UASes
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UASes
I'm about to get my A-Level results on Thursday, and hopefully when I get upto either Durham or Edinburgh, I'd like to join their respective UAS.
I was wondering if anyone on the board had any tips, horror stories, or anything in general I should know before hand? These would be very welcome.
Thanks in advance.
Jordan
I was wondering if anyone on the board had any tips, horror stories, or anything in general I should know before hand? These would be very welcome.
Thanks in advance.
Jordan
Crikey
Yes Jordan,
If this is you, then you better get a tailored flying suit, else you may burst the standard Khaki Potato Sacks normally supplied.
If this is you, then you better get a tailored flying suit, else you may burst the standard Khaki Potato Sacks normally supplied.
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I spent a couple of years with Northumbrian UAS, and if you have half as much fun as I did, it'll be the best couple of years of your life.
The flying schedule is very slack during the week down at Leeming, so if you have lecture-free days get down there and fly your knackers off. I was cursed with lectures every morning so never made met brief (no met brief, no flying was the way the boss worked it at the time - fair 'nuff), and at the weekend every man and his dog turned up. Leeming can be cursed with some awful weather for light single ops, what with the Vale of York location and it N/S runway, so I saw quite a few weekends with no flying. Even when the weather was favourable, you were very fortunate to get more than one trip a day at the weekend.
One of the guys on the UAS who did 3 years (I think) got down regularly and flew over 250hrs. He actually finished the entire syllabus and then some - they were making up some really cool stuff for him to do by the time he left. By contrast, myself and many others left with barely 50hrs in 2 years.
NUAS is a lot of fun, town HQ is in the centre of Newcastle which makes for some fantastic nights out, and all the current members I've ever met at dining in nights are a real good bunch of laid-back, friendly folks. (Not that I'd suggest any other UAS is dull and full of shandy-drinking southern poofters mind
).
The flying schedule is very slack during the week down at Leeming, so if you have lecture-free days get down there and fly your knackers off. I was cursed with lectures every morning so never made met brief (no met brief, no flying was the way the boss worked it at the time - fair 'nuff), and at the weekend every man and his dog turned up. Leeming can be cursed with some awful weather for light single ops, what with the Vale of York location and it N/S runway, so I saw quite a few weekends with no flying. Even when the weather was favourable, you were very fortunate to get more than one trip a day at the weekend.
One of the guys on the UAS who did 3 years (I think) got down regularly and flew over 250hrs. He actually finished the entire syllabus and then some - they were making up some really cool stuff for him to do by the time he left. By contrast, myself and many others left with barely 50hrs in 2 years.
NUAS is a lot of fun, town HQ is in the centre of Newcastle which makes for some fantastic nights out, and all the current members I've ever met at dining in nights are a real good bunch of laid-back, friendly folks. (Not that I'd suggest any other UAS is dull and full of shandy-drinking southern poofters mind
).
Hi Jordan
Go for Durham. Best Uni in the UK, though they now allow girls into Grey College so spoiling the fun of smuggling your girlfriend past the porters!! I was there in the 70s when NUAS flew from RAF Ouston on Hadrian's Wall it had 3 runways, one hangar with 7 Chipmunks and 3 gliders no wonder it was closed!! The Mess was full of partying students at the weekend - ah nostalgia!
If you are successful in reaching the high standards expected of a NUAS member you will have a wonderful time. I am still flying the Chipmunk's successor the Tutor and have had 30+yrs of flying which all started with NUAS.
HF
Go for Durham. Best Uni in the UK, though they now allow girls into Grey College so spoiling the fun of smuggling your girlfriend past the porters!! I was there in the 70s when NUAS flew from RAF Ouston on Hadrian's Wall it had 3 runways, one hangar with 7 Chipmunks and 3 gliders no wonder it was closed!! The Mess was full of partying students at the weekend - ah nostalgia!
If you are successful in reaching the high standards expected of a NUAS member you will have a wonderful time. I am still flying the Chipmunk's successor the Tutor and have had 30+yrs of flying which all started with NUAS.
HF
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ELUAS/ESUAS
Hi Jordon,
The best advice is to get to the freshers fair and talk to the guys and girls on the stand, fill in the form (its huge and takes about 20 mins) and have a chat to the staff.
The whole thing takes a while as you then go into a pool and get selected for a second interview, a formal one, about you, why you want to join and what you know about the UAS/RAF and the world around you. After that there is a medical at cranwell and aptitude tests.
If you go to Edinburg you will be applying to the ELUAS wing of the soon to be formed East of Scotland UAS which will cover both ELUAS and ADStAUAS. If you go to the freshers fair you may see me there, I can't remember the date and I am posted soon.
Where ever you go you will have a great time if selected. Just remember that compotition is tough so sell your self and be YOU.
Good luck,
Tonks
The best advice is to get to the freshers fair and talk to the guys and girls on the stand, fill in the form (its huge and takes about 20 mins) and have a chat to the staff.
The whole thing takes a while as you then go into a pool and get selected for a second interview, a formal one, about you, why you want to join and what you know about the UAS/RAF and the world around you. After that there is a medical at cranwell and aptitude tests.
If you go to Edinburg you will be applying to the ELUAS wing of the soon to be formed East of Scotland UAS which will cover both ELUAS and ADStAUAS. If you go to the freshers fair you may see me there, I can't remember the date and I am posted soon.
Where ever you go you will have a great time if selected. Just remember that compotition is tough so sell your self and be YOU.
Good luck,
Tonks
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I think you would like RAF Woodvale. There, the UASs are not guests on the station, they are the whole reason for its existence! Liverpool UAS is there plus Manchester and Salford UAS and an AEF. You could get your flying there by being at either of 2 universities. Manchester town nights are held in the city centre and Woodvale is really good (I was on the staff there for 2 years). Any UAS is good news for all sorts of reasons; I don't think I'd choose my uni on the basis of the quality of the UAS though! In the end your dgree should be your first consideration IMHO
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SUAS
'The best advice is to get to the freshers fair and talk to the guys and girls on the stand' - not in my day as the 'trendy' left banned such a right wing establishment killing training organisation from going anywhere near the Students Union. One guy I shared a house with spouted far left propoganda at any opportunity but is now a partner in a top city law firm's far east office. No doubt he'll put his colleagues up against the wall come the revolution.
Now that's better, been wanting to get that off my chest for years.
Whatever the hassle, join up, it's the best and most exclusive 'club' at Uni.
Reg
'The best advice is to get to the freshers fair and talk to the guys and girls on the stand' - not in my day as the 'trendy' left banned such a right wing establishment killing training organisation from going anywhere near the Students Union. One guy I shared a house with spouted far left propoganda at any opportunity but is now a partner in a top city law firm's far east office. No doubt he'll put his colleagues up against the wall come the revolution.
Now that's better, been wanting to get that off my chest for years.
Whatever the hassle, join up, it's the best and most exclusive 'club' at Uni.
Reg
The best club or society you could possibly join at Uni is a UAS. You get paid (not a lot though), you get to fly which counts as your EFT, so if you join the RAF you skip this stage later. You also get to socialise with IOT grads (who are now trained on UASs) which can be useful for OASC and IOT preparation.
The most important thing is that the bar is substantually cheaper than the student unions, so you can fall out your tree and still have enough of your student loan to eat. Although I survived 3 years in uni without learning to cook thanks in part to the mess food.
If possible pick a UAS based on it's own station as this saves on appology letters to senior mess members after 'quiet' nights in.
Best of luck to you
MASUAS 58 - LUAS 0
The most important thing is that the bar is substantually cheaper than the student unions, so you can fall out your tree and still have enough of your student loan to eat. Although I survived 3 years in uni without learning to cook thanks in part to the mess food.
If possible pick a UAS based on it's own station as this saves on appology letters to senior mess members after 'quiet' nights in.
Best of luck to you
MASUAS 58 - LUAS 0
Let's go !@<&ing mental, let's go #*&?ing mental
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Thanks to everyone thus far ... after some trouble with my results (don't believe everything they are saying in the papers about this year's A-Levels being error free, etc.), Edinburgh have accepted me, after I just missed out on a place at Grey College, Durham.
So I'll be at the Freshers' Fair, Tonkenna and hope to see you there ... any further tips/advice will be gratefully recieved ...
Jordan
So I'll be at the Freshers' Fair, Tonkenna and hope to see you there ... any further tips/advice will be gratefully recieved ...
Jordan
