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Aircrew Feeders

Old 29th Sep 2021, 09:30
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Aircrew Feeders

Simple question:

Which was the best aircrew feeder?

Always had a soft spot for the one at Chiv, which had the benefit of looking out over the airfield IIRC.
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Old 29th Sep 2021, 11:31
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The Station Magazine of RAF Scampton when it was HQCFS used to regularly feature light-hearted reviews of various aircrew feeders written by CFS trappers, along with well drawn cartoons by one of the armourers featuring "The Fat Pilots".
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Old 29th Sep 2021, 13:29
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Waddo during QRA presided over by Flt Sgt Wilson was outstanding. One well remembers him throwing his chef's hat to the floor in disgust after Jerry L/S asked if a lighter breakfast could be provided "instead of the usual grease up". "The usual grease up" was a full English that was nonpareil.
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Old 29th Sep 2021, 14:09
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Brawdy. Strammer Max was brilliant.
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Old 29th Sep 2021, 14:49
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I liked the one at Shawbury, as the staff were always great. I do remember once however when doing a NI change over at Valley, I popped into the feeder for lunch whilst waiting for the cab from Benson to arrive before returning to Aldergrove. I had just sat down and was about to start eating when a young student pilot asked me to leave as the feeder was only for aircrew and officers. Without embarrassing the young man too much I had to explain that although at the time I was only a Flight Sergeant I was Aircrew as denoted by the Eagle on my Rank Tabs. And this on a station with NCO Aircrew , albeit on the other side of the airfield, on 22 Sqn and SARTU.
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Old 29th Sep 2021, 14:50
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The bomber stations, Finningley, Scampton, Waddington, Cottesmore were definitely 1st Division. Wyton and Marham were up there as well, can’t comment on Wittering as I never ate there.

The two I do recall as being different were Barkston Heath, the mess on the old domestic site outside the airfield boundary to the SW, it was in huts and probably little changed from WW2. This was back in the 1960s, I don’t think there’s any trace of it now. The other one was Strubby, excellent food in the middle of nowhere! The fresh rolls with the soup were outstanding.

YS
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Old 29th Sep 2021, 15:20
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Originally Posted by huge72
I liked the one at Shawbury, as the staff were always great. I do remember once however when doing a NI change over at Valley, I popped into the feeder for lunch whilst waiting for the cab from Benson to arrive before returning to Aldergrove. I had just sat down and was about to start eating when a young student pilot asked me to leave as the feeder was only for aircrew and officers. Without embarrassing the young man too much I had to explain that although at the time I was only a Flight Sergeant I was Aircrew as denoted by the Eagle on my Rank Tabs. And this on a station with NCO Aircrew , albeit on the other side of the airfield, on 22 Sqn and SARTU.
You are a gent. I'd have embarrassed him very much by being very loud.

CG
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Old 29th Sep 2021, 15:53
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Not strictly an aircrew feeder but Enrique’s at Deci was excellent. Tortoise roll anybody?
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Old 29th Sep 2021, 16:26
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Coastal Command Headquarters, Northwood. I think the Royal Navy had something to do with the catering. When they moved us up to the ancient mess at RAF Bovingdon, the standard of our food dropped considerably!
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Old 29th Sep 2021, 16:44
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Coningsbys aircrew (Sothside) feeder was pretty good in the early 90s, IV(AC) had a good one at Laarbruch.
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Old 29th Sep 2021, 17:18
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Salute!

Try Ralph & Kacoo's | Bossier City, LA

Outside north gate at Barksdale.

Then The Airplane ouside west gate at Pete Field, CO. A converted KC-97 and is an aviation museum, as well.... great sandwiches, U.S. western food and such.

All time greatest- Veena's Hideaway off west end of rwy at Korat from 60's and mid 70's.

Oops, forgot this is primarily aimed at home country places..... out!

Gums sends...
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Old 29th Sep 2021, 17:33
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Originally Posted by gums
Salute!

Try Ralph & Kacoo's | Bossier City, LA

Outside north gate at Barksdale.

Then The Airplane ouside west gate at Pete Field, CO. A converted KC-97 and is an aviation museum, as well.... great sandwiches, U.S. western food and such.

All time greatest- Veena's Hideaway off west end of rwy at Korat from 60's and mid 70's.

Oops, forgot this is primarily aimed at home country places..... out!

Gums sends...
Not so much home country places as military facilities on-base.
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Old 29th Sep 2021, 17:45
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I'm with Blunty.
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Old 29th Sep 2021, 17:52
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The aircrew feeder at Wideawake airport Ascension during the Falkland War. The greasy brekkie was the last hot meal for 26 to 28 hours.

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Old 29th Sep 2021, 18:15
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Finningley was particularly good until, sadly, they closed it down.
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Old 29th Sep 2021, 19:12
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Salute!
O.K., didn't know the ROE for on the base greasy spoons,.....

Best place I was at on and off for over 20 years was the club at Korat. It was open 24/7 due to the units there flying everything from AWACS misisons in the C-121, the Thud Weasels in middle of night covering Buffs, feeding the Sandy SAR folks before they cocked their planes for potential rescue missions, then daily schedule for North Vietnam and South Vietnam and Cambodia and Laos, then the ECM B-66 folks, then ....

The name was not an attempt to be cute. It was short for Korat Air Base Officers Open Mess.... The upper floor was used for large social events, otherwise stayed empty...



We buried Roscoe at the right side of the entrance. I left in 1975, along with all armed planes in Thailand - 15 Dec 1975

Gums recalls...

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Old 29th Sep 2021, 23:10
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Gums amuses!

Jack
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Old 30th Sep 2021, 07:34
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Greasy Spoon Middle Wallop
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Old 30th Sep 2021, 07:52
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I agree with Blunty - the feeder at RAF Brawdy used to do a top notch Strammer Max!

At Deci, Enrico's was really good too. He seemed to use his one big carving knife for everything.

In V-force days of the late '70s, the Scampton feeder was rather more flexible than the Waddo feeder, but food in both was very good.

At KKIA, the RAF catering unit was so good during GW1 that the Army had to be ordered to use their own as they preferred the RAF one.

The other high point of the '70s and '80s was the NAAFI wagon. Whatever happened to those?
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Old 30th Sep 2021, 07:53
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The feeder at Akrotiri assisted many times in the recovery from Brandy Sour poisoning....
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