Fitness worries

[gogsy]

Hi everyone, i'll try and keep this short, im close to going on my pgac soon i am reasonably fit but i wouldnt say im any kind of athlete i was just wondering how fit you really need to be for the pgac because im starting to worry about it a bit now.


any help is much appreciated

[RAF Reginald]

im starting to worry about it a bit now.

Don't! Unless your a fat knacker!

The PGAC is designed as an 'assessment' of you rather than a test, this includes your fitness. Not sure what you do now, but it used to be BFT, RAF Fitness test and swim test. I do know that you get thrashed around the training area with a (light*) bergen on a bit now. If you totally blow it all out your arse then there'll be some thinking being done, on both sides. But any problems you have will be highlighted and you will be advised on what to do accordingly. Hope that helps mate.

* Compared to what you'll be hauling around on-course!

[Per Ardua]

I posted this up before it gives you the break down of the PGAC and what to expect.

PGAC

Gone are the days of not telling you what you are going to be doing, "not conducive to good learning" apparently.
Did alright for me though.

Per Ardua

[wannabe_bootneck]

Hate to say it but that programme is utter pish, we didn't do half of that truth be told. We did all the phys. but no Regiment museum, no drill lesson, no meet trainee gunners etc. Now the numbers have been made back up now the PGAC seems to have gone up a gear, if you are not at the required level for them, then that will be you. YOu'll be asked do you want to leave or stay on course to see the rest of it. Train for 3.5 miles min rather than just 3 miles, as you will be running tired from the previous day and do a half mile warm up lap before the 3 miler. Listen to what you're told and take it on board, it really really really is the most basic of soldiering, I'm talking about things like treating your weapon with respect and taking care of it (even though it's only a plastic representation) keeping your pockets and pouches done up at all times, after having used something putting it awya straight away that sort of thing. If you have anyone on your course with prior military experience listen to what they have to say, obviously not over the DS words, but take their advice. Unlike my basha buddy who wouldn't have it you can get more than 2 rat pouches in a large messtin because the cpl ahd only put 2 in the demo.

[Doc]

I'm talking about things like treating your weapon with respect and taking care of it (even though it's only a plastic representation)

Farking coffee everywhere!!!
Thats farking brills that, made me laugh so much my tonsils flew across the room


Oh god thats creased me

[RAF Reginald]

treating your weapon with respect and taking care of it (even though it's only a plastic representation).

No, no, no. That is the L85A2, honestly!

[Rabaki262]

after the easy day of press ups, sit ups, swimming and running you will be thrashed on a shitty field in boots carrying webbing on your back. They will f@#k you up totally. Then you have to do a bergan march for about 3.5 miles with webbing on and bergan, carrying a plastic replicar rifle. You will do a field exercise where they will just hammer you, get you up all night sprinting, crawling around in the dark and giving you crash moves ( you have to take down your camp run to a rendevue point then go back and set up again. I got about 5 minutes sleep if that. Then in the morning you will march back and do rifle lifts till your arms drop off. Basically you've just got to want to be a soldier...physically it's nothing compared to PRMC for the marines.

[Boney_Gildroy]

Rabaki262 when did you do your PGAC?

[Doc]

Then you have to do a bergan march for about 3.5 miles with webbing on and bergan, carrying a plastic replicar rifle

Look will you lot stop it, my left lung just left via my mouth and hit the wardrobe door!!!

[Paratrooper01]

Why cant the RAF be like everyone else and just make people run a BFT or something similar? You do all your PT and weapons handing in basic training.

We were sitting on a civvy 747 in Brize Norton waiting to fly out to Oman when the pilot comes on the intercomm and says...

"We apologise for this delay, but the RAF refueling team have put too much fuel into the tank so we are now too heavy to take off. We are going to sit on the runway and burn off 10 tonnes of fuel before we can take off."

What a joke.

RAF

[Rabaki262]

Rabaki262 when did you do your PGAC?

I did mine April 12th-14th 2005 mate.

[Falkens]

Paratrooper, I wouldnt be too harsh on the RAF, believe me it may have taken longer to de- fuel the aircraft that actually burn the fuel off, not that i agree to wasting fossil fuels anyway!
Aren't you lucky you were flying in a civvy 747 as opposed to a Herc?

[rawli]

You wouldn't be paras if it wasn't for the RAF

[harry hackedoff]

Course they would you twonk
They`d jump out of civ aircraft and save the MOD squilions
Farking good idea, what
Has anyone seen my plastic replica by the way
It`s name is wodger

[RAF Reginald]

Why cant the RAF be like everyone else and just make people run a BFT or something similar?

The reason this type of PGAC course was brought in was because loads of lads were joining up believing the commonly held belief that they would be gate guards all their lives. Hence, when they began their training they got a bit of a shock to say the least, many subsequently banged out. This was costing the RAF money and many admin' hours. So what was previously a two day trip to Honington to have a look at the RAF Regiment, do your BFT, swim test, fitness test turned into a longer visit incorporating a small 'field exercise' designed to weed out those that weren't truly interested or up to it. As for the weighted plastic rifles, we're not going to give real weapons to 'civvies' who are staying overnight on an open training area are we!