Evenings & Weekends on an RAF Base

Hi,

For both the first 10 weeks at Halton for training and then on the relevant proper base once qualified from there on in, what sort of clothing should you be taking with you to wear in your spare time? As in, are you allowed to be seen walking around the base in casual clothes such as hoodies, joggers & trainers, in the evenings and on the weekends?

Thanks.

Hi,

For both the first 10 weeks at Halton for training and then on the relevant proper base once qualified from there on in, what sort of clothing should you be taking with you to wear in your spare time? As in, are you allowed to be seen walking around the base in casual clothes such as hoodies, joggers & trainers, in the evenings and on the weekends?

Thanks.

I'll caveat this by saying I passed RTS 10 years ago so there may have been changes.
Halton is almost nothing like the "real" air force. At Halton, if I remember correctly, in the evenings if you went outside the block, you had to wear correct dress (usually those green coveralls) and march to your destination.
Weekends could be different; if it's a working weekend, it'll probably be the same as above or a "normal" weekday. If you're off over the weekend but opt to stay on base, there is no requirement to wear uniform and your own clothes are to be worn.
Your own clothes must adhere to the RAF's policy on non-offensive or revealing attire, but that should be easy enough to obey.

In terms of what happens after RTS depends on your trade training base's rules regarding Phase 2 trainees. Some can be pretty lax, others aren't much of a change from Phase 1. Generally, I'd expect you to be able to wear your own clothing at evenings and weekends at those bases.

Once you get out into the "real" air force you'll wear your uniform in work hours and when required to for events / functions / parades etc. Some bases, depending on the security situation, don't even like personnel to wear their uniforms off base, unless you're commuting via car.
Bottom line - Unless you're on duty, you'll be in civilian attire. Obviously, you may have to work evenings and / or weekends but that'll depend on your shift pattern. A lot of the RAF really is Monday to Friday.

Edit - altered my last paragraph slightly.

During basic training at Halton, as Tempest has pointed out, fetching green coveralls will likely be your evening form of dress...
Most Ph2 training will be more flexible in terms of 'downtime'.
When you're trained and working productively, you only wear uniform for work and then you can wear whatever during your downtime. It's not a prison environment and everyone is just a normal person at the end of the day!