Pirate Patrol ( National Geographic Sky CH526 )

Steyr

Anybody else following this?? Started possibly yesterday on National Geographic it follows HMAS Toowoomba FFH 156 on her run up to Duty in the Gulf and then her 6Month Tour, tonight ( well its on right now on Nat Geo+1 ) it shows her on Patrol in the Gulf surveying and intercepting Drug Trafficking Dhow boats.


They just tried to Board a Dhow in Terrible Seas using their S-70B-2 Seahawk Helicopter via Fast Rope but it wasnt possible, the video of the Helo was very dramatic indeed shot from the Warship itself showing the pilot of the Seahawk really battling to stay straight and level as the Dhow Pitched and Rolled but the Fast Rope got caught and wrapped around on the wiring of the Dhow's Various Wires etc and the Seahawk jolted and pitched violently so they called the Fast Rope off and attempted Boarding by RIB which eventually was accomplished.

Very good to watch so far, Interesting RAN DPM's and beards?? I have noticed that before with the RN, is it a Commonwealth "thing" about having a beard??

Just checked, a New Episode is Scheduled for Tonight ( Wednesday 17th Nov ) at 7PM : Pirate Patrol "Chopper Down" HMAS Toowoomba apprehends and searches a skiff thats getting close to a Cargo Ship and finds it's Crew armed to the teeth.

Fine Ship:

goldie fish

Thanks for the heads up. Irish Naval crew also wear beards.

Local-womanizer

Sky + it,will watch it today. Looks very good.

Steyr

goldie fish wrote: »

Thanks for the heads up. Irish Naval crew also wear beards.

Whats the story behind this GF, I thought we were all supposed to be Clean Shaven.

goldie fish

Steyr wrote: »

Whats the story behind this GF, I thought we were all supposed to be Clean Shaven.

Nope. Beards are permitted when at sea for safety reasons. It goes back to victorian times.

Ever tried shaving using a cut-throad on a ship in a force 6 with a heavy swell?

Full beards only. No tache, no goatees.

Irish_Army01

Came across it by accident just changing channels.. NTL+ it

goldie fish

They ran the whole series in one go today.

Nice.

Steyr

goldie fish wrote: »

They ran the whole series in one go today.

Nice.

I can not get over that guy falling asleep at the Wheel :eek:

goldie fish

The random drug test was fantastic. It would never happen here... right?

Steyr

Goldie I know you are up on all things Naval, can you say has there ever been a RAN Ship ever to Irish shores on a Courtesy Visit?

goldie fish

Steyr wrote: »

Goldie I know you are up on all things Naval, can you say has there ever been a RAN Ship ever to Irish shores on a Courtesy Visit?

Yup, in 2005 HMAS Anzac visited Cork as part of her "Northern Trident" mission.
Very nice people aboard. They saw the funny side when every single member of the Irish df, pretended to be a civvy and took apart the steyrs they had on display.(no difference between our steyrs and theirs by the way, contrary to what some will try to pass off as gospel in training)

concussion

Some of theirs use a 1 in 7 twist - not all, and not something that would be easily noticed, but useful to know for that military table quiz

goldie fish

nerd

Marlboro guy

Sorry goldie, you are only allowed beards in the INS if you have a medical condition. Otherwise it is clean shaven every day at sea.

goldie fish

Marlboro guy wrote: »

Sorry goldie, you are only allowed beards in the INS if you have a medical condition. Otherwise it is clean shaven every day at sea.

Hi newbie.
Photos from the Paddys Day parade in Haulbowline, and every visit I have made to a ship at sea would disagree with your claim.
Maybe there is a very high incedence of this medical condition in the NS?

Marlboro guy

I hear what your saying. But it is not a simple choice of 'i'm going to grow a beard'. Those that do, have to be medically excused. From a H&S point of view, a beard may prevent the BA mask from being worn correctly. On my last ship 1 of the crew had a beard. If there is more than 5% in the NS It would be a lot.....

goldie fish

Marlboro guy wrote: »

I hear what your saying. But it is not a simple choice of 'i'm going to grow a beard'. Those that do, have to be medically excused. From a H&S point of view, a beard may prevent the BA mask from being worn correctly. On my last ship 1 of the crew had a beard. If there is more than 5% in the NS It would be a lot.....

The RN have no problems with beards and BA.

Though now I think of it, maybe it's just a yorkie thing?

Marlboro guy

This is true. But we are not the RN... And never will be!

goldie fish

Marlboro guy wrote: »

This is true. But we are not the RN... And never will be!

You realise of course that most of the senior NS officers(including FOCNS) were trained by the RN?
If it works for them why doesnt it work for us? Are their beards different?

Marlboro guy

Thanks for the history lesson..... This conversation began over shaving. DFRs state that a man must be clean shaven each day. Some are excused. There are lots of things the RN do that we should emulate. The training of our senior
officers left them with a NAVY attitude while serving in a Naval Service.

Poccington

Marlboro guy wrote: »

Thanks for the history lesson..... This conversation began over shaving. DFRs state that a man must be clean shaven each day. Some are excused. There are lots of things the RN do that we should emulate. The training of our senior
officers left them with a NAVY attitude while serving in a Naval Service.

Members of the NS while at sea can grow a beard if permitted to do so by their CO.

They don't need to get excused by an MO.

Marlboro guy

The CO has far reaching powers. That is while at sea and would have to come off a/s at w/e. Some times it is done for charity. The COs discression is not covered by DFRs but is only a local arrangement. The RN must keep the area of a BA clear to ensure a seal seal. We don't have the same rules because technically everyone should be clean shaven. The original navy beards came from fresh water conservation and not a H&S issue.

Poccington

Marlboro guy wrote: »

The CO has far reaching powers. That is while at sea and would have to come off a/s at w/e. Some times it is done for charity. The COs discression is not covered by DFRs but is only a local arrangement. The RN must keep the area of a BA clear to ensure a seal seal. We don't have the same rules because technically everyone should be clean shaven. The original navy beards came from fresh water conservation and not a H&S issue.

The CO's discretion for troops at sea is not a local arrangement.

It's quite clearly stated in DF Admin Instruction A9. Look it up.

Marlboro guy

you obviously dont like to be corrected.
It dosnt happen very often. most COs have more on their minds than granting NO SHAVE DAYS. and thats all they would be. I have never heard of a CO granting this long enough to grow a beard. 5% max have beards and these would all be medically granted..... while your knowledge is impressive i get the feeling you havnt served or if so for a very short time. otherwise i wouldnt have to explain all this. was this knowledge gleaned from the porcupine bank or an armchair?

Poccington

Marlboro guy wrote: »

you obviously dont like to be corrected.
It dosnt happen very often. most COs have more on their minds than granting NO SHAVE DAYS. and thats all they would be. I have never heard of a CO granting this long enough to grow a beard. 5% max have beards and these would all be medically granted..... while your knowledge is impressive i get the feeling you havnt served or if so for a very short time. otherwise i wouldnt have to explain all this. was this knowledge gleaned from the porcupine bank or an armchair?

What the **** are you on about?

I don't like to be corrected? Obviously you don't, since you've changed your tune more than once. You started with...

Members of the NS can't grow a beard unless excused shaving.
Then it was that the DFR's state you must be clean shaven everyday unless medically excused
You then decided that the CO's discretion was just a local arrangement
Then, when pointed out it states in Admin Instruction A9 that members of the NS can grow beards while at sea with their CO's permission and it wasn't a local arrangement, you decide for some strange reason that I don't like being corrected and question my service.

I'm serving and have spent everyday I serve in a line Unit. The only time I gained knowledge from an armchair was while on duty.

You've been wrong since you came into this thread, so jog on.

Marlboro guy

nice