I'm sure that someone just heading out on their career doesn't need this kind of idea - in fact there's enough moaning and whining about this and that to not need to push it into people's faces, especially the people that haven't had their enthusiasm curbed yet!

University is a great idea if PMA will let you, otherwise pick somewhere outside of the stream you're headed for- broad experience never hurts. Final thought, I know the hold-meisters don't like you doing more than one AT course but remember there is no limit on other pers and you are just as entitled, you'll not get as much chance when you reach the front line so dont even check with them, have your immediate boss back you and how about doing an AT qual that you can bring to a sqn/ unit and take away with you, whenever that may eventually be.

Either way, good luck on your next cse :ok:

Try re-programming JPA
 

Dude, don't worry yourself about JOCC and ISS, it's not a requirement to join the airlines! Certainly get your ATPL. If you're looking for a good hold then try to work JPA!

Mate of mine held with the Air Attache in Washington. Just contacted him direct. V good apparently.

AT quals are the way ahead. Another mate is a qualed ski instructor and gets phone calls from people asking him to come on ski trips for free - or try sailing/climbing etc.

Mate of mine held at Boscombe Down a few years ago. Had awhale of a time flying in all manner of aircraft types - F4,Argosy, Buccaneer and Harvard are just a few names I remember. Don't know what it's like now though but may be worth a look?

Sailing's a gud'un
 

Shortly after transferring to the RAF many moons ago, I managed to get on a sailing exped that lasted for a year. It involved being in the right place at the right time and ultimately joining the British team in a support capacity. My branch at the time was rather vindictive about it on my return (and by that stage I was a fit, tanned prat with rather bleached hair) and I rapidly failed my professional training. Yet ten years later, having carved out a niche of a career in another branch (that did not involve living in deep granite-lined holes), I was still labelled as 'that guy who is always taking time off to sail'.

Holding posts can be great but if you either f£$k up during them or appear to be caning the ar$e out of 'the system' the hang-over effect can last for many years.

I had the absolute pleasure of 9 months holding, 7 of which were in Bermuda taking care of 4 speedboats which belonged to the Navy. They were pretty servicable boats and so life was good....shame we had to come back really.

Lots of interesting perspectives above...best of luck which ever way it works out. But spare a thought for the other branches that invariably don't get to 'choose' where to hold.

Dream Holding Postings
 

Sorry to harp back to the 'Olden Days!' When I had to do a bit holding in the 50s a colleague of mine was sent as ADC to the Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands and another, who had 4 months to kill, was given a short Meteor coversion course and sent to Singapore target towing. RAF was way bigger and didn't have budgets or targets at that time! I am sure that there must still be some decent 'holds' if one does a bit of digging or has friends in the right place! Getting involved in adventurous training of some sort is probably a good try.

ISTR a mention on Pprune of a holding post with the French AF in the south west of France. Great for surfing, pop over to Spain for the w/e etc. Ask around.

Still a top hold when I was there a couple of years back. Lots of time in 9 or 10 types (from the Harvard to the Alphajet to the Andover!) over 6 months or so.

At the end of the day the holding pool needs to be as large as possible, otherwise I wouldn't have any staff in my office.....

Surely all these holding officers could be put to good use filling short operational tour staff jobs - SO3 Bogs & Drains sounds appealling.

> where they would go, if they had to spend 6 months holding in the RAF

How about a spot of gliding in the mountains of Switzerland? or ditto in NZ?

US Air Force? (Their term for holding is "casual").
Bag carrier for an Air Attache?

Burnswannabe
I've had the misfortune of doing a bit of holding for flying training too, managed to find out about a little gem called the Holding Officers AT Fund at Innsworth. Its not too well known about but will pay for 1 exped or AT course per hold. PM me for the details. I think this is where the '1 AT course per hold' party line comes from, on that note my holding boss was happy for me to do more that 1 course and what JW doesn't know can't hurt him....;)
Hope this helps,

Japan & Korea
 

Post Linton re-streamy myself.

Speak to the ever so good* J.Wood and ask about Korea and Japan, Japan being 6 months and Korea pretty much as long as you have got. Korea is better though...







*May be a lie.

If you like working with 'youf' then do please go for an AEF job. With the greatest of respect to the older AEF pilots, the cadets really appreciate meeting someone closer to their age - someone they can imagine becoming in a few years' time, and they can talk to about what it's like going through training in the 21st century not the 19th... It's a great boost to recruitment.

Of course, on the downside, it means sitting in a Tutor doing aeros all day... hang on, doesn't sound too bad...

Tim
(VR(T))

230sqn in Northern Ireland is a pretty cool place too go. The sqn has a lot of things planned for the next year (cant say too much on here) its operational flying (in the loosest possible terms) and you will get a medal for your trouble. The sqn has had lots of holding guys before (myself being one of them) and they all seem to enjoy it massively.

PM me if you want any more info.

Diplomatic Holding Tours
 

Sad as it will be to prick the bubble, but it is unlikely that many defence sections can absorb a holding officer at the moment. The Foreign Office won't pay for accommodation and subsistence and it is unlikley that HQ PTC would sustain the cost either. Moreover to work in a defence section (within the Chancery) you generally need certain clearances and to meet nationality requirements...
Good work if you can get it, though. It's always worth a try, though. PM me for more details