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Quote:

Originally Posted by Training Risky (Post 10563229)

Agree about the lack of consistency. The RC-135W RIVET JOINT (US desig) seems to be called AIRSEEKER (UK project definition) on the RAF website. Not sure what the crews call it...

General Atomics call the Predator B the MQ-9 REAPER, whch is both the US and UK desig.

The crews call it Rivet Joint. DE&S, the Senior leadership and some of the intelligence community call it AIRSEEKER.

Thanks to all those who cleared up the "Lightning One" query for me.
I am enLIGHTENED"

Maybe it was my old eyes, or my fading memory, but did no-one else notice the 617 Stirlings, of "Dambusters" fame? See my post # 313

I understand that RJ is the air platform, AIRSEEKER is the whole package including the essential ground stations (well, it was a few years back, lounging by to be corrected a la Rees-Mogg)..

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mil-26Man (Post 10562437)

IIRC it was some time after the Typhoon entered service that it received its FGR4 designation

Presumably because they had to get through the T1, F2, and T3 variants before they got to FGR4.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Herod (Post 10563680)

Maybe it was my old eyes, or my fading memory, but did no-one else notice the 617 Stirlings, of "Dambusters" fame? See my post # 313

Indeed.

Much like the rest of the programme, the audio, sub-titles and video were often unrelated and certainly not concurrent. Very poor editing but then I doubt anyone other than a pilot would spot it.

H, thought it may have referred to GG,but he never operated Stirlings...thought they might have brought the Lancaster,or maybe the bricks from the dam, or the Tirpitz tin....

Quote:

Originally Posted by Asturias56 (Post 10563252)

Most early US fighters lacked things such as self-sealing tanks, cockpit armour etc etc plus they were very MG oriented just as the RAF were looking at cannons IIRC

I seem to remember the satisfaction of US saber pilots concerning the way .50 shredded migs in Korea from a number of documentaries ...

still the real german aces did ok with what they had in their 109s...15, 20 then 30mm hub cannon then twin15mm "cannon" over engine replacing 7.9mgs..

Quote:

Originally Posted by flighthappens (Post 10559327)

its about exposure... I’m guessing that she would have been perfectly happy not being centre of attention but it is in the best interest RAF if she can inspire some young ladies who otherwise may not have considered the forces.

And the RN.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Training Risky (Post 10559308)

My my, lots of 'White Knights' on here! Dry your eyes ladies. I have worked with lots of women while I was in, some good, some bad, but not one of them ever needed to be the centre of attention for a TV programme or be filmed talking to kids and getting special attention for their gender. That bit was cringeworthy...

How dare she! It’s not as though women are under-represented among service pilots and need any specific encouragement. In 2014, there were 80 or so out of about 2,360 so they must have constituted what, at least 3%? Quite a high proportion given the number of outdated, misogynic attitudes like yours they must have had to overcome along the way.

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/reque...01358.pdf.html

Quote:

Using information from the Joint Personnel Administration system, Defence Statistics can identify that as at 1 December 2014 there were 60 female pilots in the RAF and as at 1 December 2013 there were 50 female pilots in the RAF.

Using information supplied by the Army Air Corps, there were 20 female pilots in the Army as at 1 February 2015 and 20 female pilots as at the 1 May 2014.

Using information from the Joint Personnel Administration system, Defence Statistics can identify that as at 1 December 2014 there were 10 female pilots in the Royal Navy / Royal Marines and as at 1 December 2013 there were 10 female pilots in the Royal Navy / Royal Marines.

Please note that figures have been rounded to the nearest 10, numbers ending in “5” have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias.

https://assets.publishing.service.go...1427452359.pdf

Quote:

Using information from the Joint Personnel Administration system, Defence Statistics can identify that as at 1 December 2014 there were 1,790 trained regular pilots in the RAF and as at 1 December 2013 there were 1,830 pilots in the RAF.

Using information supplied by the Army Air Corps, there was estimated to be approximately 540 trained pilots on strength in the Army at September 2014, and 550 trained pilots on strength in the Army at February 2015.

Using information from the Joint Personnel Administration system, Defence Statistics can identify that as at 1 December 2014 there were 530 pilots in the Royal Navy / Royal Marines and as at 1 December 2013 there were 550 pilots in the Royal Navy / Royal Marines.

Please note that figures have been rounded to the nearest 10, numbers ending in "5" have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias.

"How dare she! It’s not as though women are under-represented among service pilots. In 2014, there were 80 or so out of about 2,360 so they must have constituted what, at least 3%? "

A hit - a palpable hit!!!!! :ok: :ok: :ok:

Purely out of interest, are there any flying gigs* where the lady pilots have not yet arrived?

CG

* eg, if there are lady Typhoon pilots, are there lady Typhoon instructors? Similarly, any ladies at the 'Real Top Gun School'?

Quote:

Originally Posted by charliegolf (Post 10565452)

I'm sure Kirsty Stewart was a Hawk QFI creamie

Yes she was. Until about 2004. There was another female creamie there at the same time.

There hasn’t been a female QFI on the Hawk T2 yet.

I will let a Typhoon guy tell you about their fleet.

BV

PS. Why are we letting a debate about gender hijack a thread such as this anyway? None of the girls I have met in this job so far have asked for or received any special treatment. None of them actively seek the limelight either. They just want to get on with their jobs. I bet they cringe every time they read things like this.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Viking (Post 10565534)

PS. Why are we letting a debate about gender hijack a thread such as this anyway? None of the girls I have met in this job so far have asked for or received any special treatment. None of them actively seek the limelight either. They just want to get on with their jobs. I bet they cringe every time they read things like this.

The times you wish PPRUNE had a 'Like' button. I thought we'd done this debate 20 years ago

Not in the backwoods I'm afraid.....................

Bob Viking - I entirely agree that this attention is not sought by the women themselves, but there is no doubt that journalists and the like will always seek to feature women in what might be considered to be a male dominated environment. I recently watched a very interesting programme about railways in Scotland, and a visitor from Mars would have drawn the conclusion that all trains were driven by women, such was the emphasis given to them by the programme makers. A while ago I also pointed out that although less than 20% of Air Transport Auxiliary pilots in WW2 were women, you never heard anything about the 80% who were men. Indeed one of our number on here (I forget who) posted that until I pointed this out he had been under the impression that the ATA had been an all female organisation. I repeat, I don't blame the women themselves for this, but the programme makers, who don't seem to be able to get over the fact that women can fly aircraft, drive trains or indeed do anything except have babies and bake cakes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tarantonight (Post 10557372)

Certainly down there somewhere -Zimbabwe maybe? I thought the same, very slight accent though.

TN.

I thought I caught a hint of Norn Iron RP - that strangled Northern Irish accent that comes from living with the English and having to slow down to be understood. :))