Ladies & gents,
Having read the thread on the RIAT SWAT team, I’m after a bit of advice on what the camp is like for staff.
This is my first RIAT, hence why I am asking. Basically I just want to know what happens so I can be as prepared as I can.
Any info would be good. I’m a CI, if that makes a difference.
Thank you in advance.
little to add here that isnt in the JIs really.
there are three phases
1 - builds the camp site
this has approx 60-70 cadets and adequate Staff on site building 12x12 tents into 12-48s with large briefing tents 18xlong
2 - the main body of the camp and airshow
on Tuesday - Thursday the remaining 600+ Staff and cadets arrive and are assigned into flights for the week
on Wednesday/Thursday/Friday some flights (those who arrived the day before) will have tasking such as supervising the public at the park and view (as the name suggest, at the threshold of the runway watching/photographing arriving aircraft) and other similar jobs like gate building (erecting fencing around the three gates (red, blue, green) to help funnel the public through the entrance.
typically briefings are held at 2000 in the staff briefing tent. the general parish notices are offered before area coordinators are introduced who you see for a detailed brief on tomorrows task.
you then go visit your Cadets who will be lined up at the assembly point awaiting their breifing.
on the show days you will typically be given and “early” or “late” shift on a task, handing out leaflets (maps/buy our DVD etc) looking after FRIAT (friends of RIAT - their luggage) media hospitality, “Jubilee gardens” where you will be looking after deck chairs, assigned to pack lunches, filling a carrier bag with a lunch, making typically 2500-4000 lunches in a day (this starts from Wednesday i think) and other such events.
Monday everyone takes part in an airfield wide FOD PLOD to permit the static aircraft to move and depart home.
this is often completed by lunchtime where everyone meets at the main grandstand to watch the aircraft depart before being bused back to camp.
all tasking should now be complete so all are stood down.
as the final night for 85-90% of camp a BBQ is held and disco in the Cadet briefing tent while the Staff have a quiz.
Tuesday everyone breaks flights back into Squadrons for the return journey.
phase 3 - this starts Tuesday morning and concentrates on collapsing the camp and remaining kit back into the creates to be picked up on Friday where we are free to depart.
flights*
these are made up of 12 Cadets and two Staff, the IC flight, where possible will have prior RIAT experience and could well be a CI with a Flt LT 2IC based on experience. the site is MASSIVE and so experience helps which is why when and where possible those with experience are matched with newbies.
the Staff are unlikely to know each other, in my time they have not been from my Wingn and the Cadets the same, often a max of 3 Cadets from the same Squadron in the one flight allowing everyone to quickly build as a team and for NCOs to prove themselves with unknown staff and Cadets.
you will get plenty of time to relax and enjoy the show, as mentioned most tasks are “early” or “lates” which gives you half the day off, and any rest/break periods during your duty time.
let me know if you have any other questions…i will do what i can to answer them, this year will be my 14th RIAT so should be in a position to answer most if not all!
Thanks for that Steve, that’s a great help. Like I say, this will be my first RIAT so I just wanted an idea of what would happen.
Our JIs won’t be out until the end of this month, not sure if that’s the same for every other wing or not.
Just one more question, what’s a FOD PLOD? I’m guessing it’s something like making sure the airfield is clear so the aircraft can be manoeuvred?
Picking up litter. Across the airfield and areas.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
FOD = Foriegn object damage/debris (depending which camp you sit in)
PLOD = a walk
it is often called ■■■■ - Airfield Reclaimation Safety Exercise and is as Juliet Mike describes a litter pick.
with 10s of thousands of public walking in and around the static displays they will and do leave litter. it is our job on Monday morning to clear as much of this as possible to allow aircraft to start up and taxi away without the risk of ingesting a biffa bin load of rubbish
edit: sorry i meant the Warning order advertising the event to encourage bids. i dont actually look after it on our Sqn as another Staff member does that but i presume the description above give or take is advertised (or at least i hope it is) as part of the invitation to bid/nominate for places