The end after 24 years in military aviation.

[anonymous-user]

So this is part BP&T, part Jobs & Employment and a bit Loungey too, but for what it's worth and for those who are interested.....
This afternoon I shook the boss's hand, surrendered my ID card, took one last look in the hangar and then came home, bringing to an end 24 years in the Royal Air Force, all of it on the Chinook force, first as a techy, then latterly as a crewman, racking up over 2000 hours, from Northern Ireland to Afghanistan via pretty much all stops in between.
I guess I could launch in to a Blade Runnneresque "I've seen things you people wouldn't believe....." but then again, nor would I had I not seen them with my own eyes.
To those I leave behind, stay strong, stay safe, and continue to uphold the finest traditions of a sadly dying breed. You are The Few for the 21st century.
To all the civvies out there........is there room for one more?

APU to 'stop', battery 'off'

Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 29th September 01:00

[anonymous-user]

Farm boy said:

Are you retiring or what awaits you?

I've got a position waiting for me in the company that turn this:

in to this:

and this:

in to this:


So I've gone from flying for a living and Land Rovers as an interest, to Land Rovers for a living and flying as an interest.

[anonymous-user]

Lefty said:

Land Rover SV or one of the independants?

It's with a large indepedant.
Aeronautical engineering isn't really an option as I crossed over from that trade way back in 1996....and don't have any licenses.
Without them, the money ain't so good. Anyway, I figured a change is as good as a rest.

[anonymous-user]

Yes Doug, yes that's right. I think I get to test the pretty lights too.

[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.

[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

[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