How do you know there is a Harrier pilot on the forum?
 

I smiled when I was reminded of that - but it got me thinking. What personal qualities have been anecdotally attached to other aeroplane types? For instance, how did Lightning pilots act and regard themselves, compared to Buccaneer pilots, or.. say, Hunter/Tonka/Jags etc?

I cannot conceive that any fighter pilot should eve be imbued with high levels of humility (nor should it be so), but is there a 'nice' type of (more) humble pilot? I can see why (for istance) Puma pilots have a lot to be modest about, but in other types as well, who rules the roost - for instance, VC10 pilots or Tristar drivers? And how is Typhoon pride bedding in? With fewer other types to wave one's willy at, and relentless tempo, is pride in one's type actually diminishing on the surface?

Just wondering.. a bit of fun maybe, but with a genuine interest. :ok:

Just don't bend down when a Jag mate's around!

Or a Merlin mate for that matter :eek:

Puma pilots modest?????
Never took John Wayne to be modest!!

Saddle up me horse whilst I put me spurs on, I am a puma pilot!:)

What do you reckon 4Greens is all about?

All part of your 5 portions a day . :eek:

How do you know he's ex Shackletons?

What...

How do you know he's ex Shackletons?

What...

How do you kno........:ouch:

Wen.

Cos' he's deaf and got Griffon tinnitus.

AD'.

How do you know there's a Lightning pilot in the bar?

He has his left hand in front pointing to the left and his right hand in the 5 o'clock position ready for the kill.

This pose cannot last too long as he would get thirsty.

PN your post about Lightning pilots re-enacting ACM (dogfights) in the bar reminded me of story my dad (also an ex-RAF pilot) told me of a sign in a pub near to a well-known FTS.....

It read "Would all low flying pilots please avoid the glasses; All breakages are to be paid for".

Classic .:ok:

MB

VC10/Tristar/C130 pilots always have atpl books in one hand, the imprest in the other.

Chinook pilots smell.

Harrier pilots never walk into a bar on their own and always make use of the handbag hooks.

F3 navs always tell you how great the aircraft is whilst their pilots reminisce about the F4.

F3 Navs ask you if you'd like to go large for another 40p...

The pilots will be the ones in the bar studiously ignoring the fact that the engineers are outside in the rain fixing all the broken jets and will be for several hours in order for the jets to be fixed to make a first wave time that they know will be scrubbed due to "tired" pilots.

they will also not be buying the engineers a beer when they stagger in just before closing time as it is not done to socialise with the pond life.

The exception to this rule are exchange pilots, pilots who lost a bet with the rects controller and had to help drink his own fine, pilots who were saved by the engineers hard work and pilots who have deployed with the engineers

that rules out most of them...

So why don't the engineers move the aircraft into the hangar?

...because they drink in different messes. Or is it the JEngOs who will be outside in the rain on Planet Cornish?

Unlikely - why would a pilot waste his time sparring with pond life?

Oh - so you're saying that not many pilots have been saved by engineers' hard work. So perhaps the save rate would increase if more engineers worked hard?

That some sort of event for mincing gayboy loiterers then?:E

and that coming from an F3 'backseater'!! http://forums.airshows.co.uk/images/...milieclown.gif

Ex-F3 backseater, thanks! And abso-bl**dy-lutely ;)

Torque - you mean you've never gone on det with the engineers and done a bit of no ranks team building ?

It's the smug supercilious (sp) attitude between the aircrew and the engineers that, particularly on fast jets, makes a sqn less able.

And yes I speak from seeing good bonding and bad, a well bonded sqn gets far more done than one where the engineers think all the jockeys are useless ham fisted stinking monkeys and the aircrew are of the opinion the engineers are fat lazy uckers playing should have tried harder types - for an unbiased opinion have a little look on ARRSE

Cornish,

As it happens, I've done plenty - my post was entirely tongue-in-cheek as, I suspect, was yours. Like you, I've seen both good and bad relations between aircrew and groundcrew at different units and fully agree with your comments about resulting unit effectiveness (though my experience is on RW rather than FJ). Sadly, there are too many people (on both sides of the house) who are more interested in one-upmanship...

How many QHIs does it take to change a light bulb?

Just the one. He stands still and holds it and expects the rest of the world to revolve around him.

Who's back seat are you on now Frodo? ;)

Old joke, new target...never seen it aimed at rotary guys before! Sounds like a dig from an FJ jock who's jealous of those who may still have a job in six months time?

Oi, watch it! I'll get my memsab on to you (and yes she's got Jaguar time).:E

Q) How many Typhoon pilots does it take to change a lightbulb?

A) 10 - one to actually change the bulb, the rest to stand around going, "I could have done that better."

You can always tell F4 pilots - they're the ones shuffling around aimlessly waiting for their navigators to tell them where to go - and what to do!

Doesn't matter, really. They all look the same on the end of the rescue hoist :p

Airborne from RAF Gutersloh during EX. BOLD GAUNTLET May 1983, roaring around at low level in one's trusty F-4....

"OK, where are we, Impiger?"

"No idea, mate!"

Hmmm....:p

TorqueOfTheDevil
The smart money is on Sloppy Link still having a job in six months time - He's an AH pilot!:ok:

BEags - at least 'no idea' was honest I could have said 'over Germany' which would have been absolutely correct if not exactly helpful!

More importantly while talking to a couple of ladies from the Malcolm Club staff (Malies!) someone commented that life at Gutersloh must be one exciting social whirl with all these dashing Harrier chaps about.

'Not really said Malie 1 - they're too busy polishing their Porsches!'

'And their rockets rejoined Malie 2!':D:D:D

'West' Germany would at least have been partially reassuring!

Good banter from the Mallies!

Polishing their wot...??

Its a thing that goes over a doorway, I think.

It's a sort of Volkswagen.........


.

As all the old jokes are surfacing, here's something of a truism...

Q. What's the difference between a VC10 and a VC10 crew?

A. The VC10 stops WHINING when the engines are shut down.

(Accomodation, allowance rates, schedules, working hard, the rest of the RAF, the Army, the Navy, passengers, other aircraft, not being magically promoted to Sqn Ldr on LHS transition any more, fitness tests et.c et.c ad infinitum...)

Indeed Topbunker; I remember well the VC10 crew whining like hell insisting that they needed 'sleep'. They whined all the time! Particularly when we were playing volleyball at 0300 in Ascension during the Falklands fracas! We didn't think we were being particularly noisy. Nimrod crews are generally, very quiet types.

PingDit
Don't forget the VC10ers biggest whinge of all - when the Falklands gig took off, they were forced to wear (shock; horror) flying suits!
The concomitant stench of moth-balls was overwhelming.

http://www.augk18.dsl.pipex.com/Smileys/showering.gif

Talking of tooling about in your F4 BEags..
 

Here's one for you..:ok:

YouTube - joluqa's Channel

Interesting clip - thanks. Long, long before my rather brief time on the mighty beast though.

Glad someone managed to pull the safety pins and fit the Fletchers before they took-off.

Any idea of the airfield in the piece - considering they talk of Marham & Wattisham as diversions, assuming the briefing is factual:rolleyes:
"and two, three and four you arent to go to sleep and leave it all to the leader"........So that was how it was done, and there was me thinking it was all down to that electornic gubbings mentioned earlier by our intrepid reporter:}

Gütersloh, early 80s. Those were the days. I enjoyed the satisfaction of seeing the F4 exhaust nozzles open up and the reheat ignite as the crew finally figured out where you'd got to.

And there was also the amusement of getting back into the circuit, shortly to be joined by intrepid air defender, then the calls on Guard of "F4 in Gütersloh zone, please call on UHF" and "Sorry, I'll phone after landing."

1957 - Luga Officers Transit Mess Bar. Several Valiant crews in flying suits were getting up the noses of the Transport Command boozers every time they got up to buy drinks and their knee restraints clanked together.

Next morning an entry appeared in the suggestions book. Suggest the bar be pressurised to make the V Force feel at home.