air cadets... how do i iron my stuff?

[machineman9]

we are doing a uniform check on thursday (when i get my proper uniform) but i also need to know how we iron our uniform. we only briefly covered it for the first time about 2 months ago

can someone give me some help? ive been googling but i didnt find much that was good to know


cheers

[Pilot James]

Put a crease down the middle of ur leg on either side and iron your shirt. I was in the ATC for about 5 years so its was a good expirence.
Regards
PJ

[expat]

In a previous life when I wore a blue suit, short hair and shiny shoes I found that ironing was just a matter of a little practice. I take it we are talking trousers, shirt and woolly pulley. Well the last I never ironed, just drip dry. As for your trousers, they need to be pressed, not ironed. If you iron then, you will end up with nice shiny stripes down the front and back. Lay them on the ironing board with the legs together, as if they have just come off the hanger, but unfolded. Now fold back the top leg enough so that you see the crease line of the lower leg. Now go and get a tea towel and run it under the cold tap until it is soaking. Ring it out, fold it in two length ways and place it on the part of the crease that you want to press. Next iron the trouser leg through the wet tea towel using the steam setting. Once you have finished that part of the leg, wet the towel again, ring it out and move down the leg. Repeat until you can shave with said crease. Now lift/fold the top leg so that you have access to the rear crease. Do as you have on the front. Once finished turn the trousers over and repeat on the other leg. You will find that when you have done this a few times, the creases will always stay in the trouser legs to a certain degree and will guide you the next time. If you have the old winter trousers, it will need to be done more than if you have the lightweight summer trousers.
As for your shirt in my time it was just the sleeves that had to have a crease. Again lay the shirt arm on the ironing board and aim to get the crease to run from the middle middle point of your shoulder to your cuff. Just a got couple of shots with a steam iron should be required for this. However with your shirt be careful, a crease that is not correct is a real pain to get out and you will end up with tram lines.
I did find though, when I first joined up, that when home on leave, a "mother" was the best way to get those creases just where you wanted them. Once they have been put in once, as I said they will remain as a guide for each time there after.

Have fun
Matt (quite a few years away from said blue suit, but you never forget )

[machineman9]

alright thanks... i just couldnt quite remember where the creases needed to go. i know it needs to go from shoulder down in the middle on sleave

it doesnt need to have a definate crease on the back of the trousers does it?

[expat]

it doesnt need to have a definate crease on the back of the trousers does it?

That would depend of what the standards are today. In my time the answer to that question would be "yes"

Matt

[machineman9]

ill take your word for it! thanks.

[C]

Try looking here:

Air Cadet Central - Uniforms, Drill and Ceremonial

it doesnt need to have a definate crease on the back of the trousers does it?

Yes, technically all the way up to the waistband, but as high as you can practically get them. Top tip - iron them using a damp tea-towel on top of them - the crease will be sharper and it will protect the fabric from going shiney...

Shirts, nicely ironed, with a crease ironed centrally in the sleeve. This is most easily done with the sleeve flat on the ironing board with the seam closest to you. This of course is easiest with a short sleeved shirt! People may advise you to use starch. DON'T!

Matt's is all good and still up to date advice - I don't really wear blue very often!

[ozzy72]

I always iron to that standard. A handy trick with shirts is to let them hang on a hanger after washing so they don't get really creased. Then lie them on the ironing board with the arm crease at the bottom and push the iron from top to bottom to get a good crease.
With shoes an old trick is to get the toe-caps smooth with Cherry Blossom polish and then get a good shine using Kiwi polish

Ozzy (once complemented by a Wing Co for his excellent appearance) 8-)

[expat]

Ozzy (once complemented by a Wing Co for his excellent appearance) 8-)

A batman always had to be up to the mark Ozzy, or risk a daily tongue lashing

Matt

[ozzy72]

Loadies are famously scruffy looking..... hence my compliment during a squadron parade

[expat]

Loadies are famously scruffy looking..... hence my compliment during a squadron parade

That's true, what where you trying to cover up that made you that smart?

Matt

PS 18 or 230 at GT

[eno]

Us Squaddies would never go near Cherry Blossom polish ....... turns blue when wet and is too greasy to get a good shine.

As for the ironing .... practice practice practice, offer to do the ironing for your mum  ;)

[expat]

Us Squaddies would never go near Cherry Blossom polish ....... turns blue when wet and is too greasy to get a good shine.

As for the ironing .... practice practice practice, offer to do the ironing for your mum  ;)

For your number one shoes, the best way was a couple of beers to the painters and get them sprayed with "Flexain". A highly flexible, high gloss sealer which was normally used to paint the nose cone of Sneb cans, drop tanks for the protection against air erosion. It was only good for a few outings, but if you needed that mirror finish 8-)

Matt

[C]

Trouser hangers, ones that look like THIS. Ikea stock them, as do Cranwell NAAFI, and maybe places such as Dunelm Mill etc...

[john_uk]

iron your trouwser so their are 2 creases on each leg front and back, the crease's need to go all the way up the leg.

the shirt, should have 1 crease in each sleeve, going from the epilet to the cuff. also make sure you iron the epelets flat, and the rest of the shirt has no creases in it. iron pockets flat as well.

no creases in the brasard in the ATC!

defluff your beret. easy way is to grab some brown parcel tape and dab the sticky side all over your beret, this will remove all the excess fluff.

shows. polish them so they look like this

they are my old shoes. not as shiny as they where as they havnt been polished in about 3 months as i left the ATC
to polish shows. get a duster. stick it over your finger, dab a small pit of black kiwi parade gloss shoe polish on it, and then dip it in water, but do not soak the cloth, just a little water. then go round and round in little circles all over the toe cap. repeat until shiny

if it is a uniform inspection, make sure you are wearing plain black socks as it is apart of the uniform. remove any jewelery from neck or fingers. watches are allowed but dont wear it unless u realy have to, especialy if its short sleave order.

before the inspection do a buddy check with someone, to makesure their is no fluff on your uniform, and that everything is tucked in correctly.

this concludes  john_uk's guide to being a n00b cadet.

can you tell i use to instruct new cadets