Hmm - a bit of counter-intuitive here - it took 2 1/2 years at Cranditz with questionable results - so the new team can't be dumber to do it in whatever time it takes now!

johnfairr wrote:Which brings to mind the image of a certain Section Officer who might shortly have found her shirt becoming rather creased....






























Oh go on - it's been a while.....:ok:

So, in the past 20 or so years, how many times has the duration of Sandhurst and Dartmouth been changed?

My IOT at Kirton in Lindsey lasted 13 weeks in 1955, followed by 6 days leave before starting flying training at Ternhill. Service writing, boot polishing, square bashing and block cleaning hardly prepared us for a dazzling career in the RAF. Plenty of flying though :ok:

Allegedly taught to be an officer and gentleman in 1953, expected to wear a hat in civies, and raise your hat when meeting a lady.
Not sure how much of it stuck, do wear a hat now, having run out of hair.
Did get an excellent wife, not sure how much the training worked towards that

Nomad, remember the calling cards, station parades etc.

Last parade I recall was at Kinloss in 78 after that there seemed a dose of common sense.

In 1985 IOT was summed up as: 17 weeks 5 days, Cranwell in a rear view mirror and then on with the real training to prepare you for the next 20 years.

Alternative headline:

"The World turns, time moves on, The Times still stuck in the 1930's"

If staffing at IOT is reduced then where could you send all of the failed blunties instead?

33 weeks? How the heck do they fill the time in? I enlisted at OCTU, RAF Feltwell on 23nd September 1964, and was commissioned on 16th December. That works out as 12 weeks. The aircrew equivalent (at South Cerney, IIRC) was 16 weeks, but they had to be taught how to do sums. I could already do them, so I didn't miss the extra four weeks ;)

When Queenie paid for my flying, we completed about 180hrs on the JP3/5 before being streamed. Has that been dumbed down? :zzz:

Perhaps another week on the course ;)

IOT
 

Does anyone actually fail IOT these days?

Can I plead predictive text?

Or guilty to lack of proof reading?

The job did have its lighter moments. Secret files 'secured' in wooden filing cabinets, Top Secret signals hidden in Secret folders for security. A gp capt ringing up asking if I had got THE LIST. Eventually, without disclosing its name, I discovered that it was the Bomber Command List of Soviet Air Defences. The boss kept it in a holdall in his room because it was so sensitive. Of course none of these breaches worried me in my ignorance.

During IOT I was periodically asked if I'd slept in my uniform when it wasn't quite up to inspection standards. In Section Officer Harvey's case, I think the answer could have been a resounding 'Yes!' ;)

18 weeks for me. Ironically, the only part that was useful was the Office Simulator: I was in charge of organising the air display and spent most of it drinking coffee, eating choccy digestives and having a few ciggies here and there; by the time I left the RAF I had been involved in organising three displays - the drills stood me in good stead!

Whatever is/was an 'Office Simulator'?

It's where you get to practice drills for No. 1 stapler failure, a flashing low paper clip caption and the like in relative safety. Or in my case, try to chat up the female Flt Cdr from the other flight who was playing the role of troublesome baby Fg Off during an interview (and to her immense credit she played along with it!)

I think it did have a serious purpose though, it allowed you to perfect the art of getting the brews in in a safe environment before being let loose on a merciless crew room!

I remember a task that resulted in me having to telephone someone sat <6' away from me. A poor connection resulted in me standing and walking over to chat face to face with the person I needed to speak to.

Think I was told I had a poor attitude in the debrief.

The technique of chatting face-to-face served me well over the next 20-odd years. It also served to reinforce my distain for emailed (or otherwise) edicts from 'senior' officers - esspecially those from chisellers who forwarded those from above which I'd already received, read, and given a damn good ignoring.

A US Army view of a similar situation.




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