Weekends off at Halton

[matty1012]

Hi all

Just wondering what happens with the weekends off during training?
Can you go home on the Friday?If so what time?
Do you come back on the Sunday evening or the Monday morning?

Any help much appreciated.

Cheers

 

[engchimp]

When I did Basic it was very dependant on the directing staff. The weekends you could go home you could leave on the Friday about 6 and be back Sundays about 6. In my opinion though it was more entertaining and useful to stay on camp, better friends made and some of things you got up to unforgetable.

 

[LilStill]

More recently... if you get weekends off it's no earlier than 1800 Friday and back by no later than 1800 Sunday.

 

[briantwigley]

Somewhere there is a 'planner' that tells you which weekends could be free. If I get that far then I will probably stay, I'm sure theres plenty of work to do learning things and socialising with your new mates.

Also that and I live 600 miles from Halton.

 

[Joe_90]

Could is the word you have to consider there mate. There are a variety of reasons that your DI staff may consider before letting you leave Camp.

 

[matty1012]

Thanks for all the replies.

So does anyone know about weekends at Cosford?
can you leave at the end of the working week, so 5 ish and be back on monday morning?

Cheers

 

[Downsizer]

Subject to the requirements of the service, normally yeah....

 

[Tin basher]

So does anyone know about weekends at Cosford?

Cosford offically you finish at 16.30 Friday (can be earlier) and start training again at 08.30 Monday. How you use that time inbetween is normally up to you, but a word of caution if you arrive for training Monday in a poor state. i.e. A body who is c0ck all use to man nor beast because you are knackered, need sleep, driven all night, got back at daft o'clock and feel cr@p after hard weekend expect very little sympathy from the staff. Showing a bit of personal time management skill is expected.

 

[Kim Wipe]

People are keen to get home at weekends nowadays, but I totally reccomend staying with a few of the chaps for a few weekends locally unless you have wifey and a little Timmy to go home to of course!

A few good nights out does wonders for pulling the flight together.

 

[LilStill]

Local Leave (i.e. Wendover or Aylesbury) w/e 4, home leave from w/e 5 excluding only w/e 8 on return from CPT.

 

[84scouse]

The first two weekends of basic are working weekends. Weekend 3 is community weekend. (i.e. working!) Weekend 4 is local leave and air power prep' weekend. Weekends 5, 6 & 7 are home leave if you've performed well enough, and you generally won't get away before 1700 on the Friday. Weekend 8 is post CPT inspection and a working weekend. Weekend 9 is home leave if you impress the WO with your grad parade rehearsal.

The weekends home are by no means guaranteed and when the flight staff say you've lost a weekend, they mean it! DT_Xtremez_21:

 

[spike7451]

People are keen to get home at weekends nowadays, but I totally reccomend staying with a few of the chaps for a few weekends locally unless you have wifey and a little Timmy to go home to of course!

A few good nights out does wonders for pulling the flight together.

I travelled over from NI with three others (2 from NI & 1 from Dublin) & despite me being a Brummie,no one would talk to us for the first week (reckon they thought we were terrorists) & one of the lads I arrived with (wound up a Rock F/S I gather) stood up & said,"we're off down the NAAFI for a beer,if youse wanna come for a beer with us,then no probs,if youse don't then **** youse"...That broke the ice & soon the whole room was in the bar with us.And at the time we had to wear uniform out off camp,until the 3rd week.

 

[penfold93]

I am sure that there are loads of us old sweats who will be screaming 'weekends off' and nearly choking on their Horlicks but if you do get the opportunity please bear in mind some of the points raised by the guys on here about getting to know your flight etc always good advice and also about the time keeping.

One thing from my own personal experience is watch the weather! I was at Swinditz in 1990 and the weekend we got to go home saw one of the heaviest early snow falls on record, it was Dec and the whole country ground to a halt. All roads were blocked and the trains stopped. I was travelling by train and on Sunday morning I was sh1tting myself, I was so distraught i actually phoned the local bill for advice. Fortunately the trains got back up and running early afternoon and so i made it back, but be warned!