The end after 24 years in military aviation.

[PaulG40]

Glad to see you've got a good job to go into!

Out of interest, what jobs are generally out there for ex-crewmen (NCA loady) or rather what do most of you go on to?

I only ask as I've recently decided against cross trading from techie and going for NCA (although yes it's closed at mo) and head over to the 'darkside' instead as I was concerned over pension and civvie job opportunities after the RAF.

Did you PVR or get redundancy, or was it end of your engagement?

Good luck in the future, massive respect for chinny cabbies

[anonymous-user]

Fat Albert said:

Nice one CK, when did you go through Shawbury?
I went through in 1988/89 on courses 67 & 68 (yes I was back-flighted before I was chopped)

I was way after that mate, 1997-8. Whilst you were at Shawbury I was learning my first trade.....by spannering retired Hunters, JPs and Jags at Halton, goats and all.
Nearest I got to a Wessex was being given a rack of over 400 individual components, a very dog-eared AP and two weeks to turn it all in to a fully functional Gnome engine (for the non-flyers that's an engine called a Gnome, not the power plant for a small garden statuette).
PG40....civvy jobs for ex-SH crewmen are a little hit & miss really as there's not really an equivalent of "green" helicopter ops on the outside. Those with SAR quals and experience have a slightly better chance as that's where most civilian contracts are and thus tend to demand a background of drinking tea, hanging out with future kings and dangling on the end of a wire. There is a bit of other contract work out there....yer know, Blackwater type stuff but I've been shot at enough times already thanks.
Other than that there are a few openings in aviation ground jobs.....training, human factors, recruitment and stuff like that where the insight in to aviation is more what matters.
I've opted to go in a totally different direction, away from flying completely (for now....dunno what might happen in a year's time).
It was my decision to leave and having passed my 22 year point on the older pension scheme, my circumstances were, admittedly, quite favourable compared to the T&Cs the guys'n'gals have to sign up to nowadays.

[perdu]

Crossflow Kid said:

I was way after that mate, 1997-8. Whilst you were at Shawbury I was learning my first trade.....by spannering retired Hunters, JPs and Jags at Halton, goats and all.
Nearest I got to a Wessex was being given a rack of over 400 individual components, a very dog-eared AP and two weeks to turn it all in to a fully functional Gnome engine (for the non-flyers that's an engine called a Gnome, not the power plant for a small garden statuette)

not that it matters except for pure interest, but

was it fully functional when you finished?

Only asking because of my Wessex fanboi credentials needing the occasional "top-up"

and like the rest of us have said

Thanks for what you did and good fortune go with you in the new career

[anonymous-user]

perdu said:

not that it matters except for pure interest, but

was it fully functional when you finished?

Yes. The final phase was to place it on a test rig and run it up to max power, ensure various parameters were met and so on. No point building it if it didn't work at the end.

perdu said:

Thanks for what you did and good fortune go with you in the new career

Edited by anonymous-user on Friday 30th September 10:19

[Fat Albert]

When did you go through Swinderby? I went in April '88 on 17 flight
Was AAITC still at Finningley when you went through?

[mrloudly]

Well done chap and, as previously stated, thank you!

Ever come across Adie Culverhouse?

[anonymous-user]

Fat Albert said:

When did you go through Swinderby? I went in April '88 on 17 flight
Was AAITC still at Finningley when you went through?

Oct '87. Pass out parade fly-past was a Lightning (and not a historic one either )
By the time I remustered AAITC had moved (just) to Cranwell.

Edited by anonymous-user on Saturday 1st October 08:22

[TackleburyUk]

Thanks for your service mate.

Good luck on 'the other side'

[Fat Albert]

Crossflow Kid said:

Oct '87. Pass out parade fly-past was a Lightning (and not a historic one either )
By the time I remustered AAITC had moved (just) to Cranwell.

Edited by Crossflow Kid on Saturday 1st October 08:22

So was mine! The very last Lightning Passing out parade, in fact my Dad spent the whole time with his back to the Parade watching the lightnings holding out to the South!