If our legs had been too weak to carry our bellies to the cab we'd have been taken off flying.

Pusser's tillies were driven by delightfull blonde/brunette/redheaded young things in crisp white blouses, a shortish black skirt, stockings and elegant heels. Their legs were always the right way up. :E

Did you let Jenny WRNS drive them as well?

Never quite sure about you soap-on-a-roap RN types......:p

If their legs were on the right way up then they were surely WRAFs.....everyone knows that WRNS have their legs on upside down.

Having sampled the delights of both (as I am sure many on this forum have :E ) and despite being proudly RN, I came to the conclusion I preferred WRAFs and married one. All legs were on the right way round but there's no accounting for personal tastes, and I'm sure that after a few stella it wasn't really important. :ok:

What goes round goes round. When we had the no flying suits off the flight line, ISK went finger up and ISL went hard nosed.

I always used to wear a forage cap when around the mighty V. A hard hat could have bent things and broken aerials. The soft cap saved my head many a time.

On the Shack I think we had to wear headsets, certainly getting on an E3 you need a headset on before you leave the crew bus.

This then begs the question, where do you put your tiffer? At least on the Vulcan Mr Roe put a very handy stowage for the nav rad and AEO just above their desks.

In the Nig nog they jst add to the clutter in the back, nav bags, jackets, hats etc.

Just as well they have a luggage locker to hang your No 1s and a hat stowage for your SD hat in the Typhoon. Thye do have a wardrobe don't they?

Remember on the Hastings we actually flew in No 1s! Jacket off and flying suit on. Some lazy so and sos just used to fly in shirt sleevs and braces.

What a dreadful imposition by the CO. I bet he's anally retentive about that other military twaddle as well, such as:

1. Shaving
2. Personal Hygiene
3. Polishing Footwear (not desert wellies)
4. Pressing (ironing for men) Uniforms
5. Haircuts
6. Saluting (not while on operations)

You'll be acting like those awful Army chappies next, all disciplined and military-like. It was never like this at the other airlines.

Oh, come on! They can't all have been called Stella! Unless they all twinkled.

Someone, please check out the meaning of the word 'uniform'.

Well our staish has decided that all mess social events are compulsory and the register will be taken. The aim of this is probably to get more people to attend the events. Perhaps to do that they should think about making events more attractive to the officers concerned rather than making them attend an expensive dinner where all that happens is to execute a huge list of mediocre leaving speeches. Oh and by the way.....no pyros, drilled glasses and general fun and japery which used to be so widespread in our messes - its all got to be dry, PC and frankly boring.

That's easy.....

You all go. Arrive at the appointed hour. Don't speak in the ante-room unless some wheel talks to you. Reply using the minimum number of words needed.

After grace, you take your seats. No-one speaks to anyone. When the wine comes you accept a glass. Which you don't drink.

The meal continues in silence.

You do the loyal toast thing. The sit down again - and speak to no-one.

You listen to the speeches in total silence.

At the end of the dinner, you all go home immediately.

Do that a couple of times and the stupid bugger will soon see the error of his ways.......his 'guests' will be singularly pi$$ed off and the word will soon get around that he is a total w*nker.

It worked at Chivenor.....

Just a small question on etiquette

Does one wear headdress whilst being driven from Aircraft to Ops whilst partaking in DCS eating competition?

:ok:

Sounds like your staish needs a reality check T***er! Sound like the sort of bloke who would shut the Pigs 'cause no one is using the main bar.

Hat Hat Hat
 

If that's the biggest item of concern at ISK might I humbly suggest that you be quiet?:ugh:
Officers and SNCOs are supposed to set a good example and not worry about the terrible inconvenience of having to wear uniform at work.
If it's too much hassle to wear it............... leave! Simple really;)

Come to Wiltshires premier airbase. Joint Happy Hours, Joint Dining in Nights. Seems to be going ok.

"It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong." (Voltaire)

I currently don't even have a hat. But if anyone can get hold of a size 58 chip bag and meet me at RIAT, I'd gladly wear it on a coach if it keeps the highly paid help happy.

Beagle,

Happened at Waddo too.

You missed a bit, you don't have to eat either.

One dining-in night I did not go to was at Lossie.

It was a ladies DI and Mrs PN's parting words were *!££$$" as I left the house at 0400 on a station callout.

Wheels probably thought it would be good fun and a great morale building exercise to have a 'work hard (0400-1700) play hard (1700-0x00)' game.

Years earlier at Waddo we had a great medic who got in so quick that he did not go to Cranditz and we did his IOT and AvMed in OJT.:} . We did a good job.

One dining-in he was not invited. Now he had learnt that the officers' mess is a liver-ins home and the social centre of the station. Why, he asked, when there was entertaining in his own home was he nt able to dine in?

Thereafter all dining in nights (about once per month) were offered to livers in with quarter rats and execs comng on a fill up basis. It was great and we were able to dine amngst people we knew and we had a good sprinkle of senior livers in too.

Don't wear the hat....attempt to send a formal apology letter through JPA!

I recall a particularly @nal wing commander at Wycombe who had a thing about personnel dismounting from their bicycles to push them across 3 feet of pavement from one road to another...unless the personnel in question were of the same rank or above, or old enough not to care. Moral courage should be applied with authority.

Thats a normal Crab mess dinner though...? The answer to attendance at Mess functions is to make them free like at Yeovilton. The Mess is in credit to the tune of £125k and so functions will be very heavily subsidised. As an aside and tio gain a rough impression. How much does yer average RAF Mess dinner cost? and How much does it cost to take Mr and Mrs RAF to the summer ball...thats just the cost of the ticket please...no droning on and on about how much the ball gown cost?

At Yeovilton, the summer ball cost £80 for the first 2 and then £85 for any further guests. For that you get the scran, free booze (excluding Shampoo) and of course the normal Alton Towers fiasco. An average mess dinner would cost IRO £25-30. (For that you just get the scran and wine/port at dinner - the rest you have to chit for)

How on earth is your 'mess' (or should that be 'wardroom') in credit to the tune of £125K?? Which particular bunch of 'Peters' have been robbed blind so that the currrent bunch of 'Pauls' can take advantage of free functions?

Suspect you're talking bolleaux again.

And you've clearly never attended a proper RAF dining-in night.

VVHA,

The normal RAF type dinner will hit the wallet for around the same as you Matelots and the Summer Ball seems to be a good bit cheaper around the 40-50 mark. Therefore, I suggest your 125K in credit is not exactly helping the mess members in as good a manner as you announced. Might even be worth looking at in an official capacity as messes are run for the benefit of the members not for profit or the accumulation of capital.


ALWAYS check NEVER assume

The other day, at a top secret base in southern Iraq, I had to get some crews fromthe mess tent pronto, as we had some troops under contact and we had to launch the fleet. The only way to get hold of them (comms are no the best here) was to "race" down in the company LR.

As I parked outside the mess tent, I was stopped in my tracks by the SWO.

"Just a moment, Sir. Can I have a word"

"Not really. I have troops under contact. In a bit of a rush"

"It won't take long sir. Firstly, you weren't wearing your head-dress in the vehicle, secondly, the speed with which you drove throught the gate was reckless and finally, you didn't reverse into your car parking space"

"Was there anything else?"

"I know you're in a hurry, sir, but there's an example to be set you know"

"Like not letting bullsh!t like this get in the way of Ops and people dying", said my internal monologue.

Now THAT'S petty and losing the plot. Blunt TW:mad: T

Ooh I hate them. I really really do. Glad to see we're not losing our operational focus.