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By: - 22nd June 2010 at 10:16 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
The term "Chiefy" was often used for the Flt Sgt in charge of a servicing team in the RAF.
John
By: - 22nd June 2010 at 11:38 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I am pretty sure that USAF have used the system since the days of World War 2 where a Crew Chief has total responsibility for one aircraft and that is why his name appears on the side for the aircraft.
The USAF has always enjoyed a better manpower to aircraft ratio than the RAF so consequently on a Sqn of say 12 aircraft each would have its own individual Crew Chief and he/she would then have a full team of specialists under his/her command.
The RAF have always embraced the concept of a centralised manpower core responsible for all of the aircraft on the Sqn. This would be led by an Engineer Officer or two and a WO Eng. There would be a Flt Sgt per shift and before the introduction of the Chief Technician rank, they were always called Chiefy.(The most famous one of course being Chiefy Powell of 617 Sqn fame).
The Flt Sgt (and later the Chief Tech) would corral his troops and prioritise which aircraft would be worked on and in which order.
Interestingly RAF Regiment Flt Sgts are still referred to as 'The Chiefy' which causes some people confusion, because instead of finding somebody wearing 3 stripes and a propellor, the hapless individual is confronted by 3 stripes and a crown.
By: - 22nd June 2010 at 15:47 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
The crew chief personna from the 1970's to the 1990's was officially known as the Aircraft Serviceing Chief. Most large aircraft were assigned crew chiefs many of whom held the aircrafts inventory. It was their job to make sure that the relevant number of wings etc were still fitted to the aircraft when it came back from any major long term absence, they were also rostered to go down route with the units aircraft although the chances of getting their 'own' were rather slim. Strangely enough a percentage of crew chiefs started as Sgt's however most were later promoted to substansive rank after completing their training. Aircraft known to have had ASC's include the Vulcan, Victor, Tristar ,Nimrod and C-130 and the VC 10's of 101 Sqdn- not sure about the Skoda's of 10 Sqdn.
HTH
Madus Jockus
By: - 22nd June 2010 at 16:24 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
As I understand it the V force had ASC or Aircraft Servicing Crew hence the ability to be a Sgt ASC.
I can assure you that we were most definitely not ASC on RAF C130 but AGE - Aircraft Ground Engineer, mainly abbreviated to GE in the RAF but referred to almost everywhere else as the Crew Chief. This is also the case with VC10, TriStar and C17.
It has to be said that V Force ASC had a bit of a prima donna reputation in the RAF, and we avoided the stigma of being called Crew Chiefs as much as possible. However, now I am promoted Mr it is sometimes easier to refer to myself as an ex Crew Chief.
ASC went back to Halton/Cosford to do what was a mechanic level trade course for each trade and then into the type school for the conversion to whichever aircraft they were destined to be posted onto. The whole course took I believe anything up to 2 1/2 years.
As a C130K AGE we did the four trade specific Q course in the school and a shed load of on the job training in all the trades except our own; before joining the fleet as a U/T (Under Training) GE and ultimately passing the check ride and getting sent out to the world with your big yellow toolbox holdall full of spares and on Hercs , a hammock.
Happy Days indeed!
I have just remembered, there is an excellent book describing the life of a Vulcan ASC called 'The FOBS Kid Syndrome' by Barry Goodwin which I would commend to anyone interested in the life of 60s/70s Groundcrew on Vulcans
By: - 22nd June 2010 at 19:21 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Most large aircraft were assigned crew chiefs many of whom held the aircrafts inventory.
I recall exchanging pleasantries with an ASC at Waddington a while after "his" aircraft had been lost in an accident:
"Hello Chief, busy?" I asked
He replied "What I want to know is why I can be issued with a Vulcan on a single stores voucher but when you come to write one off it takes a stack 4 feet high all requiring my signature!"
:)exmpa
By: - 23rd June 2010 at 00:25 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
>>AGE - Aircraft Ground Engineer,<<
Depends really -many of the AGE's on 216 were ex Vulcans.
Cheers
Mad Jock
By: - 23rd June 2010 at 00:28 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
'The FOBS Kid Syndrome' by Barry Goodwin
Barry was a great bloke- used to pop into his telly shop in Lincoln when in town- I was quite upset when I heard of his passing. And yes the sight of DC-6 or 7 limping into Waddo with a load of horses was quite a sight. The aircraft ended up on Bravo for quite a while awaiting new engines. Great days.
Cheers
Mad Jock
By: - 23rd June 2010 at 11:33 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I recall exchanging pleasantries with an ASC at Waddington a while after "his" aircraft had been lost in an accident:"Hello Chief, busy?" I asked
He replied "What I want to know is why I can be issued with a Vulcan on a single stores voucher but when you come to write one off it takes a stack 4 feet high all requiring my signature!":)exmpa
Some of the stuff written off you can understand why they crashed in the first place, they would never get airborne with all the "extras" they were carrying to "tidy up" peoples Inventories...
When the Atlantic Conveyor sank, RAF Odious cleared the Stations misplaced items in one pop, ohh it was on the Conveyor was the saying of the day... :p
Posts: 229
By: Simon Beck - 22nd June 2010 at 09:12
A question.
In the USAAF a head ground crew / mechanic was the "Crew Chief",
what was the equivalent in the British RAF for the Lancaster bomber?