Senior Aircraftman Chris Long – Mover

“It’s up to you how much you do with the Reserves, but the more you put into it, the more you’ll get out, and the more you’re there, the more you want to be there.”

My role

I’m an engineer by trade, but since I left college I’ve done a bit of everything – I’ve been a photographer, a restaurant manager and in corporate entertainment. Being a Reserve is the one constant in my life.

I’m a Mover, which is about logistics. It means taking a plane and loading everything onto it, making sure it’s all safely restrained, and managing the passengers. Then you’re off with the plane and at the other end you get everything loaded off properly.

It’s vital to get everything restrained correctly – if you’ve got a ten tonne tank in the back and all of a sudden the plane lands and slams on the brakes, you can’t have ten tonnes of tank crashing through the front of the plane.

My experiences

As a Reserve, you get to travel to places around the world that as a civvy you can’t get to. I’ve been to Qatar, Bosnia, Afghanistan and Ascension Island. Afghanistan was great because out there you’re really part of what’s going on and you get a real sense of pride. You’re directly involved with guys that are out on the front line. I’ve done two four-month tours in Afghanistan and if they asked me, I’d definitely go again.

My life

The RAF is very keen to encourage you to do sports, too. I’m doing triathlon this year, and before that I learned to skydive. That’s a real mental challenge. You’ve got so much fear that builds up inside you when you go up in the plane because it’s the most unnatural thing you can do, but when you jump that fear turns into adrenalin – and that’s why you keep coming back for more.

Now I’ve got my licence, I can go by myself. I’ve got my own parachute. So whenever I get free time, I’m off jumping out of planes!