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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 9, 2009 19:35:28 GMT 12
It is 20 years exactly today since I joined the Royal new Zealand Air Force.
One of the most exciting, scary, interesting days of my life. The first day I ever spent in the South Island, first taste of military life, and living in a barrack dorm. It was one of the best decisions I ever made to join the RNZAF. Great days.
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Post by lesterpk on Jan 9, 2009 20:48:53 GMT 12
15 years tomorrow for me Dave, doesnt time fly, seems like only the other day I was getting taught how to make bedpacks. Les.
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Post by phil on Jan 9, 2009 20:51:11 GMT 12
It will be 13 years for me this year, but not until April, I was on the R2 intake.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 9, 2009 22:12:36 GMT 12
You're right Les, time sure does fly.
I was meant to be on R4/88 in September, so I quit school and got all ready and was then told by the recruiter they didn't need me till January as the next S&S course had been waylaid. So I had a wonderful summer spent leisurely painting my Nana's house, which I'm very grateful for as I got to spend lots of time with her. She died six months after I joined up.
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Post by Radialicious on Jan 9, 2009 22:19:04 GMT 12
Hoorah! My 20 years is up on 4th April. I was R2/89. A mix of the biggest dipshits and the bestest buggers to ever walk this earth.... No regrets at all. Would do it all again. Chin chin!!
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Post by skyhawkdon on Jan 10, 2009 8:03:44 GMT 12
It was 25 years ago for me on 4 January - makes me feel really old compared to the rest of you jokers! I remember being met at Blenheim railway station (after a 2 day train trip from Invercargill) by a CPL GSI who introduced himself something along the lines "Hi I'm CPL Bla, you can call me by my first name... (long pause) CORPORAL (yelled in my face!). What a welcome and the next 12 weeks went like a blur. Out of the 44 on R1/84 I think there are only 3 still in.
Great times and I would do it all again too.
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Post by paddy on Jan 10, 2009 8:54:06 GMT 12
10th of October 1973. I can remember as if it was yesterday. The start of the best 4 years of my life
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Post by ox on Jan 10, 2009 11:31:15 GMT 12
Hoorah! My 20 years is up on 4th April. I was R2/89. Same here - fun fun fun. Must be time for a reunion.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 10, 2009 12:35:20 GMT 12
We had 120 recruits on R1/89, around the capacity of a recruit course I believe. Of them 117 passed out from memory. We lost no-one from A Flight, my flight. I still keep in touch with a lot of the people I joined up with, several are still in the mob, some got out and got back in, others are in the aviation industry and many others have drifted onto other things.
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Post by stu on Jan 10, 2009 15:00:18 GMT 12
Does getting rejected for pilot training by the recruiting office in Knox street, Hamilton, on the grounds of not having UE maths 26 years ago this year count? ![:D](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/grin.png) Seriously, it is scary how fast time seems to pass before you start counting the decades rather than the years since a significant event occurred. Cheers, Stu.
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Post by camtech on Jan 12, 2009 11:26:50 GMT 12
Yesterday was the 44th anniversary for me - time does fly.
Enjoy reading the escapades of you youngsters - mind you, we had already done what most you had tried.
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Post by FlyNavy on Jan 12, 2009 12:57:55 GMT 12
Joined the RAN at end of January 1966 but spent 15 months in the RAAF two years later. Does any of that count? ;D AND camtech just what did you get up to?
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Post by tbf25o4 on Jan 12, 2009 13:00:11 GMT 12
How about 45 years ago on 7 January for the last of the Boy Entrants!
Paul
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Post by Bruce on Jan 12, 2009 14:06:19 GMT 12
My 2 1/2 weeks in the Air Force (yeah... wasnt my style) started in late march 1990, course R2/90. spending Easter stuck at Woody watching warbirds heading south en-route to Wanaka....
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 12, 2009 14:27:22 GMT 12
I was feeling old when I started this thread, but it's nice to see I'm not even near middle age yet. I'd better "get some time up".
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