RCAF Flight Suit (ALSE) - Split from VAdm Norman

[Eye In The Sky]

Yea that was embarrassing to watch. Poor guy.

The majority of it was rather annoying to sit thru and listen to the  :blah:.

The end, the "what we're doing is making sure the CF has the equipment it needs" etc etc.

Ya?  How 'bout those flight suits we've been waiting for since...forever.  I know, it is a complicated piece of kit...you know, 1 piece coveralls or 2 piece shirt/pants.  I can see why it is taking years and years to come up with them.  :sarcasm:

 

[PPCLI Guy]

Ya?  How 'bout those flight suits we've been waiting for since...forever.  I know, it is a complicated piece of kit...you know, 1 piece coveralls or 2 piece shirt/pants.  I can see what it is taking years and years to come up with them.

That has nothing to do with the MND or the colour of car that his boss drives.  It has everything to do with DND / CAF incompetence.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

That has nothing to do with the MND or the colour of car that his boss drives.  It has everything to do with DND / CAF incompetence.

It is, we've been told, a problem outside DND/CAF control.  I'll take the words of the Div Comd and Wing Comd as credible and assume they aren't purposely BSing people at townhalls. 

But hey, come to think of it the CAF has been able to get some high priority kit relatively quickly...stuff like...gorgets, forage caps and red bands to go with them.    This 'operational kit' stuff...what a nuisance!!

Flying suits are required equipment to conduct air operations.  They are part of our ALSE, in fact.  But, you're saying the MND is not responsible ensuring the CAF is equipped properly? This seems to suggest otherwise.  Perhaps I am reading it incorrectly? 

Minister of National Defence Mandate Letter (November 12, 2015)

As Minister of National Defence, your overarching goal will be to ensure that the Canadian Armed Forces are equipped and prepared, if called upon, to protect Canadian sovereignty, defend North America, provide disaster relief, conduct search and rescue, support United Nations peace operations, and contribute to the security of our allies and to allied and coalition operations abroad.

In particular, I will expect you to work with your colleagues and through established legislative, regulatory, and Cabinet processes to deliver on your top priorities:

(#2)  • Ensure that the Canadian Armed Forces have the equipment they need

Yours sincerely,

*Prime Minister of Canada signature*

Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, P.C., M.P.
Prime Minister of Canada

 

[daftandbarmy]

The majority of it was rather annoying to sit thru and listen to the  :blah:.

The end, the "what we're doing is making sure the CF has the equipment it needs" etc etc.

Ya?  How 'bout those flight suits we've been waiting for since...forever.  I know, it is a complicated piece of kit...you know, 1 piece coveralls or 2 piece shirt/pants.  I can see why it is taking years and years to come up with them.  :sarcasm:

How bad is it right now? I'm guessing that there are no exchanges available for current suits, or something like that...

 

[SupersonicMax]

The Fighter Force has been wearing NATO-style flight suit for the last 6 months.  I really think we need to go this way in general...

 

[dimsum]

The Fighter Force has been wearing NATO-style flight suit for the last 6 months.  I really think we need to go this way in general...

Is that the US-style one?  If so, yes and stitch the ranks on.

The USN also has a 2-piece for their helo crews that is worn untucked.  Last time I was in San Diego their crews were pretty happy with it.

 

[SupersonicMax]

Yes, same style as US.  Now, if they could add hand warmers, it’d be the perfect flight suit.  But I’ll take that one any day before the piece of garbage we have.

 

[dimsum]

How bad is it right now? I'm guessing that there are no exchanges available for current suits, or something like that...

Pretty much.  They had allowed the wearing of tan flight suits in Canada but I haven't seen anyone actually doing that, at least in Comox.  Some people are down to their last 1 or 2 serviceable ones, and there aren't any rumblings of any more coming yet.

 

[Sub_Guy]

I got lucky here in CYWG. I successfully exchanged my old very faded flight suit for a never been worn (old style) one. It felt like Christmas.

 

[FSTO]

Why is getting flight suits so hard?

Is this another case of Canada trying to Canadianize an already proven concept. With the usual hilarious (and costly) results?

 

[dimsum]

Why is getting flight suits so hard?

Is this another case of Canada trying to Canadianize an already proven concept. With the usual hilarious (and costly) results?

Pretty much yes.  Also, we're the only country I've seen with pen pockets on the legs (calves) rather than the arms, and the plastic clips for papers, etc on the thighs.  Our flight suits (and I think the UK ones?) have hip pockets too. 

 

[dapaterson]

If only there were a senior departmental official, like, say, an assistant deputy minister, responsible for materiel for the military, who we could hold to account for such shortfalls...

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

The majority of it was rather annoying to sit thru and listen to the  :blah:.

The end, the "what we're doing is making sure the CF has the equipment it needs" etc etc.

Ya?  How 'bout those flight suits we've been waiting for since...forever.  I know, it is a complicated piece of kit...you know, 1 piece coveralls or 2 piece shirt/pants.  I can see why it is taking years and years to come up with them.  :sarcasm:

If it makes you feel better, I don't have a rain coat as there is a shortage of blue rain gear in the RCN. 

I could go down to MEC and buy myself a blue jacket today, that's too difficult for the CAF though.

I can smoke weed and grow a beard though so we are gucci  :rofl:

 

[Eye In The Sky]

If only there were a senior departmental official, like, say, an assistant deputy minister, responsible for materiel for the military, who we could hold to account for such shortfalls...

Someone like that being held accountable for something?

:rofl: 

But hey, we did get gorgets and forage caps w/red bands quickly!

 

[daftandbarmy]

If only there were a senior departmental official, like, say, an assistant deputy minister, responsible for materiel for the military, who we could hold to account for such shortfalls...

... or a previous CDS who was a fighter pilot  :

 

[Eye In The Sky]

... or a previous CDS who was a fighter pilot  :

Gen Lawson was replaced by Gen Vance in July 2015;  the 'shortage' started sometime in the last 2-3 years.  :2c:

Flying suits isn't the only shortage for aircrew;  PRTs (aircrew knife), flying gloves.  I've had to wait over 2 months for tshirts in my size.  This is basic stuff.

As for the thread title...ALSE would be more accurate than PPE. 

 

[kev994]

On the plus side, the ever-exploding flight gloves is now a desirable feature. I need a bare finger or 2 for my EFB (ipad), the fact that my gloves won't stay stitched together is now a good thing.

Sent from my SM-T380 using Tapatalk

 

[dimsum]

On the plus side, the ever-exploding flight gloves is now a desirable feature. I need a bare finger or 2 for my EFB (ipad), the fact that my gloves won't stay stitched together is now a good thing.

See?  It's a feature, not a bug!  ;D

 

[Quirky]

Why is it that aircrew can’t get flight suits issued yet every member in 431Sqn gets two-three custom fitted suits they keep forever. From techs to clerks to supply techs, the majority of whom will never see the cockpit. Must be different budgets....

 

[Lumber]

Saw an Army Capt walking around Stadacona at CFB Halifax in a flight suit.

In what scenario would an Army Capt weara flight suit, and why would he still need to be wearing it while at Stad, where I assume he was taking some kind of short term course (there was a civil-military provincial liaison course running last week, so it might have been that).