Samsonite suitcases banned!
 

It appears that the Staish at Lyneham, who clearly doesn't have enough to worry about, has banned crews from taking Samsonites down route. To project the correct 'corporate image' they are to lug their kit in Op black bags around the terminals and hotels of the world.

Is this the end of Hercules route operations as we used to know them?

A bit daft to be so readily identifiable in a civilian environment by carrying a military item of luggage, given today's change in threat risk?

Are there really such anally retentive people in today's RAF who have nothing better to concern themselves with? It sounds like yet another duck nibble which you really don't need.....:\

Good to hear that you still get the odd 'route trip' though.

Wow, I never thought it was the suit case that gave it away. I just looked for the fat wheezy tosser vacuum packed in a dirty flying suit

Doesn't sound much like a hard case?:O

Stop picking on the GE :E

More stupidity that makes me glad i'm out. When the masive storms hit Thumrait in May 02 those of us who had bothered were exceedingly glad that our kit was in a waterproof samsonite. The "posers" using fancy cammo bags had wet kit .. mine was all nice and dry, unlike the inside of the FBT.

http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/251/rain15.jpg

Harsh, very harsh.

Isn't everyone getting out of the grey C-130 parked on the pan a bit of a clue as well?

The end of Hercules route operations as used to be, stopped around about 2003. Whilst the very occasional route may come up now, the days of hotacing around the world are pretty much over.

I for one couldn't care less that my samsonite will only come out once a year. Frankly, I'm more bothered about whether the airbridge is adequately funded to get me there or back in the same week.

It's a large black holdall, very much like any other of the trillions of holdalls that frequent baggage reclaims in airports worldwide.

So please, can we take off the rose-tinted specs and get back to talking about some of the more pressing issues that we in the RAF and the military in general are facing right now?

They'll be going back to the stupid practice of hopping around Albert's freight bay changing into blues pre de-planing next!

Un-fecking believable! You'd think that the 'Wheels' would have better things to do with their time - sadly not.

Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose I guess.

Glad I'm out of it.

Ok. There were 2 reasons for posting this - first, to highlight the surfeit of time that the originator of this decision obviously has, when he could be concerned with such trivia as the future of his aircraft fleet post-SDSR, or its move to BZN & the closure of his station. Second, to have a bit of a laugh at said decision, particularly as few have or need a Samsonite these days as there are, indeed, few routes left. If we can't have a bit of fun on these threads then all that's left is a load of hopeless whinging about

Harsh but possibly the funniest quote on PPRUNE this year.

:}

Edicts such as this gave a very insightful look into the morale, motivation and well-being of an organisation. When Commanders have the time to address "boots and mail" issues, it usually demonstrates that:

a. They have so little control over the pressing matters of the day they might as well handle the trivia.
or;
b. They have zero grasp of the concept of incentivising their units and working cohesively.
or;
c. They found their mother getting an extra portion of salami from a Samsonite salesman when they were 5.

Either way, the "rule of 2" applies - i.e. in 2 years either I'll be gone or that knob will be gone.

Samsonite's, think he might be a bit too busy this week advertising for a new Chief Blunty to worry about how we carry our clothes round the bazaars :p

What CrabinCab said!

Had me giggling for ages, wifey thought I had gone nuts.

Would you care to elaborate?

A 'Gladston Bag', presumably?

As I lie here in my tent freezing my nads off at 0645 on this fine Cornish morning, it warms me greatly to learn that it's Ops Normal at Lyneham! Love it :)

Yes, this sounds much more fun.....go on.....?

Now that was funny! (Much more so than the offensive bit about overwieght Herc aircrew!)

Actually it was a throw away line from the Staish that appears to have become gospel!

More worryingly, I can't believe some of the utter ****e being posted by people on here who clearly have no idea what a great leader he actually is.
:mad:

Do you know-the man?
 

I had the honour of serving on the same Sqn, and have the utmost respect, but to ban "Samsonite Warriors!" is as mad as closing the Wiltshire Centre of Excellence for Airlift! :=