Thread: When Rotary Wing Aircraft went from RAAF to Army

Originally Posted by dhc4ever

...I have several stories regarding my views and my experiences during the takeover while I was at 5 sqn which morphed into the Australian Defense Force Helicopter School....

Is that you Pete?

Matt

Originally Posted by Ratel10mm

Is that you Pete?

Matt

Yes Matt.
Get around dont I

Originally Posted by Celtoid

RAAF pilots 'generally' did not want to fly helicopters...they wanted fast jets. It was 'generally' the low performers that got posted to Helo SQNs. Obviously not completely true, but it played it's part.

Whilst very few (if any) duxes of course went off to fly helos, the vast majority had worked out by the end of the course that fast jets, and in particular Williamtown, were not for them. From the RAAF blokes on my course, there were quite a few with a first preference for helos (the RAN people were a little more stuck, as A4 slots were like hen's teeth). The knucks weren't necessarily the best performers (although it's fair to say they were always in the top half), but they all had very similar attitudes.

I would also like to say that i spent time at the pointy end and also down the blunt end of maintaining Hercs, Caribous, Hornets and Pigs. Whilst i spent my share of time in clean sheets with the pointy end.... Wasnt often enought for my liking and it wasnt until i had spent my time in the bush with the Hercs and Bous. You dont find too many fast jets landing on dirt strips etc as it tends to break things that make it hard for them to actually do their job again.

I did spend time painted in dull green and brown paint picking the supposedly good stuff out of rat packs with "bous" in the bush and overseas.

I remember one time on exercise in some bush somewhere in Northern QLD getting a good telling off by my snake when i had carried a freshly brewed coffee in my cups canteen to the gun pit for a "stand to".... I wasnt going to leave it behind to get cold was i !!!.....Cups canteen in one hand and rifle in the other....

I have plenty of healthy repect for the AJ's doing it tough living in the bush. If i wanted to do more of that stuff i probably would have joined the Army. I have plenty of mates still doing it.

I dont think there is any good in saying people arent tough enough for not spending enough time in a gun pit or running around the bush. I have a healthy respect for the people that have done it and still do. I give them their due respect when i march on ANZAC day with them and with all the other returned servicemen and woman.

I wear my medals with pride and hopefully my kids will wear mine and my wifes medals with pride one day.

If i have given any offense to anyone by my comments i can be found in Perth occasionaly when back from a mine site, and we can discuss it all over a cold frothy looking at a sunset over the ocean. By then we will hopefully forget the differences between Green, Blue or White and agree that we had good times in whatever colour uniform we wore.

On a side note.... The Navy's DPCU's do look like pajamas though..... I laughed when i first saw one of my mates in them.....

What bunch of cry babies you crabs are. No wonder the army guys hurt you every opportunity they could. I have never heard so much rubbish in all my life. Its all born of a hate for the army.Dont know why it exists, I had to do training on RAAF bases and the comtempt I got from your SNCO's was disgusting and in some cases it was reported to my seniors because it was so bad. Theres nothing wrong with being trained hard and tough...hell we had to be....we were expected to kill people. But you guys would throw it in our faces. Funny, we never got that response from the Navy.

Crabs eh,
spoken like a true army jerk. Got over yourself yet?
I worked extensively with the army for over 18 yrs, I trained quite a few on Iroquoise and Squirrels, I even got sentenced to Oakey for my efforts for 6 months. Only had problems with a few know-it-all malcontents, a few of the flying rear view mirrors and the odd pilot and anything that called itself an aircraft handler.
Most of the guys at my level were pretty good and generally switched on.
What I had the major problem with was the "its just a truck with wings" and you crabs know nothing attitude (we know boats)that seemed to come from the top.
You obviously have extensive army aviation experience, lets hear it................

hmmm .....do you know why or admit why you were called crabs?

You obviously have extensive army aviation experience, lets hear it................(cricket, cricket, cricket)

Or do you want to persist with the childish name calling?
I can guarantee my vocabulary is bigger than yours........

On second thoughts don't worry about it, I've argued with AJ's in the past and don't want to be dragged back down to that level again.