Saluting the ensign.
 

Orderly Officer/SDO.
What is the general feeling out there.
Should aircrew be allowed to salute the flag wearing flying suits, or regiment types in CS95? I thought the regs just refered to working dress.
In case you wondered, I'm currently kicking my heels waiting to go and do my bit before going home. Fingers crossed for no defaulters tonight!
BV:bored:

ach, the age old debate...
there have been certain circumstances when I've cursed saluting in blues, but surely standards must prevail? Its a drag especially if you're flying first thing, but it has to be done, or there'll be no standards at all!

I mean, really!
 

I don't see why OC GD can't just have it as part of their job title. I mean, they wear blues all day and their office is right next to it (at our base anyway). Come on, take one for the team chaps. It's not like you have anything better to do!
BV:E

Careful Bob, you will be suggesting RAFP do control of entry and guard duties next.

RAFP
 

Oh Christ no. That would be pushing things way too far. I'm more than happy to accept that they are way too busy to be involved in such mundane tasks!
BV:E

Contractors ...
 

Put raising / lowering the ensign out to Serco / BWOS etc, it'll be late, expensive and done by those few still in uniform when the contractors 'can't recruit'.



Sad, Bitter and becoming more twisted by the day.

If BV is your real name and Norwich (aka Coltishall) your real location, I cannot believe that you have asked this question openly!

Just had your OJAR have you?

Best you get on with it and I wouldn't be late in the morning if I were you!

Bloggs

Make a decision man...You are the Stn Cdr's representative! I did my SDOs/OOs in flying suits - I'm not on parade - the defaulters are.

That attitude has never done me any harm in the RAF. Of course, I have changed into my No 1s to tell an airman his father has died - that's just common courtesy.

If you don't like the rules then get promoted and change them, that's what I did. Being Duty Exec is much better as you can wear your best slacks and jumper and get the SDO to run around :ok:

LJ

PS I also wear my brevet on my CS95 and my RAF leather jacket with my blues - heaven forbid!!!!

When I were a lad, regulations required the SDO to wear No 1s and to drink in moderation.

Always enjoyed being ordered to drink ...

Everyone should be required to salute the ensign, blunty or otherwise, in full dress uniform. If I hadmy way, the Duty Officer would be saluting with a sword. Do we have no pride left in this service?

... used to be true for all at one time in Part Time Command.

ASIs said something like: .. was a real bugger - some times you needed a night off .....:E

Ensign etc
 

So is this thread about saluting the Ensign or the ever popular topic of "My growbag makes me manly!". Sorry but as far as I am concerned if you are SDO/OO/Duty Exec, then you shouldn't be flying the next day in case you are called out and a planned sortie has to cancelled at the last moment as you are too tired to fly! Therefore, no flying, no flying suit needed! Easy innit. It's also a little bit of courtesy to the rest of us duty minions, to show you actually do own a blue suit.

Stax - Guessing you are a CAO of DfD (Department for Duvets) therefore safe to say you have your own supply of flying suits and all things aircrew..... probably why the aviators in blue cannot get stores:p

mbga9pgf - by looking at your post on Fitness Tests, I guess you have the larger size of No1 dress uniform:=

Of Course when saluting the ensign the SDO and OS should be in best blue, wrong to be working PPE (flying suits :cool: or CS95 )

Hoist to crew winching over and OUT:ok:

All that waving at the flag, be it in light-blues, CS95s, growbags or whatever is a bit farcical anyway :}

Now the crisp sound of the perfectly piped 8-second still and the spine-shaking ringing of the bell precisely as the sun sets... The handsome OOD in his finest No. 1s... The smell of the fresh sea air...!!

Thats the way it should be done m'lad. :)

Stax, who said anything about a flying suit making you manly? I detect several chips on your invenotry old chap, would you like some vinegar?

Its all about convenience and the argument is a logical one, and as I have seen happen at several stations, there is an anti flying suit mafia who managed to get them banned in dinner or in the bar after 7 pm but still swan around in their blues. Funny that both Blue and Blunty start with b isnt it;)

As for not flying the next day after perfomring a duty, well that would kind of defeat the point of having aircraft/aircrew/.......police dogs/police men and Stackers wouldnt it now really.

I fail to see why me wearing my blues is courtesy to the "minions" perhaps you could enlighten, or as I suspect you will just continue to grace us with your tripe.

OK, hows this.

Hoisting and lowering the ensign is a ceremonial duty and should be performed in the appropriate dress. Even aircrew wouldn't stoop to parading down the local high street on a freedom of the city march wearing green romper suits so why should the ensign ceremony be treated any differently?

From my position on the sidelines I don't have an issue with the wearing of flying suits for day-to-day work or pre-post work activities (like eating supper) as it is a uniform like any other and the logistics of the situation often demands that a sensible view is taken to the wearing of uniform, though that does first assume that the wearer has actually been or is going flying that day and didn't just pick up the first thing that came to hand in the morning :)

Just a thought

If you consider it acceptable to raise/lower the RAF Ensign wearing flying coveralls etc, would you apply the same rule when parading your Squadron Standard?

Ensign etc
 

Dirty S

Never have been anti flying suit, merely believe in appropriate dress, appropriate time. Would you wear your flying suit to a formal dining in night? Why not? so much easier than tying a bow tie.

Over the years I have worked with many FJP and Big Slow Pilots and unfortunately there are far too many who use the suit to blow up their ego's!

A Police dog handler works shift, a Stacker works shift, a Liney works shift, that is, a series of nights or days sometimes 12 hour sometimes 8 hour stints. You will find the Station guard force does the same. When not at work they are in bed, hopefully sleeping ready for their next shift. This is all on Unit during normal alert states. Ops are different and you adapt your shift patterns (eat when you can, sleep when you can etc) to these occasion's. A tired Stacker probably wouldn't cause a multi million pound weapon platform to fall out of the sky, a tired Pilot probably could.

As to courtesy, having a bloke in a smelly flying suit, that he has been wearing all day, inspect a defaulter or guard force is beyond the pale, or are you yet another "Pilot first, Officer second" type of chap.






Oh yes and I can spell inventory.

Cheers all! : )

Viking, are you therefore suggesting that NCA in flying suites or Airman in CS95 need not bother saluting Commissioned Officers either? I think not!

Ahem!.....'tis the H'ossifers wot get the suites, the Baldricks are lucky to get a sandbag to sit on!....