Titles and Acronyms old and new
I don't know if this has leaked into the RAF from the civil side yet but a term for a 'less than popular or useless' colleague is Leatherman.
(Complete tool).
(Complete tool).
WW2 ….there was a RCN officer at Goose Bay Airport, Labrador, Newfoundland ( Still a British Colony at the time ) on the ferry route to Europe who co-ordinated shipping and convoys delivering vital supplies to build and supply the base.
SNOGOOSE.
SNOGOOSE.
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The Future Large Aircraft (FLA) was originally supposed to replace all the RAF’s large a/c. That proved unfeasible, so the tanker/transport requirement became Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) and another fight arose between A400M and C130J as the Future Transport Aircraft (FTA). FSTA then became a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) project; the preferred platform became the A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) rather than the B767 offered by the rival TTSC. Meanwhile, A400M which had been the FLA was given the go-ahead to be the FTA; however, to fill the gap, a Short Term Strategic Airlifter, STSA, was needed and that became a fight between the An124 and the C-17. The RAF decided upon leased C-17s as STSA to fill the gap before FTA became reality; however, the C-17s were then bought and the STSA became another FTA, but not the sole FTA as that is still the A400M. Which, of course had once been FLA and rejected as FSTA. Nevertheless, the Common Standard Aircraft (CSA) A400M does have a requirement to have an AAR role (except for the RAF), but not as a strategic tanker as that is the job of the FSTA, the A330 MRTT – which also has immense AT capability as well as its AAR capability but is seemingly not considered to be a FTA even though it is.... Although there was, of course, the A310 MRTT in service with other countries but not offered by any of the FSTA bidders even though it had been studied under an earlier project by MoD Department of Future Systems (DFS), as it then was, when a MRTT rather than a FSTA was being considered.
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I've been SLOPS and FLOPS but unfortunately never POOPS. I had a female colleague who was SO2 Mission Analysis, she very quickly had her email short-title changed after arriving in post!
Thread Starter
Thread Starter
Eureka! Well almost, I've been browsing WW2 acronyms and abbreviations, STO was either Sea transport Officer or Station Transport Officer. The latter may well be appropriate, as plans for evacuation at RAF Stations in Germany, back in the day, were quite an imperative. Especially with US owned nukes on board. In other words, to oversee the organization of "Transport" to get various people away west smartish before the Russians arrived.
FB
FB
Last edited by Finningley Boy; 9th Mar 2022 at 08:59.
Avoid imitations
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On 230 Sqn in the early 1980s we had a Royal Marines exchange pilot. He was universally known as SMOG (Senior Marine Officer, Gutersloh). I think he might have coined the expression himself!
We also had a SPOT, as per MPN11 stated above.
Happy days.
We also had a SPOT, as per MPN11 stated above.
Happy days.
Do we still have SLJOs?
Years ago in the DIS, the amalgamation of Geographic and Imagery into one division - Geographic and Imagery Management (GIM) - gave the once in a lifetime opportunity to create new job titles. We nearly managed to sneak two past the AVM in a presentation of the branch wiring diagram, but sadly he spotted them and banned both. (a) GIM Sqn Ldr Int Plans (GIMSLIP) and (b) GIM Joint Analysis Mapping Section (GIMJAMS).
GDT at RAF LBH in the v early 90's managed to get the following into SRO's once before someone cottoned on and I (we) were spoken to:
First Aid Trained, Station Live Armed Guards - followed by the list of nominees for the upcoming duty
First Aid Trained, Station Live Armed Guards - followed by the list of nominees for the upcoming duty
SNAFU (an FLA, not a TLA): For many years the Torpedo Control Sub System Mk 9 (TCSS9), fitted to all early RN nuclear submarines, had a key element known, officially, as the Supplies Null And Flood Unit, which did what it said on the box: monitored a Mk8 torpedo in the tube to ensure that, electrical supply were correct, the gyro was nulled, and that the plugs and link cable connecting to the torpedo were not flooded. The clever project officer who got this name through the official system earned my undying admiration. It was replaced in the late 70s by a system that had the more boring TLA of DCB, but who knows, it may still have been in CONQUEROR in 1982, and could have been the last bit in the chain of events that did for the BELGRANO.
apologies if related previously .......................Met Office College had a board displaying important visitors' title and surnames. The letters were velcro or magnetic.
Too much temptation one day:
Director General Met Office short form DGMETO became METGOD
Directot Met Office Services short form DSMETO became METSOD, and
Directot Met Office Research short form DRMETO became METROD
Only noticed by the dignitaries as they arrived.. College Principal not amused. Your correspondent nowhere to be seen.
Too much temptation one day:
Director General Met Office short form DGMETO became METGOD
Directot Met Office Services short form DSMETO became METSOD, and
Directot Met Office Research short form DRMETO became METROD
Only noticed by the dignitaries as they arrived.. College Principal not amused. Your correspondent nowhere to be seen.
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On a Shackleton detachment to Keflavic in the early 80s, the aircraft captain/detachment commander was a quite junior flight lieutenant. He was introduced to a USAF Colonel in the officers' club by one of the (fairly inebriated) rear crew as "Det Comm Shack Lant", Detachmant Commander, Shackleton Atlantic: said flight lieutenant was treated like royalty for the rest of the night.