FI Airbridge - 25th Anniversary commemoration

[greycoat]

Watching TV coverage of events in FI and observing the number of visitors and V(V)IPs attending the ceremonies this weekend, have we laid on additional charter to cope with the influx of visitors? I also wonder if in 25 years time the current operational conflicts will receive such commemoration.

[C130 Techie]

Simple answer is yes, additional flights have been laid on.

From what I am seeing the Families afternoon is a fairly popular affair as well.

[TorqueOfTheDevil]

I also wonder if in 25 years time the current operational conflicts will receive such commemoration.

I can see two good reasons why the current conflicts won't be commemorated in 2032:

1. Today we have been commemorating the 25th anniversary of the END of the Falklands War, whereas the sagas in both Iraq and the 'Stan are far from over.

2. Understandably, we only commemorate the conflicts where we have managed to win or at least prevail - how confident should we be that we will ever achieve victory/success in either of the two current conflicts?

[AC Ovee]

The only reason for commemurating the Falkands conflict is to pay respect to and remember those British servicemen who died while they liberated British people from an invading force.

Although Maggie might be getting on a bit, I hope she took some time today to reflect on her failure to pre-empt the Argentinian invasion. Today was not a day of pride for the government of the late 70's and early 80s, but one of shame. Lord Carrington at least recognised his failure and stepped down. Thatcher should have resigned in Jun 82.

[Bigtop]

AC Ovee how naive. Do you really think the British military would have passed on the intelligence to the Government that could have prevented the invasion. The RN were looking for a scrap - after the Nott review it was the only thing that could and indeed did save the swingeing cuts - at least for the time being!!

I take it you fall on your sword every time you get it wrong......
At least Maggie had the balls to send us to a fight that united the country.

[plebby 1st tourist]

I was surprised to see Typhoons rather than Harriers on the flypast, as the puffa jet was there albeit in an earlier incarnation.

Maybe they're all in the 'Stan?

A nice bit of exposure for the lovely new gadget though I supose:cool:

[MrBernoulli]

............... and a 'gadget' is all it is. An expensive one too. Still hasn't done anything useful yet.

[332mistress]

Mr B

You could have said in 1937

" and a 'gadget' is all it is. An expensive one too. Still hasn't done anything useful yet"

about another a/c ahead of its time - the Spitfire;)

332M

[adrian mole]

I was there yesterday - when Maggie arrived there was a huge standing ovation. When Tony Bliar arrived - deathly silence!

[TorqueOfTheDevil]

another a/c ahead of its time - the Spitfire;)


How can the Typhoon be described as ahead of its time? Had it arrived on time, it would have been equal to or better than the new aircraft being introduced by other nations (Rafale springs to mind). Now, years later, it's simply a stillborn aircraft which is merely competent in its designed role; that role is near-defunct, so it's being given a secondary role for which it was not designed (EuroFighter, European Fighter Aircraft - at least the Tornado's designers had the foresight to call it the Multi-Role Combat Aircraft), wasting money which would be better spent on proper strike aircraft - or other aircraft of other roles which are unable to meet the demands placed upon them (AT, SH etc). The Typhoon is another example of a potentially great aircraft crippled by vacillating politicians and inter-national wrangling to the extent that it's a total white elephant.

Also unlike the Spitfire, the Typhoon will never excel - although the Spitfire also ended up saddled with a secondary air-to-ground role, to which it was far from suited, noone could argue with its air-to-air achievements; the Typhoon will never see any air-to-air action, so it will go down in history simply as a mediocre air-to-ground tool which cost an inordinate amount of money.

[adrian mole]

Ok Guys, from the order of ceremonies book:
RN Sea King Mk 5 - 771 NAS Flying acft that took part in the conflict
Cdo Sea King Mk 4 - 846/848 NAS representing 846 Sea King Mk4/848 NAS Wessex HU5
RAF Sea King HAR3 203(R) Sqn representing 202 Sqn SAR
RN Lynx HAS3 - 815 NAS representing 815 NAS Lynx HAS5
RN Merlin MH Mk1 - 824/820/829 NAS Representing 824/820 NAS Sea King Mk5 829 NAS Sqn Wasp HAS1
Lynx Mk7 & Apache AH Mk1 - 847 Sqn & 656 Sqn AAC representing 3 Cdo Bde Air Sqn Gazelle AH1 656 & 666 Sqns AAC Scout AH1
RAF Chinook HC Mk2 - 18 Sqn representing 18 sqn (BN)

[adrian mole]

Fixed Wing
Dominie T Mk 1 - 55(R) Sqn representing %% Sqn Victor K2
Hercules C130J - 24 sqn representing 24/30 sqns Hercules C1/3
Hercules C130K - 70 sqn representing 70/47 sqns Hercules C1/3
Typhoon - 3(F)Sqn acft - representing 3(F) Sqn Harrier GR3 and 29 sqn Phantom FGR2
VC10 with RN & RAF Hawks - 101 Sqn representing 101 Sqn Vulcan B2, 10 Sqn VC10 with RN and RAF Hawks representing RN Sea Harriers and RAF Harrier GR3
Nimrod MR2 - RAF Kinloss representing 120/201/206 Sqns Nimrod MR2
The Red Arrows - Representing the Vulcan Black Buck Missions
This is a representation of some of the squadrons and units that were part of Operation Corporate in the South Atlantic. (Personally I thought it a sad token and the formations were too far apart for impact - just my opinion though)

[WhiteOvies]

AM, thanks for clearing that up, when described like that it looks like quite a good set up, although I wish the commentator had that list! The five Dominies in formation looked quite smart as they flew over my neck of the woods on Sun PM. Yes it's a shame there were'nt any harriers (dark or light blue) but rules are rules (even if they are :mad:), blame the CAA.

It doesn't seem to matter what the occassion is, the MOD struggles these days, (not enough assets spread too thinly) anyone remember the 'Fleet' Review for HM's Golden Jubilee?? :rolleyes:

The important thing is that it was remembered at all, in these days of PC-ness (red vs blue forces?) I'm just glad it wasn't all hushed up to avoid upsetting the Argies. RIP those souls on both sides.

As an aside the ship's company of the new HMS Coventry march through their namesake city was instrumental in me wanting to join up.

[MrBernoulli]

332mistress,

Maybe so, but the Spit didn't arrive years late ...... and it didn't need bits left out of the production line to save weight/expense ......... and it could fire guns and things at the off etc etc etc et-bloody-cetera. Typhoon? Lovely pilots plaything ...... but otherwise an overpriced, under-specced, EXTREMELY late (obsolete) gadget. Nothing more.

[Bigtop]

White Ovies - yep was there for both HM's Silver and Golden Jubilee Fleet reviews. Whilst the Spithead anchorages were almost identical at least nearly every ship during '77 was HMS, unlike the Golden review! Mind you - we still had Fleets in the Far East and in Malta back then.