The Further Adventures of Adrian Gates

'Retirement ' the second time around……….. continued

The Challenge Begins
RAF Valley 1996-97

I have delayed the writing of this article because I could not decide what to include as I could fill a book outlining just the first year of the 'Contract'. I will concentrate mainly on training (readers of my previous articles will have noticed a reoccurring 'secondary training role' throughout my Service) and recruitment in this article, but I am sure I will stray from my aim, but as there is no one with a sharp 'red pen' to point out the error of my ways, as in The Service, here goes. However it would appear that such a practice was wide spread across all ranks, often resulting in letters which no longer expressed the view of the original author.

It was clear that it would be impossible to recruit sufficient tradesmen with the knowledge/experience of the average SAC to J/T-Cpl equivalent, except in the MT, Gen Eng and Ground Radio Trades. In addition we needed about 60 personnel to act as Flight Line mechanics and we expected to have to recruit them all from the local area with the attendant training problem. There was a requirement to recruit and if necessary train some 450 Engineering Staff, including about 80 Armourers, quite some task. We expected to be able to recruit sufficient ex WO/SNCOs from the British and Foreign Services to fill the more senior Supervisory and the Management positions. I will remind you of the time scale mentioned in my last article [Journal 17]. It was now Aug 96 and the actual contract start date was 1 Apr 97, only 8 months away, hence the title of this article. It should be born in mind that our training requirement centred round the Hawk aircraft, and associated equipment used at RAF Valley only, unlike our extended Apprenticeship which prepared us for employment on any aircraft or equipment, anywhere in the world.

It had been arranged during the contract submission, if successful, that Barry College in South Wales convert to aircraft fitters, up to 40 personnel who were already experienced fitters working mainly in the garage, general engineering, crane and plumbing trades. The future single skill airframe or engine 'fitters' would attend a four month residential course in S Wales, followed by 2 months practical training at RAF Valley with the Barry College Instructors supervising their students.
There was a very good interest from fitters and about 120 were interviewed for the positions. The standard of applicant was high, as was their enthusiasm to change career and attend a 4-month course in S Wales.

I visited Barry College to see their facilities and discuss with the Instructors earmarked to train our personnel the general outline of our requirements. Their involvement with RAF St Athan had enabled them to acquire knowledge of the Hawk aircraft and the Adour engine. Subsequent visits to RAF Valley by the Instructors finalised a detailed syllabus... I will digress here to outline the evolvement of Syllabi. Normally it takes many months to produce training syllabi, but we did not have such a time scale and in addition to the Airframe and Engine courses, Armament, Safety Equipment and Flight Line Mechanics syllabi were required by Nov to enable courses to commence. Fortunately, owing to my previous experience in the Service and of a similar situation during my Boeing Jetfoil employment, I had definite views as to what was required in all these trades and with the aid of the relevant Managers the task was completed. Although not a 'Contract Requirement' the OC Eng Wg at RAF Valley had expressed great interest in the Syllabi and he was surprised by their timely and comprehensive nature and wondered why even a small change to a RAF syllabi took such an eternity. The 40 trainees departed to S Wales and all but one completed the course.

Contrary to the belief of many, the training of both Armament and Survival Equipment Mechanics in a modular form turned out to be straightforward and extremely effective. Following a Company Induction, basic safety and awareness instruction, COSH, Health and Safety etc, trainees were then given a broad-brush introduction to the relevant trade. Never fear, I insisted on filing, drilling, soldering etc and a test job to prove they had mastered the basic skills and understood the consequences of poor workmanship. Admittedly only a month was allowed for this instruction but I believe that during the present RAF Engineering training, only a similar time is allocated, taking into account distractions such as GST, Academics, Sports, and Drill etc. Trainees were then instructed in a particular facet of the trade, i.e. the 30 mm Aden Cannon if an Armourer or say a dingy if Survival Equipment. They would then be employed in the relevant Bay until they had mastered the equipment, servicing procedures and relevant documentation and become productive. They would then be trained on other equipment until they had covered all aspects of their trade. However if the need to work on particular equipment was low, for instance small arms, very few people would be trained.

Fortunately the RAF allowed us to use what had been the Flight Line Mechanics classroom to train our aircraft handlers. Barrie Tate, who had instructed there for about 11 years, joined us on his retirement from the RAF, in fact 1 month before he officially retired. Even with the good fortune mentioned we still had to recruit and train some 60 handlers in less than 6 months, none of whom would have had any aircraft experience and very few would have had any engineering knowledge or experience. I had known Barrie for many years through aero modelling and for the 3 years prior to me finally retiring, the Ground School at Valley had been one of my Sections. I was confident that personnel of the right technical standard would emerge from training and that they would possess the qualities required interfacing with the Pilots.
There were many within the Service who were expecting (even hoping) the Contract to fail and a typical comment was 'how could youngsters who had been recently stacking shelves in Tesco, possibly turn round the Hawk after only 9 weeks training'.

Barrie found that the standard achieved at the end of the course was in general equal to that of the Service FLM he had trained, but that there was greater enthusiasm from the locally recruited aircraft handlers. The reason for this was that their employment was extremely interesting, at least for a couple of years and certainly beat 'stacking shelves in Tesco' or similar employment they had had previously. In addition there was a wow factor they could brag about in the local Pub.

In my next article I will explain the events and problems leading up to actually taking over from the RAF.