Removing flight suit patches
 

Hi Guys, I've noticed from videos that pilots remove their patches on their flight suits during kitting up. May I ask why is that so? Thanks

Flight suit patches are only worn to impress the opposite sex. They are of no use once in the cockpit as the ladies can't see you in there, so they are removed. Some aircrew have been known to cultivate a deep drawl that they think female air traffickers will find sexy. Sadly the ladies are disappointed when said Top Gun dismounts from his steed and his bald pate, rotund middle and legs like John Wayne are revealed :ok:

So they can sell them down the local jinglie market. :}

9v, some aircrew equipment assemblies sit on top of patches, pockets, etc and can this cause discomfort. That is why fast-jet crew often have no leg pockets.

It is also good operational discipline to remove identifying patches. In many conflicts now it does not matter but in the future it might.

Does it not get very tiresome having to unpick the stitching everytime the aircrew get into the aircraft, and then having to sew them on again whenever they land?

Why do you think they allowed female aircrew?

It is easier to remove patches from aircrew than to remove the flying suit from them.:p

Is it not something to do with giving out sqd details? , aircraft type ?
home bases (PR against familys ) in war time etc ?

fallmonk, that as well, except in the modern situation, anything to stop having to eat one's bollocks is fair game.

Could be to prevent FOD in cockpit as they're only stuck on with velcro.



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Badges!
 

"We don't need no stinkin' badges"

Said with heavy Mexican accent.

It's a line from a film I once saw:)

It's actually because the flying suit with all those grey, velcro areas with no badges on them makes them look much more "sneaky beaky" and "well 'ard"...:ok:

Well 'ard? Why would they want to look like that Alsation from EastEnders? It's a soap opera on BBC 1 for all you Officer types out there.

What's Eestenders?

STH, apparently it is a soap opera what ever that is. Is it anything to do with gaipilots?

Don't eestenders eestend something, like extenders extend something or suspenders suspend something? :ooh:

calm down dear, don't get your knickers in a twist, it's only a commercial.

E E Stenders is a Sqn Ldr in the Supply Branch. I went through Cranwell with him when he still thought he could make it as a Fighter Controller.

Anyway, he's now SO2 Velcro at Air Cmnd.

Guess he's still living on the married patch then :ok:

Coat, hat etc.;)

Nah, he's got his own place. He thinks the patch is a rip-off.





I'll get my coat as well.

Whats the rules on non-aircrew is growbags de-badging?:}:}

What's de badgers got to do with all this, eh?:\

The velcro idea was really a plot to pee off the flying clothing squippers. In the early 80's we only had to sew the badges onto flying suits. Then after 1982 it was, sew velcro onto badges. Trim velcro neatly around badge. Get the opposite piece of vlcro. Trim to shape. Sew onto flying suit, in the correct place. Attach velcro clad badge to velcro clad flying suit.

AFAIK this has continued to this day.

Once badges are removed it is said to reduce weight by about 5 kgs, thus resulting in 5 kgs of extra gas :}

Spurlash2,

YouTube - Blazing Saddles - We dont need no stinking badges..

Pick, almost right. Before 1982 we had used velcro when we could get it then the squippers found a rule that said the badges had to he sewn onto the flying suit directly. Of course during the FI they all had to be cut off.

Finally we got permission to have velcro 'badges' and would remove the stick on badges before flight to abide by the rules.

Of course the use of hook and loop (!!) also allows the use of a trawl on Friday evening followed by exposure on You Tube the following night :}:}:}:}:}:}:}:}:}

My understanding (which I agree now is likely to be incorrect) is that if the a/c was shot down during a conflict the enemy would not be able to glean any useful information from the patches etc.

Nametags
 

Talking about badges, I noticed that aircrew wear different colour name tags. I've seen red, green, black, blue, sand tags etc.. but can't make out who wears what. Can anybody shed some light?
Thanks

Morgan,

Quite right, although a smoking Tornado GR4 or a Harrier GR7 is a bit of a give away, as it the tail art and serial numbers.

Some years ago the squipers also had a hand in destroying our cover. Everything had local serial numbers writ large such as WAD-Spare or COT69 or 29S-123, that sort of thing.

They surpassed themselves when they put scotchbrite tape on our helmets. Great if you had just landed in a field, all that Joe had to to was shine a torch. So we had black bodge tape put over the scotchbright.

In peacetime, if we bailed out, and were conscious, we would pull the bodge tape off. Now it might seem better to leave the bodge tape off until we went to war; you must remember however that we were at 'war' until 1989/90 with crews often at 15 minutes readiness or higher.

Thanks PN,
I thought it had to do with units/roles but I got totally puzzled seeing two pilots from the very same squadron wearing different colours. Guess one of them was just matching his eyes??? :}

Morgan, sorry, my reply was really to Flash.

The different coloured name badges are simply an additional new fashion for the RAF. Initially we envied the USAF Leather patches. in the 60s the US could produce RAF pilot name patches but not rear crew.

They we managed to get a sort of standarised black patch, white name and border. Then some sqns started to individualise the background. one of the earliest was the Jaguar OCU who adopted Tartan as they were based at Lossiemouth. Then others had red and white, blue and yellow, green/red and so on.

One reason for this proliferation was they they could afford to pay for new patches when they moved form sqn to sqn.

An earlier variation on this was the sqn patches. British made ones were of hight quality but expensive. Crews based in the Middle or Near East were able to get much classier badges with silver and gilt metal thread made in Pakistan. They often had white felt backing rather than black.

Just fashion.

It is determined by your favourite tipple.
brown = pint of Newcastle Brown
sand = any p*ssy week ozzy lager
red = wine
etc

Saves time in the bar afterwards.

I dont take badges off but feel the need to hide in a dark room when I reveal the rather tasty white long jon's!!!! Go get em mav!!! :eek:

I hate velcro. I hate badges (apart from the fun meter / give a ****ometer ones). I hate poofter bags (nav bags). I hate log book covers. I hate zips in boots. I hate them because they come with the promise of hobnobs / beer. I hate them because they make me a fat git.:E

stitchbithch I need a new log book cover. It will come with a promise of Jaffa Cakes a plenty, you interested?? Bet you cant say no??:E

Jaffas you say, well, you need to PM me the name of 'the saviour' of Army Aviation, then I will see what I can do ;)

I'll raise AH7's Jaffa Cakes, and offer 2x packets of Ginger Nuts for each of two logbook covers (cos I can).

Oh, and name of the saviour of Army aviation is minigundiplomat.

Most Awesomely Bad Military Patches 10 | Danger Room from Wired.com

Worth a look if you want to see some interesting patches.

Personally I prefer using a pair of scissors rather than velco. Make two cuts, one on each sleeve, this creates a sleeveless flying suit which is tres cas and very cool in the tropics. It goes well with hairy arm pits and the FMJ look.

Not recommended for lying as there is nowhere to put your knife, fork and spoon.