garnerlives:
Got an appointment at the AFCO in Leicester on 19th Feb, just wondered if there are any old RAF guys on here, mainly Logistics-Drivers type people if so could you make yourselves known so I can pick some brains and ask some general questions via pm please. Also if any army boys want to talk me into going the army route feel free to do so
Cheers in advance
Jon
and what is wrong with the Navy (senior service)?
nothing but i cant drive a truck on water, and thats what i’d like to do, saying that underwater mine diffuser sounds a wicked job in the navy
I used to work with an ex Navy type, he got his HGV’s in the Navy but served in Submarines. confused the hell out of me.
Where do they do RAF basics now? and is it still 6 weeks then onto trade training?
RAF reserves forces still recruit until 50 years old.
Units at 501 Squadron,RAF Regiment.
Units at 4624 Squadron Movements.
Would highly recommend that.Strict medical.High fitness levels.
Take a peep at www.raf.reserves.co.uk.
Then to click to Brize Norton.
I was an raf driver for 30 years finished a couple of years ago. The basic trainings at RAF Halton near Aylesbury, i think thats now 8 weeks basic training, ( marching, drill, weapons, uniform etc) You then go from there to the Defence school of transport at Leconfield up near Beverley. They will teach you to drive in cars and Landrovers, then you get trained on heavy goods ( class 3 in old money ) followed by a 4x4 course and convoy training, followed by load restraint training.
After all that you will get your posting to an RAF Camp ( stay away from Brize and Lyneham for your first few years !! ) But be very aware soon as you are close to your first year in you will have already been told which overseas deployment you are going to ( iraq, afghanistan or Falklands normally ). They come about around every 14 months for an MTD.
The normal track is two to three years on a flying base then a posting to 2MT Squadron at RAF Wittering, they have the main heavy goods for the RAF, a couple of hundred artics, on that you get all over europe.
Across the years you get trained on quite a bit of stuff, Artics, Fuel tankers,
Aircraft refuellers, Sweepers, cranes and work close with the aircraft, my most enjoyable was parking Tri-stars and Hercs in a shed on the Falklands in the middle of winter - a really good sphincter test !!
The RAF driving career was really good - but has its down sides such as guard and crew duties, but the positives outweigh the rest.
only make sure your map reading is on the ball or you might yourself sharing a trench with 6 155mm HE shells
He’s a young lad,he’ll have a sat nav ffs. wots map reading
Always remember the nco’s become your mum & dad from the moment you start basic trg till the moment you finish basic.i’m sure they’ll tell you that a few times.
1 tip,if they tell you to do a task/job {even though it seems stupid to you},do it 1st then ask why you had to do it.it’s to see if you can take orders without questioning them.just smile and get on with it,that tends to ■■■■ them off and it does.
Muckles - like your mate I got my HGV whilst serving in Submarines. Class 2 for driving a Green Goddess for 10 weeks during the firemens strike in 1977, and my class 1 as a leaving course in 2001. Diesel submarines were great for visiting foreign ports, as they would get in anywhere. Nuclear boats were not much fun, as no-one wanted you in their docks if they were anywhere near the town centre. I remember visiting Liverpool on Sovereign in the early 80’s. Invited by Liverpool, but berthed in Seaforth docks. Had to catch a bus into town past a sign that said “Welcome to Liverpool - a nuclear free zone”
Much of my time at sea was spent on watch on the helm, but I never knew whether it was properly called driving or flying the boat.
confused the hell out of me. 
