Ideas?
 

Hello Wobblyheads

I am an eighteen-year-old lass due to begin Initial Officer Training with the RAF later this year. My branch is Navigator, although there is a chance it may change (back) to Pilot.

As you probably know the RAF tends to stream most of it's 'potentials' towards FJ. I, however, have a particular penchant for Helicopters, especially Chinooks. Is there anybody who is currently/used to be in the services that can give me some tips on how to get shunted towards Wokkas? It's unusual not to be a jet-head I know, but any input would be appreciated.

Plus, any suggestions/offers of rides/visits/AEF in helos would be received with open arms. There's no such thing as too much experience.

Awaiting any responses........

[This message has been edited by YakYak (edited 31 July 2000).]

Yak Yak
The main thing to do is make your preferences known, a number of both navs and pilots have come rotary that way. After IOT it's likely you will have a short holding post and a good thing to do is arrange a hold yourself. If you are mad keen on rotary, go for Odiham or Benson. You may want Odiham because you are keen on Chinooks, but Benson has a number of advantages - RWOETU (Tactics, trials), MSHAFT (Sim complex) and 33 Sqn (Puma)/28 Sqn (Merlin) - these units at Benson deal with all types and usually are receptive to holding officers. As to making sure you go helicopters, you should consider getting in touch with 60(R) Sqn at DHFS (Shawbury). Your rotary nav course is run by this Sqn (the Sqn 2ic is a nav) and nav students have used this route in the past. The QHNIs at 60 will then have some influence on your subsequent posting. If you end up going direct to nav school, the school usually does a visit to 60. If you are that motivated (and up to it) it shouldn't be a problem - provided you let people know what you want.

Yak Yak, you said that you were going to the loo, I turn my head for 5 minutes and you've bu55ered off to speak to my fellow chopper pukes.
Now what was the question?
Fixed wing flying is all very well but you can't beat the real thing!
I know several people who said from the start that they wanted to go rotary.

remember the song:

Fast-jet pilots, they sound so punchy on the R/T,
But when they bang out, 40 miles out, they call for Rotary.

Group 2 pilots (multi), designer labels they have all got,
but you ask the girlies what they prefer and a big chopper beats the lot


Missed you at Farnboro, would have been worth it (for me anyway)

Hey there YakYak ,

I was not in the Forces but if you are interested I will be flying in the next couple of weeks so if you want to go for a drive I might be able to help.......

Let me know


Seeya

The Bear......

------------------
Chopper pilots do it vertically....:-)

EESDL

Sorry I wasn't at Farnborough, you'd never recover from the heatbreak if I had been (chuckles).

Yogi - FLIGHT! Where? Yes yes yes, drop me an email as soon as you can get that mousey thing to click on 'mail' above my post.

Cheers boys

Yakkers