Sparky hand badges for Assimilurated DFs?

[fatbaldchief]

A serious question techie brethren.

When Leckys get assimilated to A Tech Av does that then mean that they can wear the Comms sparky hand badges?

[DrunkenMonki]

Good question: I've not seen any at Waddo with them on, but that doesnt mean there arnt some i don't know about. Would they want to?

[230Tiger]

A serious question techie brethren.

When Leckys get assimilated to A Tech Av does that then mean that they can wear the Comms sparky hand badges?

Of course the question is - Why would you want to?

[fatbaldchief]

Of course the question is - Why would you want to?


Because my Assimilurateered Leckys are proud upstanding members of this ship that is the Glorius Mother Air Force and would take great pride in wearing the massive status symbol that is the Sparky Hand Badge. So there. :PDT_Xtremez_35:

[DrunkenMonki]

Its a TCO badge though, surely? I'm a fairy incidently!

[fatbaldchief]

Its a TCO badge though, surely? I'm a fairy incidently!


I was an Insty then Flt Systems then Avionics and I always understood it that you got it for the Comms bit of the first Avionic assimilation. So ergo DFs should get it for this round of assimilation. Air Comms have always had it. Maybe a shiny uniform type knows?

[Tin basher]

From a humble rigger.
May I suggest that for cross trained leckies who are now AV's it should be like the Brownies if you can do the job you get the badge.
Whether you have earned the right, gained the experience, understand the history of it all etc. is a different matter to be decided between AV's and Leckies and a discussion I shall stay well away from.

[DrunkenMonki]

Always thought Riggers should have got a hand with a spanner when fully up to speed!:PDT_Xtremez_31:

I've always been straight fairy, but was led to believe the badge was originally an air comms badge, became TCO as they too worked comms, then fairies as we absorbed comms, now leckies as they've joined in too. Whos next? We'll all be wearing the darn thing soon!

[Don Quixote]

If the leckies are to wear the fairy badge, shouldn't the fairies be taking up dog sh**ging?

[fatbaldchief]

If the leckies are to wear the fairy badge, shouldn't the fairies be taking up dog sh**ging?


Have you seen my Wife? Ber Dum Chush! :PDT_Xtremez_35:

[tankerworker]

I don't want one. It's gay. Will the new AMM's get one when they leave Tossford after their FT course?

[budgie]

If the leckies are to wear the fairy badge, shouldn't the fairies be taking up dog sh**ging?


We get issued a lead and collar on getting the X annotation.

[Captain Slog]

I was an Insty then Flt Systems then Avionics and I always understood it that you got it for the Comms bit of the first Avionic assimilation. So ergo DFs should get it for this round of assimilation. Air Comms have always had it. Maybe a shiny uniform type knows?

I remember the old Nav Insty's when I first started on the Big V at Waddo back in the late 60's - early 70's. Because they did not have the "lightning badge" like the radar and comms blokes, us riggers used to call them Fairy's without the Ouful Dust. I even remember when Inst's did oxygen before the riggers and as they were the only trade that did'nt have an A/F or a B/F they used to help us with the Rapid Air charging.

Happy times.

[Talk Wrench]

Now that the "two" trades are assimilated, can everyone stop referring to Leckies and Fairies. They are one trade now called Avionics.

My a**e.

Everyone knows that an aircraft system is easy to work if you change boxes for a living and those dull f^^k fairies can't handle the fact that real wiggly amps exist.

Point, I can rewire a house, let alone a plane and still tune the radio to what music I want to listen to. A fairy will not be able to rewire a house but will be able to tune his radio in accordance with sunspots, radio stockholm, some other lobing problem and still not get his music piped through, then he might change his Gas Central heating boiler cos it might do the trick.

Lets face it, Fairies should have been remustered to Leckies, not the other way round.
#

As for badges, Stuff em. They are for kids and lego club members.


Am I talking Bo!!ocks?

Yes I am. I am p!ssed.

TW

[DrunkenMonki]

I need my drinking problem to get a bit worse before i get my Leckie X annotation! Plus at the moment i'm too social with other trades, need to get into the 'clique' and snub everyone else! Oh, need to master the chock as a tool of choice for PDU's too.

[monobrow]

he he, Chocking PDU's is an art form!

Hows this for getting the old assimilation done..........

I work in the LITS cell, have done for over a year (escape attempts not worked so far) and whilst I was in the sandbox, I was "briefed" on all the finer points of the IP package.

Cue 1 x500 for someone who's bearly touched a jet for over a year!

Just waiting for the lecky Q course now!!!!

[DrunkenMonki]

I escaped the LITS cell, and got posted into a job that has even less contact with Jets! If i do this job for the prescribed 7 years, i'll do my X annotation in 2013. I did the assim course 2 years ago, so that'll be 9 years to assim me! Think i need another 4 weeks on the p!ss at Tossford again.

[Line35]

Apparently, when queried the Trade Sponsor came up with the following answer:

The wearing of the ‘Sparks’ badge by TGs1/2 was a perennial question and often came up during AFBLT presentations. The use of the ‘Badge Qualification, Telecommunication Personnel’ (8455-99-1355614) like most things military, has its roots in the historical past. It was awarded to both air and ground engineering personnel in the communications trades.

With the amalgamation of the various aircraft ‘L Fitt’ trades in the ‘70s and ‘80s (L Fitt FS, L Fitt AR, L Fitt AC etc), communications became only a small part of the TG2 Avionics Trade. Under the new multi-skilling strategy where the Air Electrical trades are combined with the Avionics trade to become A Tech Av, the communications aspect becomes even more diluted.

Whilst in April 2005 the RAF Dress Policy Committee ratified the issue of the 'Sparks Badge' to TG4 personnel, The Air Engineering Trades Sponsor believes the new TG1 feel secure enough not to have a need to wear a trade badge. The Heavy aircraft trades do not have a ‘spanner’ badge to wear, the admin trade do not wear a pen badge, it provides no added value and we see no need for one for the new Av trade.

It has been the intention of the Trade Sponsor that for the Aircraft Trades, the old ‘Sparks’ badge should die out with the demise of the legacy TG1/2 Avionics Eng Tech Av. Cosford do not issue the badge for Assim courses, and will not be issuing the badge for graduates from the Av FT course due to start in 2007.

1. Personnel from TG1/2 who are currently entitled to wear the ‘Sparks’ badge (Eng Tech Av and that ilk) will retain that right.

2. Assimilated TG1/2 ex – Air Elect tradesmen will not be entitled to the badge.

3. The new TG1 multi-skilled trade, A Tech Av FT graduates will not be issued with the badge.

4. The badge for TG1, is obsolescent, and will disappear with the diminishing population of legacy Av tradesmen.

Well thats that then!

[fatbaldchief]

Line35 thanks for your superb answer and a shining example of what the Goat does best.
Answers for stupid questions that my chaps ask me so I don't have to do real research.
Consider yourself awarded the 'FBC Seal of Approval'. :PDT_Xtremez_30:

[tankerworker]

[QUOTE=Line35;47311] 2. Assimilated TG1/2 ex – Air Elect tradesmen will not be entitled to the badge.
QUOTE]

Thank fcuk for that!

Awesome answer ty!

[ROTORHEAD]

Perhaps the new avionics trade? should have a new badge to mark the amalgamation.

Could I suggest a large Bale of straw, (like the ones they continually have to clutch at when indulging in their worst fear, FAULT DIAGNOSIS)

This with the title B.C.B for (Box Changing Ba$ta4d)

[fatbaldchief]

Perhaps the new avionics trade? should have a new badge to mark the amalgamation.

Could I suggest a large Bale of straw, (like the ones they continually have to clutch at when indulging in their worst fear, FAULT DIAGNOSIS)

This with the title B.C.B for (Box Changing Ba$ta4d)

I have a pair of dice cufflinks to remind me of when I used to work on the Mighty F3.

The Radar has 12 LRU's don't ya know!!:PDT_Xtremez_30:

[Wotnoengines]

Why on earth should either Fairys or DFs get sparky badges when the real trades get nothing?A serious question techie brethren.

When Leckys get assimilated to A Tech Av does that then mean that they can wear the Comms sparky hand badges?

[dodgysootie]

Perhaps the new avionics trade? should have a new badge to mark the amalgamation.

Could I suggest a large Bale of straw, (like the ones they continually have to clutch at when indulging in their worst fear, FAULT DIAGNOSIS)

This with the title B.C.B for (Box Changing Ba$ta4d)

On completion of training they should be issued with a bag of chicken bones to aid with fault diagnosis and can I suggest experienced AV's should be able to earn "1000,2000,3000 etc NFF badges.
DS

[fatbaldchief]

On completion of training they should be issued with a bag of chicken bones to aid with fault diagnosis and can I suggest experienced AV's should be able to earn "1000,2000,3000 etc NFF badges.
DS



Thanks for the input. I fear you are too late. I, being of longstanding out in the field, have actually earned and been awarded my 10,000 NFF badge and have it proudly displayed, framed, in my study.

Next to the mummified head of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guglielmo_Marconi :PDT_Xtremez_14:

[JAFAD666]

My understanding of the " Sparky hand badge " is ... In WWII or the Battle of Britain, an ACII or LAC Comcen worker Rx`d a Flash Signal with some intell for the AOC of the Group. He proceeded to take it to the AVM, but was stopped in the outer office by an over officious Fg Off who said someting along the lines of "and where do you think your going Airman ?". Naturally enough he replied "to see the AVM" . " Oh no your not young man, not without Gen Apping first" . To cut along story short the AOC got his Intel 2 weeks later and went through the roof. So to prevent this happening again, a distinctive badge was given to all message handlers to excuse them from the normal protocols of seeing star ranks, when in the excecution of their duties. So the hand symbolises delivery and the sparks symbolises Flash traffic. If a signal goes missing you could lose a whole squadron or airfield, if a spanner goes missing it`s probably only going to be one frame lost, hence no Sparky Spanner. I stand to be corrected by the font of all knowledge regarding TG3/4/11 that is MAINJAFAD but even if the above is not totally correct it`s a good yarn. As for the young officer I believe he was put in charge of scraping the barnacles off the botton of rescue motor lauches in Macrahanish, in charge of 1, himself.

It`s commonly known as the spider despite having only 6 legs.

[Tashy_Man]

On completion of training they should be issued with a bag of chicken bones to aid with fault diagnosis and can I suggest experienced AV's should be able to earn "1000,2000,3000 etc NFF badges.
DS

Obviously the really experienced AV's will never get that many NFF's. Why fill out a NFF register when a "CB's recycled satis" covers it :PDT_Xtremez_09:

[MAINJAFAD]

My understanding of the " Sparky hand badge " is ... In WWII or the Battle of Britain, an ACII or LAC Comcen worker Rx`d a Flash Signal with some intell for the AOC of the Group. He proceeded to take it to the AVM, but was stopped in the outer office by an over officious Fg Off who said someting along the lines of "and where do you think your going Airman ?". Naturally enough he replied "to see the AVM" . " Oh no your not young man, not without Gen Apping first" . To cut along story short the AOC got his Intel 2 weeks later and went through the roof. So to prevent this happening again, a distinctive badge was given to all message handlers to excuse them from the normal protocols of seeing star ranks, when in the excecution of their duties. So the hand symbolises delivery and the sparks symbolises Flash traffic. If a signal goes missing you could lose a whole squadron or airfield, if a spanner goes missing it`s probably only going to be one frame lost, hence no Sparky Spanner. I stand to be corrected by the font of all knowledge regarding TG3/4/11 that is MAINJAFAD but even if the above is not totally correct it`s a good yarn. As for the young officer I believe he was put in charge of scraping the barnacles off the botton of rescue motor lauches in Macrahanish, in charge of 1, himself.

It`s commonly known as the spider despite having only 6 legs.

To be honest, I never have looked into the history of the Trade Badge, However have just done a quick google search and JAFAD666 is almost correct in the reason for the signals trade badge, however it dates back to just after the formation of the RAF, found the quote below on the Radar Pages Web site.

In the early days of the R.A.F. an airman was not allowed to speak directly to an officer, only an NCO was permitted to do so. As wireless was introduced it was often necessary for airmen to approach an officer directly with an important signal. The "Sparks" badge was the airman's authority to approach an officer. This badge is unique as it was the first and only trade badge to be authorised by the Royal Air Force (19th September 1918 - AMO 1066) and to this day the signals trade group is the only trade group in the R.A.F. that has been granted the privilege of wearing a trade badge.

Needless to say, back in the old days the signallers also fixed the radio when it was hooped, hence as electronics got more complicated and electronics technical trades were established they got the badge as well. How the badge got into TG2, I don't know, however it most likely happened when the trade of RDF fitter was introduced in 1941/42 to support the massive increase of electronics in RAF aircraft with the introduction of airborne radar and radio navigation aids. (Radar being known as Radio Direction Finding (as a cover name) until about 1943/44 when the SPAM name for the method of its operation was adopted by the British).

Off Topic Does this mean that the PTI badge is illegal? Off Topic

[JAFAD666]

Off Topic Does this mean that the PTI badge is illegal? Off Topic

Very likely ! and shouldn`t it be crossed sunbeds ? :PDT_Xtremez_32:

Top post again m8, I want you to be my "Phone a friend on millionaire"

[Tin basher]

This badge is unique as it was the first and only trade badge to be authorised by the Royal Air Force (19th September 1918 - AMO 1066) and to this day the signals trade group is the only trade group in the R.A.F. that has been granted the privilege of wearing a trade badge.[/B]

Off Topic What about RAF Regiment shoulder flashes/badges, Coppers mars bars, PJI badges, Medics snake and dagger, Padres cross, aircrew sh!te hawk, etc. are they all "legal" Off Topic. Fcuked if I know?

[MAINJAFAD]

Off Topic What about RAF Regiment shoulder flashes/badges, Coppers mars bars, PJI badges, Medics snake and dagger, Padres cross, aircrew sh!te hawk, etc. are they all "legal" Off Topic. Fcuked if I know?

The stuff in bold is not my words but quote from a book that is on a web site. If the guy was talking of the Technical Trades, he is right. Of course all of those other trade badges that are used, plus others like bandsman.

I do believe that the Rocks have the RAF Regiment Flashes as part of the Royal Warrant that was signed by George VI that allowed the formation of the Rocks, but besides that the history of RAF trade badges are of no interest to myself whatsoever, hence somebody else will have to answer that question.

The Illegal comment was just a dig at my favourite trade (NOT).

[DrunkenMonki]

Its easy to take a dig at NFF's. How many times have you turned on your computer/Tv/Sky box etc and nothings happened? What do you do? Call a fella in? Nah, you just turn it off and on again and it works. Slight issue turning the power off in mid flight though, im led to believe so anyways by the growbags. So they cant 'recycle', hence we get loads of crap NFF's. Would you rather i just changed random LRU's at however many hundreds of thousands a pop? Heavy trade faults tend to be actual faults, when a pump goes or whatever, it tends to be really gone! I think half my workload is convincing the Jengo that they should sign it off!

[Mighty_Wokka]

Its easy to take a dig at NFF's. How many times have you turned on your computer/Tv/Sky box etc and nothings happened? What do you do? Call a fella in? Nah, you just turn it off and on again and it works. Slight issue turning the power off in mid flight though, im led to believe so anyways by the growbags. So they cant 'recycle', hence we get loads of crap NFF's. Would you rather i just changed random LRU's at however many hundreds of thousands a pop? Heavy trade faults tend to be actual faults, when a pump goes or whatever, it tends to be really gone! I think half my workload is convincing the Jengo that they should sign it off!

Surely you mean 'unable to reproduce fault on the ground' ??

Fairys arf!

[si_gone]

As an ex-L Fitt NI, we always heard the L Fitt ACs calling it "The Galloping Crab". Make of that what you will.

[DarkFairy]

leckies can't expect to get sparky badges after a 5 week course!! Only the fairy elite deserve them!!:PDT_Xtremez_25: