retired_drumcook

You can tell he's an arab from that?

retired_dawn12302

Yeah, there were fantastic prospects for school leavers in Southampton in 1986, just as Vospers shut and the construction industry jacked it, and Maggie stopped dole for the under 18s. I sold pies for a bit from the back of a van on St Mary's market, but I couldn't really see a career forming there.

Many of my cohorts were slung out of childrens homes at 16, only for their dole to be stopped. WTF were they supposed to do? The good/lucky ones managed to join the infantry. The rest of the poor bastards ended up in the AAC.

As for those who join today, it may surprise you to know that the recruiting office rather plays down the bummers and people sort of expect that in modern Britain working for the government means decent treatment. Ah, the blissful ignorance of youth. </BLOCKQUOTE>

Oi ! It's "Wind Bert up", not Edward. :herman:

Actually, Plymouth in '73 was not much better. The dole or slavery in some warehouse or other. Went into the Careers Office after a session one lunchtime, did the test and was told to pick anything on the list of careers that was offered to me. Chose AAC because it seemed the least dangerous option at the time.

retired_ks reddy

Helicopters appearing as the LEAST dangerous option would suggest you cheated outrageously in the intelligence tests.

retired_dawn12302

They're only dangerous if you go in 'em/up in 'em.

Never voluntarily, I can assure you.

And anyway, Intelligence Test ? Was that where he asked me if I wanted to join the Tankies or the D&D's ? If so, I passed that with flying colours. :thup:

retired_dawn12302

Aptitude Tests, iirc.

retired_ks reddy

Yeah, some arithmatic and loads of cogs and levers and stuff iirc.

Used to love going up in helis, except the RAF ones obviously as they always put you down further away from your destination than you were when you got in. Gits

retired_dawn12302

The only chopper I ever roped out of was a Crab beast. A Wessex, iirc. That was during training for my first trip to Ireland.

What a stupid idea that was. :d

retired_ks reddy

We never roped out in NI, it was always a fearsome auto-rotation, flare then jump.

Probably got all the technical terms wrong. Remember one time a bloke lost his grip on his rifle which rose to the deckhead then came down and knocked him sparko when we flared.

retired_dawn12302

Auto-rotation and flare. :thup: The funnest thing ever about helicoptering. Terminology spot on, btw. ;

retired_ks reddy

Blimey. Always knew when it was going to happen as you'd hear the bastard driver sniggering even over the rotor noise. Then a massive cowboy whooping as we fell out of the sky.

Most impressive ever was an ex with the US 101st, and being driven about by a pilot who'd flown in Vietnam and was determined to make the Limeys puke. He flew literally through trees and hedges, bits flying everywhere.