “RAF Flying Badges” as there is more than one for all Aircrew. The Pilot’s Flying Badge has two wings and the other types of Aircrew have one (Observer, Navigator, Air Gunner, Air Engineer, Air Signaller, etc...), which in 2003 was amalgamated into one Flying Badge - the Weapon System Officer (WSO) for Officer Aircrew and the Weapon System Operator (WSOp) for Non-Commissioned Aircrew (NCA). There are others too, for ground-branch Airborne Specialists like Airborne Image Analyst (IA), Airborne Technician (AT) and Fighter Controller (FC), plus also the Parachute Jump Instructor (PJI) who were given Sovereign approval over 70 years ago to be “Honorary Aircrew”. All of this is swept up in Queen’s Regulations (QRs).
As for the word “Brevet” this has for some time been misused by the ill-informed (including some in the RAF). It is actually a French word meaning certificate or diploma and originally to get one’s Brevet meant getting the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) Aviator’s Certificate or Military Flying Course Completion Certificate. Unfortunately, as you received your Certificate at the same time as your Flying Badge then some individuals got a bit confused. The French still use the word Brevet for their flying certificates - in their Brevet de Base de Pilote d'Avion, which is a basic Private Pilot’s Licence. Here is a picture:
This is one of the very first Brevets:
So:
1. Never The RAF Flying Badge, but just The Pilot’s Flying Badge.
2. Never a Brevet, which is a certificate, and always a Flying Badge (unless some muppet has got it wrong in a document, which happens from time to time!).
Sunday morning history lesson ends... [pedant off]
[pedant on] It should be “RAF Flying Badges” as there is more than one for all Aircrew. The Pilot’s Flying Badge has two wings and the other types of Aircrew have one (Observer, Navigator, Air Gunner, Air Engineer, Air Signaller, etc...), which in 2003 was amalgamated into one Flying Badge - the Weapon System Officer (WSO) for Officer Aircrew and the Weapon System Operator (WSOp) for Non-Commissioned Aircrew (NCA). There are others too, for ground-branch Airborne Specialists like Airborne Image Analyst (IA), Airborne Technician (AT) and Fighter Controller (FC), plus also the Parachute Jump Instructor (PJI) who were given Sovereign approval over 70 years ago to be “Honorary Aircrew”. All of this is swept up in Queen’s Regulations (QRs).
As for the word “Brevet” this has for some time been misused by the ill-informed (including some in the RAF). It is actually a French word meaning certificate or diploma and originally to get one’s Brevet meant getting the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) Aviator’s Certificate or Military Flying Course Completion Certificate. Unfortunately, as you received your Certificate at the same time as your Flying Badge then some individuals got a bit confused. The French still use the word Brevet for their flying certificates - in their Brevet de Base de Pilote d'Avion, which is a basic Private Pilot’s Licence. Here is a picture:
This is one of the very first Brevets:
So:
1. Never The RAF Flying Badge, but just The Pilot’s Flying Badge.
2. Never a Brevet, which is a certificate, and always a Flying Badge (unless some muppet has got it wrong in a document, which happens from time to time!).
Sunday morning history lesson ends... [pedant off]
Oh, good god!
Are you all that shallow that you need to get so uptight about a bit of embroidery.... There are real issues in the world, perhaps diverting your outrage to those may be a better use of time effort and resources.
i literally could not care if every other person was wearing wings, brevets or surplus uniform. I am confident enough in myself to not have to invest my entire self worth in a piece of material.
Are you all that shallow that you need to get so uptight about a bit of embroidery.... There are real issues in the world, perhaps diverting your outrage to those may be a better use of time effort and resources.
i literally could not care if every other person was wearing wings, brevets or surplus uniform. I am confident enough in myself to not have to invest my entire self worth in a piece of material.
Oh come on.
I bought a set of RAF wings at Duxford.
They sell them in the shop!
Sewed `em onto an olive green MA1 - along with the squadron patches, and jet patches of the lot I went for two fast jet jollys with.
I quite deliberately put the squadron patches in the wrong place.
On the arms.
So that when some irate punter comes up and calls me a walt, I can explain why.
I bought a set of RAF wings at Duxford.
They sell them in the shop!
Sewed `em onto an olive green MA1 - along with the squadron patches, and jet patches of the lot I went for two fast jet jollys with.
I quite deliberately put the squadron patches in the wrong place.
On the arms.
So that when some irate punter comes up and calls me a walt, I can explain why.
This idiot pretending to be a pilot - who actually ended up falsifying flight tests!
https://thewaltercumpershunterclub.w...esley-tierney/
This idiot who pretended to be a Tornado nav!
https://thewaltercumpershunterclub.w.../glen-holness/
This idiot who wore a DFC and AFC to his wedding as an ex-supplier JNCO!
https://thewaltercumpershunterclub.w...n-raf-bloater/
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Join Date: Feb 2006
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At the end of the day its a bit of cloth, it's nothing to get heated up about, those that earned it know. The saddest thing i saw was when people started sowing wings on wooly pullies..
Well, Corporal Clott , the certificate in my first logbook reads:
By the way, the Brevet de Base and the Brevet du pilot planeur are both now issued as a Modular LAPL.
Nut Loose, as you've never qualified as a military pilot, it's hardly surprising that you don't understand the emotions behind people's outrage at the wearing of the RAF Flying Badge by those not entitled.
The sewing of the badge on the NATO pullover actually started as a joke in 1977 or thereabouts. The Pilot Leader on 617 Sqn at Scampton had a wicked sense of humour and suggested it to some air wheel, who took him seriously and so we ended up with the absurdity of the cloth moth on a woolly pully.
Not as good a spoof as the infamous 'Sweater cashmere with moleskin facings' alternative Officers' No.5 mess kit which appeared in 1980-ish thanks to some wag on 115 Sqn who had amended various tailors' price lists in the OM at the aerodromes where they were flying calibration trips. Quite a few folk were taken in as the amendments were really rather authentic!
'This is to CERTIFY that in accordance with QR and ACI paragraph J727, Flying Officer (BEagle) is qualified to wear the Royal Air Force Flying Badge with effect from 16 Aug 74'. It was signed by the Chief Flying Instructor of the Royal Air College.
Nut Loose, as you've never qualified as a military pilot, it's hardly surprising that you don't understand the emotions behind people's outrage at the wearing of the RAF Flying Badge by those not entitled.
The sewing of the badge on the NATO pullover actually started as a joke in 1977 or thereabouts. The Pilot Leader on 617 Sqn at Scampton had a wicked sense of humour and suggested it to some air wheel, who took him seriously and so we ended up with the absurdity of the cloth moth on a woolly pully.
Not as good a spoof as the infamous 'Sweater cashmere with moleskin facings' alternative Officers' No.5 mess kit which appeared in 1980-ish thanks to some wag on 115 Sqn who had amended various tailors' price lists in the OM at the aerodromes where they were flying calibration trips. Quite a few folk were taken in as the amendments were really rather authentic!
That RAF bloke reminds me of the tubby types who used to come into my militaria shop and start looking at badges and ask if I had an SAS beret badge as they had lost theirs. Or the others with similarly impressive waistlines who told me they had been in the services, but with much winking and nose tapping told me they weren't allowed to speak about it!
Interesting error in the article which implies that only officers can be awarded the DFC as "only officers are pilots in the RAF". NCO aircrew can be awarded the DFC - does anyone have an example?
Interesting error in the article which implies that only officers can be awarded the DFC as "only officers are pilots in the RAF". NCO aircrew can be awarded the DFC - does anyone have an example?
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Quote:'This is to CERTIFY that in accordance with QR and ACI paragraph J727, Flying Officer (BEagle) is qualified to wear the Royal Air Force Flying Badge with effect from 16 Aug 74'. It was signed by the Chief Flying Instructor of the Royal Air College.
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BEagle
I suggest that your Certificate is wrong as this is QR206 - there is no higher Authority than HMTQ:
No where can I see “The RAF Flying Badge”??? All I can see is “Pilot” under “Flying Badges”? So I suspect your Course Completion Certificate is wrong, just like others have been with the term “Brevet”?
I suggest that your Certificate is wrong as this is QR206 - there is no higher Authority than HMTQ:
206. Flying Badges - wearing of.
Flying badges are divided into two categories, those in current issue, for which aircrew are qualified under the terms of paras J727 and 728 and those no longer issued, for which members of the RAF qualified under regulations in force from time to time.
These badges are:
(a) Current issued: Pilot, Weapons Systems Officer (WSO), Weapons Systems Operator (WSOp), Fighter Controller (FC), Airborne Technician (AT), The Preliminary Flying Badge (Pilot), UAS personnel only. See para 728.
(b) Previously in issue: Navigator(N), Air Electronics Officer(AE), Air Electronics Operator(AE), Air Engineer(E), Air Signaller(S), Air Loadmaster(LM), Air Observer (O), Air Bomber (B), Wireless Operator (air) (S), Wireless Operator Mechanic (air) (S), Meteorological Air Observer (M), Observer (radio) (RO), Air Gunner (AG), The Preliminary Flying Badge (Navigator), The Preliminary Flying Badge (Signaller), The Preliminary Flying Badge (Engineer), The Preliminary Flying Badge (Gunner)
Flying badges are divided into two categories, those in current issue, for which aircrew are qualified under the terms of paras J727 and 728 and those no longer issued, for which members of the RAF qualified under regulations in force from time to time.
These badges are:
(a) Current issued: Pilot, Weapons Systems Officer (WSO), Weapons Systems Operator (WSOp), Fighter Controller (FC), Airborne Technician (AT), The Preliminary Flying Badge (Pilot), UAS personnel only. See para 728.
(b) Previously in issue: Navigator(N), Air Electronics Officer(AE), Air Electronics Operator(AE), Air Engineer(E), Air Signaller(S), Air Loadmaster(LM), Air Observer (O), Air Bomber (B), Wireless Operator (air) (S), Wireless Operator Mechanic (air) (S), Meteorological Air Observer (M), Observer (radio) (RO), Air Gunner (AG), The Preliminary Flying Badge (Navigator), The Preliminary Flying Badge (Signaller), The Preliminary Flying Badge (Engineer), The Preliminary Flying Badge (Gunner)
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Of course, it is not just Flying Badges on the wooly-pully these days. There are also badges worn on sleeves of woolly pullies for Bomb Disposal, Parachute Wings, Parachute ‘light bulb’ (rarely seen as many incorrectly wear the wings instead - including some very senior officers), Commando Dagger, Mountain Rescue, Aero Medics/Nurses, Air Stewards/Cabin Crew Voluntary Bandsman and Marksman.
No, Corporal Clott , this was not a mere 'course completion ceritifcate', it was the official certificate granting permission to wear the RAF Flying Badge which was in effect in 1974....
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Avoid imitations
Did any of those sown wings take root and grow, btw? My wooly jumper got a bit grubby at times, but never that deep....
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