Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 23, 2005 0:02:29 GMT 12
After a discussion with Bruce over a certain RNZAF trade in one of his quizes it got me thinking about how much trades have changed.
Before the war all they had were pilots and mechanics, and a few admin staff. That's it.
When war came specialised roles boomed and the RNZAF eneded up with dozens of trades. See the list of wartime trades on my site here
www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Trades.htm
But even in recent times the duties and trades have adapted too. When I was recruited in 1987-88 I was given brochures with all the trades I could go into. It didn't list every trade as some you only slide into once you're in the Air Force, you aren't recruited into some trades. But most of them are there.
You can see that ground support trade brochure on my site here
rnzaf.org.nz/Recruitment.htm
Looking at it, I realised how many of those jobs have now disappeared too comparing it with modern day recruiting material in the latest brochure I've picked up. Many of the once vital trades are nowadays missing, and lets not forget there were actually more trades in the 1980's/90's that are not listed on that old brochure, some were done by GSH's too. I wonder if they are still employed in the RNZAF.
Let's go through the list. (I'll add the service nicknames too)
Telecommunications Operator (Comms) - gone?
Administrative Clerk (Admin) - still there
Chef (Tucker F*cker ;D) - gone, civilianised
Photographer (Photog) - still going, mostly ex-Armorurers I hear
Telephone Operator (Tele Op)- long gone, all automatic now
RNZAF Police (Provo) - gone - merged with GSI to become Air Security
Clerk Acoounting (Accounts) - gone? Merged with Admin it seems?
Supplier - now called Logistics Supply Specialist
Driver - gone?
Shorthand Typist - gone?
Pay Accounts Clerk - gone?
Typist Clerk - gone?
Tailor - gone (they were civvies even when i was in)
Stewards - gone?
Medical Assistant (Medic) - still there
Stores Accounts Clerk - gone?
Fire crew (wooden heads) - now called Firefighter
Publications Specialist (Librarian) - gone?
Not mentioned on the brochures but a trade that used to be was GSI, or General Service Instructor. It is now part of the Air Security tarade.
Physical Training Instructor remains the same.
Another new ground trade is Aviation Refueller (previously part of the MT trade, but as drivers have gone west...). This must be a boring trade.
Technical Trades
Safety and Surface, Avionics and Aircraft Technician are stll there, as are Machinist and Aeronautical Metal Worker which were all trades whe I was in.
Surprisingly Armament Technician is still there on the list for recruitment, I doubt they'd need many a year now though, only for rifles, pistols, helicopters and Orions I guess.
New to the Tech Trades are Composite Technician (which must have superceded the Planewright trade which was woodwork and GRP); and the Ground Support Equipment Technician which used to be Motor Trade (MT) Mechanic.
As for flying trades, we still have pilots, navigators, Air Electronics Operators (AEOP) and Flight Stewards. Helicopter Crewmen are not mentioned but they do still exist, that's a slide sideways trade, not direct recruiting. Same goes for Air Ordnance trade on the Orion bombers.
We seem to have lost the Flight Engineer trade from recruiting papers, though I'd imagine the Herc and Orion still use them?
So it all boils down to this, there ain't as much choice as there used to be, and if they keep this up they'll be back down to pilots, mechanics and a few admin staff of the 1930's days. ;D
Before the war all they had were pilots and mechanics, and a few admin staff. That's it.
When war came specialised roles boomed and the RNZAF eneded up with dozens of trades. See the list of wartime trades on my site here
www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Trades.htm
But even in recent times the duties and trades have adapted too. When I was recruited in 1987-88 I was given brochures with all the trades I could go into. It didn't list every trade as some you only slide into once you're in the Air Force, you aren't recruited into some trades. But most of them are there.
You can see that ground support trade brochure on my site here
rnzaf.org.nz/Recruitment.htm
Looking at it, I realised how many of those jobs have now disappeared too comparing it with modern day recruiting material in the latest brochure I've picked up. Many of the once vital trades are nowadays missing, and lets not forget there were actually more trades in the 1980's/90's that are not listed on that old brochure, some were done by GSH's too. I wonder if they are still employed in the RNZAF.
Let's go through the list. (I'll add the service nicknames too)
Telecommunications Operator (Comms) - gone?
Administrative Clerk (Admin) - still there
Chef (Tucker F*cker ;D) - gone, civilianised
Photographer (Photog) - still going, mostly ex-Armorurers I hear
Telephone Operator (Tele Op)- long gone, all automatic now
RNZAF Police (Provo) - gone - merged with GSI to become Air Security
Clerk Acoounting (Accounts) - gone? Merged with Admin it seems?
Supplier - now called Logistics Supply Specialist
Driver - gone?
Shorthand Typist - gone?
Pay Accounts Clerk - gone?
Typist Clerk - gone?
Tailor - gone (they were civvies even when i was in)
Stewards - gone?
Medical Assistant (Medic) - still there
Stores Accounts Clerk - gone?
Fire crew (wooden heads) - now called Firefighter
Publications Specialist (Librarian) - gone?
Not mentioned on the brochures but a trade that used to be was GSI, or General Service Instructor. It is now part of the Air Security tarade.
Physical Training Instructor remains the same.
Another new ground trade is Aviation Refueller (previously part of the MT trade, but as drivers have gone west...). This must be a boring trade.
Technical Trades
Safety and Surface, Avionics and Aircraft Technician are stll there, as are Machinist and Aeronautical Metal Worker which were all trades whe I was in.
Surprisingly Armament Technician is still there on the list for recruitment, I doubt they'd need many a year now though, only for rifles, pistols, helicopters and Orions I guess.
New to the Tech Trades are Composite Technician (which must have superceded the Planewright trade which was woodwork and GRP); and the Ground Support Equipment Technician which used to be Motor Trade (MT) Mechanic.
As for flying trades, we still have pilots, navigators, Air Electronics Operators (AEOP) and Flight Stewards. Helicopter Crewmen are not mentioned but they do still exist, that's a slide sideways trade, not direct recruiting. Same goes for Air Ordnance trade on the Orion bombers.
We seem to have lost the Flight Engineer trade from recruiting papers, though I'd imagine the Herc and Orion still use them?
So it all boils down to this, there ain't as much choice as there used to be, and if they keep this up they'll be back down to pilots, mechanics and a few admin staff of the 1930's days. ;D
