CofG

Why Oxfords? Because an officer shouldn't be seen dead in Airmen's DMS shoes. Would you ever wear rubber soled 'el-cheapo' shoes in civies? On second thoughts, perhaps you do!

It's funny but I spent around 10 years as a radio/radar tech variously on Jags, Vulcans and Tornados and in all that time I don't think I ever heard any aircrew refer to us aircraft techs (or other ground trades, for that matter) as "blunties". Is this a fairly recently introduced term or am I suffering selective memory loss? BTW, by recently I mean introduced after 1987 (God, was it really that long ago I left?:uhoh:).

Re. the remark above somewhere about each group liking to lord it over some other group - yes, we were just as guilty in disparagingly referring to any non-aircraft ground trades as "shinies" - something to do with the effect on the seat of their pants of too long spent sitting at a desk. Oh yes, and the airframes and engines techs (the "real" aircraft engineers) referred to us as "fairies" (and probably still do).

Ahh Oxford shoes with segs on, the bane of fuel hazard areas across the RAF.

Bluntie's
 

Do Navigators still exist, I remember that we used to think of them as living ballast. If they do,do they qualify as honorary blunties? After all, sitting in the back pressing switches must be rather like doing the same thing in an ATC tower, or indeed, tent. After all, no worries about an RPG coming through the side at 15,000 ft, what?

( Now, THAT will get things going!!)

Regards

F.O. Kite ( Retd)

Deliverance - Good to hear from you, thought this would be right up your alley!

Bluntie = non-aircrew (RAF), that simple.....iaw Aircrew Dictionary

For those non-aircrew who think they aren't blunt - "doth protest too much methinks!"

:E

Hope to see more constructive posts like this one! :ok:

Blunt and proud, we are. D'you want us to save you drop of beer for when (and if) you get back from being shot at?

Get stuck in lads, we're all thinking about you down here on the ground, aren't we? Eh? My round again? Bloody hell... :ok:

A 58 year old expat engineer. I think we may have found THE definitive definition of blunt.