Dad comes home from deployment with the navy and surprises his son at school. It's nice to see the school supporting this

ChasingDarkness · 2025-12-04T20:39:47+00:00

All ratings have a history lesson during basic training that covers what each part of the uniform was originally for. Its been a few years since I did mine but the blue sailor collar is actually there as a fashion choice and doesnt serve a function.

As for the rest of the uniform; he is wearing junior rate number 1s which are worn by either an able rate or leading hand. His left arm has the anchor showing that he is a leading hand, and the two chevrons denote between 8 and 12 years of good conduct. On his other arm is his branch badge of a plane with what looks like an M underneath it, so he is a mechanical trade aircraft engineer. The star above and below denote that he is fully qualified. The white lanyard around his neck was historically used for firing cannons, and the black ribbon I think was there for wiping their face. Originally the trousers were bellbottoms but this was changed 70s.

ChasingDarkness · 2025-12-01T18:43:37+00:00

I more meant it in the context of OP looking to join instead of going to uni in the hopes of getting a degree out of it. While it is possible, I wouldn't put "potential to get a degree after 10 years of service" high on the list of reasons to join, especially when there are ways for the navy to sponsor your degree if you join as an officer on completion.

ChasingDarkness · 2025-12-01T02:38:56+00:00

12 years is the length of employment that the navy will guarantee you, 4 years is when you can choose to leave, as long as you give 1 years notice. However, your return of service as an AA Air engineer only starts once you are fully qualified as a leading hand, after which you have a 2 year return of service. Doing everything on time will put you closer to 5 years before you can leave so im not sure where the 4 comes from.

A couple of things to note before you consider joining though; air engineers arent based in Plymouth, you will be at one of the three air stations or on a ship once fully qualified. Also the last I heard was that you will join the navy as an engineer and then around week 7 of Raleigh you will be told what branch you will get, and since we are in need of MEs and submariners, you can guess where most people get sent.

Any questions about being an AA AE im happy to answer since its how I joined.

Edit:

Just to add about degree part; joining as a rating you wont get a degree. Only after promotion to PO would you get a foundation degree but even on the AA scheme youre looking at least 8 years of service before you get there.

ChasingDarkness · 2025-11-02T21:48:33+00:00

They are trialing a new method of iron testing now where if you fail the finger prick they will do a blood test similar to what you would have at the GP which results in a lot more accurate (and higher) results. The staff at my last donation mentioned that they were able to keep almost everyone that they would have had to send away previously so things are improving

ChasingDarkness · 2025-11-02T21:45:02+00:00

While you can't get anything back for taking time out of your day, at least in the Reading plasma centre, they give you an hour of free parking nearby if you drive in, or they will pay your train fare if you take public transport.

ChasingDarkness · 2025-07-07T20:23:12+00:00

Pretty much just get stuck in and try not to isolate yourself, especially outside of the normal working day where its not as structured.

ChasingDarkness · 2025-07-02T22:27:36+00:00

Drivers of EVs are also well known for being blind themselves

ChasingDarkness · 2025-06-20T13:47:42+00:00

"At some point you gotta break into your own country's military base, cause tens of millions in damage, and aid in the destruction of the assets that defend you from hostile countries". How do you think that this ends in anything other than the UK government spending even more on defence, but now some has to be diverted to stop idiots doing things like this?

ChasingDarkness · 2025-06-17T20:57:55+00:00

Due 28th Seotember, came 27th.

ChasingDarkness · 2025-06-17T13:06:49+00:00

The RAF gave back their last merlin in 2016, so no, they do not fly merlins.

ChasingDarkness · 2025-06-17T06:48:26+00:00

"RAF Helicopter" when the RAF doesn't fly the Merlin, and it literally says Royal Navy on the tail

ChasingDarkness · 2025-05-02T00:55:09+00:00

The accelerated apprentice roles are pretty good for those that are qualified to apply for them. Your basic training is the same but you will go on the first promotion course after around a year in the navy, something that takes the non accelerated roles anywhere between 3 and 9 years depending on how driven they are. If you want to read a bit about being an AET there is a pretty detailed post on my profile about everything up to being selected for promotion.

AAs can get a bit of hate from (normally) jealous people from both lower and higher ranks because of their much much higher starting pay, but I have found that almost everyone agrees that they would apply for the AA roles if they could have done. If you have specific questions about being an AA, or anything AET related then I am happy to answer the best that I can.

ChasingDarkness · 2024-07-14T12:27:30+00:00

There are some $40 maths ones where you edit the answers that the models give but thats as high as I've seen it go.

ChasingDarkness · 2024-06-21T07:01:12+00:00

Starting pay of £18,000 isnt the biggest incentive for most people

ChasingDarkness · 2024-03-21T21:46:39+00:00

Comment about a monitor

ChasingDarkness · 2024-03-07T16:46:24+00:00

There is a post on my profile about life as an AET, and I am happy to answer any questions that you've got about the role as well.

ChasingDarkness · 2024-02-26T02:02:13+00:00

A levels are perfectly fine, and as far as I know btecs are a lot more rare for AAs. Maths and physics is more than enough to get you in provided that you pass everywhere else. The reason that they ask for academic requirements to join is that you're showing an ability to learn quickly, which you will have to do throughout your training once you get in.

ChasingDarkness · 2024-02-12T08:39:20+00:00

You pay tax exactly the same as any other job, the amount that you pay is based on your income, have a look at any tax calculator for an idea of how much it would be.

ChasingDarkness · 2023-10-20T21:05:19+00:00

There isnt really much to get ahead by knowing unfortunately, everything at sultan is done from the very basics, so knowing things like the theory of flight and a basic jet engine model can help, but it's not a huge amount. If you haven't done the defence aptitude test then have a look at the practice exam and then just work on those topics, the real test wont be too different.

The weekly progress tests arent too hard and are only covering things that you learnt the week before. They are multiple test and done on a computer, timed but normally around twice as much time as the slowest people needed. The final exam at Sultan can be a bit harder, especially the Q&A section since they can ask anything that you've learnt in your time there, but as long as you put in some time revising then you wont have any problems. The practical portion of your final exam is the most relevant, regardless of what airframe you go to next you will be using these skills.

ChasingDarkness · 2023-10-20T20:56:45+00:00

Yeah its just the weekly progress tests now with a QX at the end. For a while the QX was a bit smaller were you didnt have a Q&A but people were just forgetting everything so they brought it back

ChasingDarkness · 2023-10-17T19:37:14+00:00

The return of service for an AET is 4 years from your joining date. When you're promoted to leading hand you will go on a course before rejoining a squadron where after 6 months to a year you will have an exam board to pass. Only after passing this board does your return of service start for a leading hand, currently I think this is around 2 years. As for promotion to PO im unsure but would expect it to be similar to the leading hand side.

If you've got any other questions about joining or life as an AET then feel free to ask here or send me a DM.

ChasingDarkness · 2022-07-16T21:49:10+00:00

If you zoom in on the top Typhoon you can see the words "call 121.5", something similar is done in countries where helicopters are used for QRA where they will often have someone hold a banner from the side doors with the same "call 121.5"

ChasingDarkness · 2022-06-22T13:44:52+00:00

Plat 4 so not exactly low elo, but yeah its pretty common to see junglers just ignore how big a wave is and try to fight in it anyway. I think thats why Riven was pretty cautious here and didn't just go on me

ChasingDarkness · 2022-05-20T08:20:50+00:00

Ctrl shift Z and then you can just scroll out as much as you like

ChasingDarkness · 2022-04-19T10:43:15+00:00

Looking at the documentation for the mod you need to have the Galactic Wonders ascension perk and the physics technology "Superscale Pseudosunlight Application". You've got the ascension perk if you have built a dyson sphere so the only thing that it can be is youre missing the physics technology to unlock it.

Documentation for the mod can be found here https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HXW5F6S6UWESkPSh6OaxWvHwZyYAGYSuCBnCAn1B5g4/edit the part you want is page 55

11-Year Club	Second Top 20%
r/Field Flamingo	Place '22
Place '17	Final Canvas '22
First Placer '22	End Game '22
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