RAF 100th Anniversary - 1st April 2018

[admin]

Will be busting a gut to get the site upgrade finished before the 1st. Wouldn't want to interrupt the festivities on the 1st. To all ex- and current RAF members who frequent our pages do have the happiest of days. Memories of my eight years serving are of some of the best years of my life. Memories that will never fade. I salute you, one and all.

Admin/Alison

[Sisemen]

I wouldn’t change my 30 years for anything. Extremely grateful to the RAF for giving me the life that I had then and lead now.

[ian16th]

Add me to the list of those being grateful for the training, both technical and personal. It enabled a very good civilian career.

The 13 years of my life was well worth it. I do believe that my service dates of 1952 to 65, that were almost parallel to the 1951-64 trade & rank structure, was the optimum time to be a techie in the RAF.

Met many top guys, most of whom I was able to call mates. Never had a 'bad posting'. More than 2 years, including 3 winters at Yatesbury were demanding, but the training was top class.

Character building early postings to Lindholme & Coningsby, interspaced with some of the visits to Yatesbury. Followed by 3 very enjoyable postings that totalled over 7 of my years.

A year in the South of France and 2 years accompanied in Cyprus as a newly wed were definite highlights.

In between the 2 overseas stints, I did nearly 4 years on 214 Squadron doing the tanker trials and subsequently being the 1st operational tanker squadron got me lots of free travel to exotic 'ot & sandy places.

Even the night shifts in winter, on bracing east of England dispersals were tolerable.

Happy Daze

[Capetonian]

Plane difficult: Can you identify these RAF aircraft?

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/0/plan ... WKT8W14PZT

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

Thanks Cape!
81-93 Reflections
Old to New: Flew a Tiger off Cranwell's North Airfield, was on the first ab-initio F3 course.
I nearly died at least 7 times; people I knew weren't so lucky - drinking on their bar book till dawn.
Cold War: Match Postponed, Pools Panel Home Win
50,000 feet over the Norwegian Sea supersonic at night, watching the Merry Dancers with every internal and external light off.
Simply the best instruction anywhere on the Planet, and not just flying. I still remember the SACW Ops Clerk teaching us how to fablon & fold a map properly, and the Drill Sergeant with his apron on showing us how to press a ballgown.
Night silent procedures tanking. Popping up next to the tanker's cockpit & giving them the drink handsignal, and seeing the hoses start trailing.
Everyone, Air Commodore to AC, focused on the job. Never having to 'order' anyone to do anything.
"After your overshoot, cleared climb to FL330. Manchester Control would like your climb heading"."Vertical"
You had to leave to realise just how pathetic most of the rest of the world is in comparison.
On a 250' chasedown, flicking the HUD from Mach to IAS and seeing 835 kts, 35 kts over maximum. I had no idea that was even possible. Thinking 'F#ck it, it isn't rattling'. Switch back to Mach and keep accelerating.
"We've had more fun in a weekend than most people do in a lifetime" as one of my navs said.
US Lieutenant Colonel: "If you guys had our aeroplanes, we'd still be a colony."

[ExSp33db1rd]

Add me to the list of those being grateful for the training, both technical and personal. It enabled a very good civilian career.

#MeToo !! Although only National Service, kicking and screaming against, in the end I enjoyed my two years and tried to enlist permanently, only to be thwarted by a certain Defence Minister who declared that pilots were no longer needed,rockets were the way of the future. Actually, he did me a favour, not complaining about the way Life turned out - so far !

[Sisemen]

No matter whether you did 4 months or 40 years you can take the person out of the RAF but you cannot take the RAF out of the person.

Happy 100.

[Alisoncc]

Psychs and the like talk about ages 16 to 24 as the formative years. So as soon as you jump when a DI says so, you will jump for the rest of your life.

Alison

[Sisemen]

Ah, but the rebellious amongst us will always try to shave an inch or two off