# Op NEON - CAF Helps Enforce N.Korea Sanctions



## The Bread Guy (3 Jun 2019)

This from the DND info-machine:


> In June 2019 the Canadian Armed Forces are deploying ships and a maritime patrol aircraft, under Operation NEON, to ensure sanctions are imposed against North Korea.
> 
> Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Regina, Naval Replenishment Unit Asterix and a CP-140 Aurora aircraft are contributing to this new operation.
> 
> ...


More @ link -- CAF Op NEON page here.


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## The Bread Guy (4 Jun 2019)

And this from the "Korean Friendship Association Canada" (text also attached in case link doesn't work) ...


> The Korean Friendship Association Canada fully condemns Canada’s decision to send forces on behalf of UN sanctions. By sending military to enforce UN sanctions, Canada is actively going against the Universal Declaration of Human Rights it claims to endorse.
> 
> Article 2 of the United Declaration of Human Rights clearly states how despite political beliefs, the DPRK should never have their freedoms trampled on against, especially from a foreign entity. These sanctions against the DPRK from America and the UN go against many of the rights set forth in the Declaration, however Article 2 is the one that stands out the most.
> 
> ...


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## Lumber (4 Jun 2019)

So... Operation... "Neon"?...  Does Neon have some meaning I'm not aware of?


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## Jarnhamar (4 Jun 2019)

Full of gas?


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## tomahawk6 (4 Jun 2019)

rare gas or just the next name on the op list ?


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## MarkOttawa (4 Jun 2019)

Well, neon is a noble gas so maybe that says something about the mission  :
https://www.britannica.com/science/noble-gas

Mark
Ottawa


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## Pelorus (4 Jun 2019)

Not many cool words that start with N?


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## Journeyman (4 Jun 2019)

The name of the mission is irrelevant;  what's important is that this is _sure_  to get us the UNSC seat.   :nod:


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## Blackadder1916 (4 Jun 2019)

MarkOttawa said:
			
		

> Well, neon is a noble gas so maybe that says something about the mission  :



But the primary use of neon is signage.  The first thought that pops into my mind when I hear "neon" is Las Vegas; what other city would have as one of their preeminent "cultural" destinations a repurposed junkyard that celebrates the local ethos of fake glitter and lost dreams.  So, does the use of this codeword signify something about the Canadian response, all flash, little substance?


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## tomydoom (4 Jun 2019)

milnews.ca said:
			
		

> And this from the "Korean Friendship Association Canada" (text also attached in case link doesn't work) ...


Can’t help but notice that “Spencer” is not a common Korean surname. I don’t imagine one would find much support for this point of view within the Korean Canadian community. Though admittedly that is just speculation.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## The Bread Guy (4 Jun 2019)

tomydoom said:
			
		

> Can’t help but notice that “Spencer” is not a common Korean surname.


If you believe the mainstream media ....


> ... For Spencer, he says his affinity for the isolated government is driven by his commitment to "social justice" and his personal experiences of prejudice as a Métis, a distinct ethnic group of mixed Indigenous and European decent ...


Also seems to be involved in maintaining the Canadian group's FB page.


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## Spencer100 (4 Jun 2019)

Hey not me!   :facepalm:


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## tomahawk6 (4 Jun 2019)

An affinity for a government that rules by fear makes me think that they do not want a democracy.


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## dimsum (4 Jun 2019)

tomahawk6 said:
			
		

> An affinity for a government that rules by fear makes me think that they do not want a democracy.



Are you talking about the Spencer guy who maintains the KFA Canada page?  

And that page...wow.


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## tomahawk6 (4 Jun 2019)

Yes. If I have it wrong let me know.Thanks


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## dimsum (4 Jun 2019)

tomahawk6 said:
			
		

> Yes. If I have it wrong let me know.Thanks



Well, I don't think those groups represent the majority of NK citizens.


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## The Bread Guy (5 Jun 2019)

Dimsum said:
			
		

> Well, I don't think those groups represent the majority of NK citizens.


 :nod:  The same way all those Communist Parties didn't represent the majority of people living in "Democratic Republics" ...


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## Eye In The Sky (6 Jun 2019)

OP PROJECTION is now OP NEON.

The 2 main things being monitored IAW the UNSCR are (1) the transfer of oil heading into North Korea and (2) the transfer of coal coming out of North Korea.

Fairly simple mission goals...rather complicated op area (from the air side, at least).

_- mod merge to new Op NEON thread -_


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## Good2Golf (6 Jun 2019)

How much coal does DPRK (try to) export, compared to how much Canada exports out of Vancouver?


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## Eye In The Sky (6 Jun 2019)

I'd have to check to be honest; the answer should be "very little to none" since the UNSCRs?  The oil piece is definitely more prominent.

I know I'm only a line sqn operator, but I think this is the one the fleet should commit a standing Det to.  The mission is important and we can offer some mission value there, but it should be consistent and persistent.

Also...the location is awesome!  My Det lucked out and got some time in Tokyo.  The city is amazing, especially at night.


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## dimsum (7 Jun 2019)

Eye In The Sky said:
			
		

> I know I'm only a line sqn operator, but I think this is the one the fleet should commit a standing Det to.  The mission is important and we can offer some mission value there, but it should be consistent and persistent.



All of a sudden, no one is sick, lame or lazy in the LRP fleet  :nod:


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## Eye In The Sky (7 Jun 2019)

Location!  Location!  Location!   perhaps?   8)


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## Lumber (7 Jun 2019)

Eye In The Sky said:
			
		

> Location!  Location!  Location!   perhaps?   8)



Op Caribbe definitely instills a lot more excitement than Op Nanook...


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## Jarnhamar (7 Jun 2019)

Dimsum said:
			
		

> All of a sudden, no one is sick, lame or lazy in the LRP fleet  :nod:



Yup. People with MELs that basically say "Mbr may live life at own pace" come off T-Cat to deploy.


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## dapaterson (7 Jun 2019)

Jarnhamar said:
			
		

> Yup. People with MELs that basically say "Mbr may live life at own pace" come off T-Cat to deploy.



The best treatment for NATO knee is tax-free status.


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## Eye In The Sky (7 Jun 2019)

Lumber said:
			
		

> Op Caribbe definitely instills a lot more excitement than Op Nanook...



Better SWIMEXs?


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## kratz (7 Jun 2019)

Flight deck is a bit empty for tanning stations on Arctic patrol vs Op Caribbe.   :cold:


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## Eye In The Sky (7 Jun 2019)

Jarnhamar said:
			
		

> Yup. People with MELs that basically say "Mbr may live life at own pace" come off T-Cat to deploy.



In all honesty, we don't have much of a problem that way in LRP.  Crews aren't places broken people stay;  they are out the door too often and not many of the places we go to legitimately suck anyways.

Unless CJOC gets involved, like the Norway ex (Trident Juncture?) last fall.  That was unnecessarily stupid (second hand stories...I was elsewhere at the time).  I went to Andøya on another trip and loved it; the crew that went to TJ couldn't wait to get the hell away from there just to clear the 'stupid zone'.


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## The Bread Guy (27 Jun 2019)

"Hello, Canadians - welcome to our backyard" …


> A report says two Chinese fighter jets buzzed a Canadian warship operating in international waters in the East China Sea.
> 
> The news comes at a time of heightened tension between Beijing and Ottawa.
> 
> ...


From the blog post:


> A pair of frontline Chinese Su-30 fighter jets buzzed HMCS Regina Monday in the East China Sea, in international waters east of Shanghai. The formidable twin-tail Russian-built strike aircraft flew within 300 metres of the Canadian ship’s bow, screaming past about 300 metres above the water.
> 
> It was the first such close encounter between a Chinese warplane and a Royal Canadian Navy warship. It comes at a time of heightened tensions between China and Canada, triggered by Canada’s plan to hold an extradition hearing to the U.S. for a senior Chinese businesswoman whom Washington accuses of violating sanctions on Iran.
> 
> ...


More @ links


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## Spencer100 (27 Jun 2019)

SU-27's "buzzed" our frigate. I don't know if 300 metres is concerned very close?

https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/china-fighters-buzz-canada-warship-in-east-china-sea-report-1.4484852


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## Eye In The Sky (27 Jun 2019)

300m might be considered close to sfc vessels.  The intercepts with the CP-140 crew last fall were...."somewhat closer" at times.  

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/chinese-korea-embargo-aircraft-buzzed-harassment-1.4953093

There are some areas in that AO that the Chinese are more...touchy...about.  I'd also guess the Regina is of more interest to them now that they have the Cyclone onboard.



> Along the way, Regina discovered a half-submerged People’s Liberation Army Navy Kilo-class attack submarine. “We saw the Chinese periscope and mast. We got a close look at it,” French said of the Russian-built submarine, which was first spotted by Regina’s new Cyclone helicopter and later became clearly visible to anyone on the Canadian frigate’s deck or bridge. Other than to say it seemed the submarine was headed toward its home waters, he declined to speculate as to why the diesel-electric submarine, which normally goes to great lengths not to be detected, was so unusually easy to find.



And, some dirty pool.



> The Canadian ship located and tracked tankers that may be involved in smuggling fuel to North Korea in violation of UN sanctions and someone aboard one of those vessels lasered Regina’s RCAF helicopter crew.
> 
> The green laser beams are insidious weapons that can cause blindness and other serious eye damage. The lasers were aimed at the Canadians as their helicopter flew about 80 kilometres off the Chinese coast. Nobody was hurt during the attack.
> 
> “It is a safety issue and there has been an increase in incidents at sea lately,” Regina’s skipper said. “Our crew were wearing protective safety lenses just in case.”


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## Sub_Guy (27 Jun 2019)

So, they flew by at a distance of around 1,000 ft

Doesn’t seem that bad when the distance is in feet.  

I consider anything less than 300 feet to be close.  

*According to cbc they were 100ft off the water as well.  CBC also mentioned that the jets were not unexpected.


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## The Bread Guy (27 Jun 2019)

A bit more from what looks like a previous post by the same writer ...


> Aboard HMCS Regina – A Chinese coast guard vessel recently came within about 700 metres of HMCS Regina during a rare transit by a Canadian warship through hotly disputed waters in the South China Sea and Strait of Taiwan.
> 
> The unexpected incident near the southern mouth of the strait briefly caused some anxiety on Regina’s bridge. However, Canadian sailors praised the Chinese mariners for their seamanship and courtesy as a series of Chinese warships and coast guard ships – never more than three at a time – shadowed HMCS Regina and the Canadian replenishment ship, MV Asterix. The Chinese followed the Canadian ships for more than 1,000 kilometres as they made their way north through the Strait of Taiwan to the East China Sea.
> 
> ...


More @ link


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## The Bread Guy (20 Oct 2021)

Bumped with the latest from the info-machine ...


> the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of National Defence, announced the deployment of a CP-140 Aurora Air Detachment under Operation NEON to Kadena Air Base, located in Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture, to support ongoing multinational efforts to counter North Korea’s attempts to evade sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
> 
> These global sanctions, designed to pressure North Korea into verifiably and irreversibly abandoning its weapons of mass destruction programs, restrict the transport of fuel and other sanctioned commodities into North Korean ports. Since 2018, Canada has been supporting international efforts to reinforce the UNSC resolutions by deploying military assets in the region. Earlier this year, the Government of Canada extended Operation NEON to 2023.
> 
> The CP-140 Aurora is a long-range patrol aircraft used for multiple types of missions over land and water, with a highly trained crew, and is well-suited for this mission. The Aurora Air Detachment will be operating in the region for roughly one month ...


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## Eye In The Sky (20 Oct 2021)

A particularly challenging mission and op area...


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## MilEME09 (20 Oct 2021)

Eye In The Sky said:


> A particularly challenging mission and op area...


Isn't the main problem ship to ship transfers in international waters?


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## Eye In The Sky (20 Oct 2021)

It's one of the main focus-points on missions, yep.  It sounds simple...and the...realities...there make it (sometimes very) challenging.

It is/can be an EXTREMELY contact-dense waterspace;  this offers 'camouflage' for people who don't want to be found which is enhanced with some simple, but effective TTPs (that I shouldn't elaborate on here, but I'll see if I can find something open-source that might speak to it some).


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## Humphrey Bogart (21 Oct 2021)

Eye In The Sky said:


> It's one of the main focus-points on missions, yep.  It sounds simple...and the...realities...there make it (sometimes very) challenging.
> 
> It is/can be an EXTREMELY contact-dense waterspace;  this offers 'camouflage' for people who don't want to be found which is enhanced with some simple, but effective TTPs (that I shouldn't elaborate on here, but I'll see if I can find something open-source that might speak to it some).



Dude, driving a Ship in that entire region is a bloody experience.  I haven't been through the Sea of Japan but have done South China Sea and the Sulu Sea.  My Navigator had been through both and he said it's the same.  Malacca was another experience as well.  Nothing gets your heart racing like a night transit through there.

The South China Sea contact density was unreal at some points.  Conducting Air Ops being particularly difficult as it was very difficult to get a suitable flying course where you weren't running someone over and your Final Approach Area was clear.


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## The Bread Guy (21 Oct 2021)

I'm far from an expert, but yeah, the general area looks pretty busy to me (source)...


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## Eye In The Sky (21 Oct 2021)

Humphrey Bogart said:


> Dude, driving a Ship in that entire region is a bloody experience.



I can't imagine how fun it must be.  I remember "building the surface plot" going ONSTA the first time and thinking "sweet Jesus effin christ!!!!".


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## Eye In The Sky (21 Oct 2021)

The Bread Guy said:


> I'm far from an expert, but yeah, the general area looks pretty busy to me (source)...
> View attachment 66832



Now add in all the contacts not reporting on AIS and....then go find 2 or 3 boats that are working hard to NOT be found....

STSs (shit to ship transfers);  this is also how many fishing fleets in the area operate - floating gas / bait stations, the fishers come alongside, take on stuff/offload stuff and go back to work.  "finding a needle in a stack of needles where some needles are doing what you're looking for, but also NOT doing what you're looking for at the same time".


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## dimsum (21 Oct 2021)

Eye In The Sky said:


> STSs (shit to ship transfers)


That is the best typo.  If that's a typo.


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## Eye In The Sky (21 Oct 2021)

I guess I will submit to "must wear glasses, even on the laptop" idea.  LOL


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## brihard (21 Oct 2021)

dimsum said:


> That is the best typo.  If that's a typo.


Hah, nice.

And yeah- maritime interdiction of the cargo is pretty key when it can be achieved. The money trail is difficult to detect, harder to interdict.


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## SeaKingTacco (21 Oct 2021)

brihard said:


> Hah, nice.
> 
> And yeah- maritime interdiction of the cargo is pretty key when it can be achieved. The money trail is difficult to detect, harder to interdict.


True, but sometimes the pictures provide the proof that allows investigators to unravel the money trail. I will be deliberately vague with this anecdote, but the crew I was on once managed to pull off a very difficult imagery grab that literally unravelled a very large, internationally funded smuggling ring. Our photos were the smoking gun.


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## Colin Parkinson (21 Oct 2021)

brihard said:


> Hah, nice.
> 
> And yeah- maritime interdiction of the cargo is pretty key when it can be achieved. The money trail is difficult to detect, harder to interdict.


I like how some nations make a big demonstration sinking or blowing up seized ships.


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## brihard (21 Oct 2021)

SeaKingTacco said:


> True, but sometimes the pictures provide the proof that allows investigators to unravel the money trail. I will be deliberately vague with this anecdote, but the crew I was on once managed to pull off a very difficult imagery grab that literally unravelled a very large, internationally funded smuggling ring. Our photos were the smoking gun.


That's awesome. They run most of their banking through sympathetic Chinese banks, and obfuscate the money through Chinese or other foreign trading companies. The weak spot is the correspondent US banks that let them do US dollar transactions, since many companies will only deal in $USD - but getting the proof of that can be hard. It's the use of US banks that brings them within American sanctions.

Canada has its own sanctions, both our own unilateral ones, and as part of the broader U.N. sanctions regime. Like any of these sanctions regimes, proving a Canadian nexus to the point of being able to prosecute looks like it's pretty hard, given how rarely we hear anything about it.


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## SeaKingTacco (21 Oct 2021)

brihard said:


> That's awesome. They run most of their banking through sympathetic Chinese banks, and obfuscate the money through Chinese or other foreign trading companies. The weak spot is the correspondent US banks that let them do US dollar transactions, since many companies will only deal in $USD - but getting the proof of that can be hard. It's the use of US banks that brings them within American sanctions.
> 
> Canada has its own sanctions, both our own unilateral ones, and as part of the broader U.N. sanctions regime. Like any of these sanctions regimes, proving a Canadian nexus to the point of being able to prosecute looks like it's pretty hard, given how rarely we hear anything about it.


While some of the folks implicated by our photos might have seen the inside of a courtroom, sometimes the goals are a little larger…


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## brihard (21 Oct 2021)

SeaKingTacco said:


> While some of the folks implicated by our photos might have seen the inside of a courtroom, sometimes the goals are a little larger…


Yup. I of course have a professional bias, but I recognize that the courtroom is generally not the biggest tent in the circus for this stuff, and that the bigger intelligence picture to fuel further interdiction efforts is generally going to be more significant in achieving the policy objective.


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## Eye In The Sky (21 Oct 2021)

Aside from all this "UNSCR enforcement" stuff ....it's a great deployment and has some unique opportunity with it;  once-in-a-lifetime for me was....Remembrance Day at Asan Beach (Guam), visiting Hacksaw Ridge and standing at Desmond Doss Point.  Also managed to score a few days/nights in the Sinjuku district and see parts of northern Japan.

Wish I was on the crew going!  But....I'll just keep doing this fun DLN stuff...


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## dimsum (29 Nov 2022)

Canadian military plane intercepted by Chinese jets 'numerous' times in recent weeks
					

Chinese military jets conducted several intercepts of a Royal Canadian Air Force patrol plane as it flew surveillance sorties from Japan as part of an international effort to enforce sanctions against North Korea, the Department of National Defence confirmed Tuesday.




					vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca


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## Eye In The Sky (29 Nov 2022)

So, really this is “ops normal” for at least 4 years now.  

From earlier this year:








						China Denies Harassing Canadian, Australian Patrol Aircraft in the Western Pacific - USNI News
					

Beijing is denying that People’s Liberation Army forces harassed Australian and Canadian patrol aircraft in the Western Pacific, claiming that in both cases the aircraft endangered China’s security. Last week, the Canadian Armed Forces issued a statement claiming that on several occasions, while...




					news.usni.org
				




From 4 years ago (when there was no NEON and it was all PROJECTION); I was on this crew and can vouch that the intercepts happened, they were close and “non-standard voice procedures” were used.   



			https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.4953093
		


If it is so dangerous, why aren’t the MPA flying with escorts?  The same story repeats itself - MPA intercepted by Chinese fighters in international airspace.  Countries that own the MPAs put stories out about the danger.

And change not one single thing in the way the op is executed.   

If there is a real danger to crews and planes, put escorts up with them.


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## MilEME09 (30 Nov 2022)

Eye In The Sky said:


> So, really this is “ops normal” for at least 4 years now.
> 
> From earlier this year:
> 
> ...


We don't just whip out our F-18s when ever we want around here


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## brihard (30 Nov 2022)

Would the 18s have anything close to the legs for that?


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## Eye In The Sky (30 Nov 2022)

brihard said:


> Would the 18s have anything close to the legs for that?



With tanker support - the TF is usually comprised of us, the USN, RNZAF, and RAAF.  There was lots of USAF assets including refuelers at Kadena.


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## dimsum (30 Nov 2022)

brihard said:


> Would the 18s have anything close to the legs for that?


Inflight refuelling.  Although being strapped into a seat for 8-10 hours isn’t my idea of fun, and likely not in the recruiting brochure.


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## dapaterson (30 Nov 2022)

I think we need truly honest recruiting materials, and to show the fighter pilots in their adult diapers.


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## Humphrey Bogart (30 Nov 2022)

dapaterson said:


> I think we need truly honest recruiting materials, and to show the fighter pilots in their adult diapers.


Some would call the space between the 60th parallel and the North Pole, "Piss Jug Alley"  😁


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## Good2Golf (1 Dec 2022)

dimsum said:


> Inflight refuelling.  Although being strapped into a seat for 8-10 hours isn’t my idea of fun, and likely not in the recruiting brochure.


Call sign ‘Holditin’ agrees.


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## dimsum (1 Dec 2022)

Good2Golf said:


> Call sign ‘Holditin’ agrees.


Better than ‘Cleanup on Aisle 2’


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## daftandbarmy (7 Dec 2022)

dapaterson said:


> I think we need truly honest recruiting materials, and to show the fighter pilots in their adult diapers.


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