Corporal Gary Hastie
Job role: Survival Equipment Fitter

Joined the RAF: 1998

Overseas travel: Corsica, Cyprus, Norway, Sweden, Poland, Kuwait, Iraq, USA and Canada

Career highlights:

• Deploying to Iraq with the Army Air Corps in February 2003 on Operation Telic 2
• Being promoted to Corporal after three and a half years in rank
• Being awarded a Commander-in-Chief Air Commands Commendation in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2007

‘My first posting was to RAF Coltishall, home of the Jaguar aircraft. This followed nine months of basic and trade training at RAF Halton and the Defence College of Aeronautical Engineering at Cosford.

‘At Coltishall, I started at the life-raft bay, where we maintained, rectified and modified life-rafts and associated equipment fitted to personal survival packs. I then moved on to work in the emergency escape parachute bay, again carrying out maintenance and modification tasks. The work I carried out in both of these bays happens before the equipment is fitted to the ejection seats in the Jaguars.

‘My last 18 months at RAF Coltishall were spent on 54(F) Squadron’s aircrew equipment assemblies bay, maintaining the Jaguars’ man-mounted mission and life-support equipment. I also supported the squadron on several overseas detachments.

‘Towards the end of 2002, I was posted to Wattisham Airfield to a section of RAF Survival Equipment Fitters attached to the Army Air Corps. I worked in the aircrew equipment assemblies bay where I maintained life-support systems and additional survival aids used in Lynx and Gazelle helicopters. During this tour I was deployed to Iraq, living and working from tents in different locations and very challenging conditions. This was one experience I will never forget!

‘I am currently stationed at RAF Marham managing the emergency escape parachute bay where we maintain the parachute assemblies and quick release fittings to all four Tornado units in the UK as well as the Tornado aircraft on operations around the world.’

Web Chat session with Corporal Gary Hastie - Thursday 27 September 2007

All questions were moderated for content and suitability.

Daniel99: Sounds like you’ve been all round the world. Do you like 2 travel or does it get you down?

Gary Hastie: I like travelling - it's one of the reasons I joined the RAF. It's good to see other countries and how they work aswell. I've worked alongside Norwegians, Polish, Americans, Australians - all using similar equipment to the RAF.

joe: what training like at halton start next week is it similar to the tv documentary of commandos?

Gary Hastie: It's not as bad as the commandos on TV - you've just got to keep your head down, don't answer back and do what you're told. It will probably be one of the best experiences you'll ever have. Just enjoy it; you'll make good friends. It's all about team work and looking after eachother; you get a great feeling of comraderie.

Hiro-Heroesfan: Do you have a mental check list when you work or do you write it down and tick it all off?

Gary Hastie: Every task you carry out has an air publication like a car manual telling you to do every task step by step. Also, it tells you when need stage checks by a supervisor to check your work at critical points. You sign your job cards against this AP.

jess: im thinking of becoming an engineer - well something linked with engineering in the raf when im older, how old were you when you first thought of wanting to join the raf?

Gary Hastie: I was 18 when I first wanted to join the RAF, had a few civvy jobs and then decided to settle down into a career and I joined when I was 20 years old. I've never looked back!

Animalmuppetizdabest: Is it unusual to get promoted so quickly? You said it took 3 yrs to get promoted to corporal?

Gary Hastie: It's not unusual. I just kept my head down, done my job to the best of my abilities and got the praise which I deserved, but benefitted from a vast amount of promotions that year - I think there were about 40 promotions to Corporal that year for my trade - it's different for every single trade.

Ashley Williams: how does it feel gettin told that you got 2 go away is it exsiting or did it scare u

Gary Hastie: It's not scary, it's quite exciting; there's some better places to go than others, you've got to take the good with the bad and enjoy the good ones. It can be one of the highlights of the job.

JB: How long on average are your tours of duty ?

Gary Hastie: Hi JB, I spent three years at RAF Coltishall. Then I spent 18 months at Wattisham Air Field with the Army Air Corps. I've now been at RAF Marham three and a half years and possibly another two years - you can never tell.

Callum Booth: how much time do you spend with youre family/freinds ?

Gary Hastie: I live at home with my wife so I see her every day. The job I'm doing at the minute is a 9-5pm mon to fri, but that could change quite easily. I could go onto shifts. I see quite alot of my family and friends at the moment.

LIAM C: what sport do u get too take part of in ur free time?

Gary Hastie: I play squash twice a week at lunchtimes at Marham. There's virtually every sport you can think of; football to rugby to badminton that you can do in most units by yourself or part of a club.

harry: hi gary, im looking to apply for survival equip fitter within the next 6months any tips/hints?

Gary Hastie: Hi Harry, thanks for your question. Just take your time on what you're doing. Listen to the instructors and be very particular in all your work as somebody's life could depend on it. You have to be meticulous in everything you do.

Hiro-Heroesfan: How many different pieces of equipment can you fit? And is it hard to remember all the details of each one?

Gary Hastie: You've got your parachutes, you've got your life rafts, all your aircrew assemblies, ie flying helmets, life jackets. You specialise in one particular area; I specialise in the parachute bay, but next week I could be working on a squadron working with the aircrew equipment assemblies so the job is very varied.

Animalmuppetizdabest: Were any of your mates in the RAF? I mean like what made you join?

Gary Hastie: My dad was in the RAF; he was an aircraft technician. I guess this had some influence on me joining. I grew up on base and went to the school on the base in Germany. My dad had a good career so I joined and I'm still enjoying it.

LIAM C: you' ve been in the RAF for coming on to 10 years do you have any regrets?

Gary Hastie: Hi there, I've got no regrets. It's a good environment to be in - very sociable and in today's world it's one of the few jobs that offer you job security and a good pension at the end.

JB: Are you allowed off-base at weekends ?

Gary Hastie: Duriing your seven weeks' basic training, you're confined to base most weekends. When you do your trade training, you're not confined at all. You pass out of your training environment and your time is entirely your own when off duty.

Matt: Hi Gary. I'm currently an IT technician and contemplating applying for the CIS Specialist role... the only nagging doubt is about my partner. In your opinion, is it possible to hold down a relationship whilst being a full-time member of the armed-forces?

Gary Hastie: I believe it is possible. Any overseas postings it is possible to take your husband/wife. The majority of people in the airforce will do four month unaccompanied tours and attachments from a week to five or six weeks - it becomes a way of life and everyone seems to get used to it. My wife doesn't like me going away but she accepts it's my career.

Pricey: Hi Gary does the RAF allow people like myself once I'm in to take part in expeditions across lets say for example climbing a mountain or do the camel rally in one of those land rovers?

Gary Hastie: You get time off to do adventure training such as sailing, absailing - the air force encourages it! During my trade training we did a week's worth of adventure training in Wales for teamwork exercises. We did absailing, mountain biking, high ropes course. You name it!

Pricey: When your on base, how many are there of you packing the paracute's etc or is it just one.

Gary Hastie: There's currently two corporals and five SACs maintaining, modifying all the parachutes used on the tornado aircraft. We're doing the maintenance for the four Tornado units in the UK and the Falklands and the Tornados on operations throughout the world.

LIAM C: when you went to Iraq how long was it? and what wes it like?

Gary Hastie: I was told it would be for six months; came home after three months after war had finished. It was a different experience, something I'd never done before in very challenging conditions. But your mates you're there with support you through it. I was there with a good bunch of lads which made the time go quicker. You bond with them more, cos you're living and sleeping in such a close environment.

samhogg: Do you have any say i which base yo are posted? oversea's for example?

Gary Hastie: After your trade training, you list three camps or areas and they try and place you if there's an opening, but there's no guarantees. There's different ways of getting relocated or posted after a couple of years on a unit. If you haven't been overseas before, you normally get higher priority than somebody that's already been posted overseas.

JB: Have you ever been injured in conflict zones ?

Gary Hastie: No I've never been injured.

Crouching Tiger: Have u ever had to use any of the equipment you have fitted yourself? If so what was that like?

Gary Hastie: I've never personally used it, but the aircrew use personal survival packs in swimming pools and the sea to carry out their drills, so you can warch the work you're doing getting used for its purpose. You can see them getting winched up onto the helicopters from out at sea.

JB: Do you get the opportunity to change job once in the RAF ?

Gary Hastie: It's possible; but it's not normally done.

Emily..x: When you went to sweden what was it like?

Gary Hastie: Really good visiting another country's culture and working with their air force. Good experience.

jess: were you in any cadet force when you were in your teens?

Gary Hastie: No I wasn't, but work with them now when they visit our section.

Pricey: Do you ever get to go away to sea with the Navy to help them out or is that just upto the Navy fitter's??

Gary Hastie: You can work on board ship alongside the navy survival equipemt fitters.

JB: What do you plan to do when you leave / retire from the RAF ?

Gary Hastie: I've got 14 years left yet so I've not really thought about it. Hopefully I'll have my own business one day.

ilyrhi: hey :)...if you could re-live any moment in your career in the RAF, what would it be and why?

Gary Hastie: I wouldn't relive it but my basic training was really good. Made lots of good friends and believe it or not had a good laugh.

joe: what woul'd you says the best thing about joining the raf?

Gary Hastie: It's a good stable career you can be proud of. The work is varied and you get to travel.

lawrence ramsay: Do you think that you will apply for a commision?

Gary Hastie: I would't as I like the job I'm doing now and there's no commissioned rank in my trade so I'd have to change trades and I don't want to.

david: Have you ever been put in a life threatning situation in the raf

Gary Hastie: Not really. When I was out in Iraq I felt quite safe.

Moderator: This chat session closes in 5 minutes.

BC.: Have you gained any qualification when serving in the RAF?

Gary Hastie: I've gained trade related qualifications, computer programming qualifications. There's always scope to improve your qualifications; everyone gets an allowance for qualifications.

samhogg: How old are most when they join? is it worth going to uni before or thinking about a degree while your in the raf?

Gary Hastie: Wjen I joined up, most people were 17/18 but some people were older, up to 29 years old. I was 20.

Pricey: What's the highest rank that can be achieved as a SE fitter??

Gary Hastie: The highest rank in my trade is a warrant officer which is non-commissioned.

Purple Turkey: You have been to France, Cyprus, Norway, Sweden, Poland, Kuwait, Iraq, USA and Canada... Which country was best and why?

Gary Hastie: America was the best place I travelled to. I stayed in Vegas. You get alot of respect from the americans for being in the militery.

Natasha: Hi Gary, if you had your time again would you stil go into the RAF?

Gary Hastie: I would join the RAF if I had my time again - it's a good safe job with alot of perks. I would recommend it to anyone.

Gary Hastie: Thanks for all your questions - it was great chatting to you all. Good luck with whatever you do if you join the RAF. Cheers, Gary.

Views expressed during the web chats are those of individuals and do not necessarily reflect RAF policy.