RAF Voyager stranded for 48 hours because of PFI small print

[DaveReidUK]

The Daily Mail reports that an RAF A330 Voyager bringing back 250 troops from Afghanistan to the UK was stranded for 48 hours after a tyre blew out during an RTO.

Apparently the small print in the AirTanker PFI agreement would not allow the crew to fit a loaner replacement wheel from Emirates to continue the flight, instead one had to be flown out from the UK so as not to "invalidate the warranty", according to the DM.

Returning soldiers grounded for 48 hours in MoD tyre farce: Troops were forced to wait at Middle Eastern base in row over replacing aircraft's flat wheel | Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2381636/Returning-soldiers-grounded-48-hours-MoD-tyre-farce-Troops-forced-wait-Middle-Eastern-base-row-replacing-aircrafts-flat-wheel.html)

[joy ride]

Note that the Daily Fail article mentions a "flat wheel", yup those pneumatic wheels are prone to punctures!

Classic example of the political will to enforce "privatisation" into areas where it does not belong, and by doing so providing more opportunities for ever-more bureaucrats to interfere with people who actually know what they are doing.

[cyflyer]

What kind of bird would cause a flat tyre on such an aircraft, whilst still being on the ground ?

[on time all the time]

....a bird with a big beak!

And since when soldiers talk about their travelling experiences and delay like the punter left stranded on a holiday island for 48 hours?

As for the contract is it not the same with cars or indeed items such ipad where if you temper with them using non official agents, your contract is considered nil?

[TOWTEAMBASE]

Making it sound like they flew the wheel out on an aircraft just for that purpose. And herded into huts in 42degrees......how different is that from how they have been living anyway !!

[SpringHeeledJack]

I could well believe that this has happened, some of those government contracts are written by geniuses and signed by, if not idiots, then naiive hands. Perhaps the best way to hinder such occurrences in future will be for the cargo hold to have a small selection of potential AOG items stowed away and carted around the world on missions.



SHJ

[TOWTEAMBASE]

Maybe it's a weight issue, remember this carries troops and fuel for ATA, maybe hold 5 is already taken up with something hush hush :-)

[Wycombe]

SHJ said:

Perhaps the best way to hinder such occurrences in future will be for the cargo hold to have a small selection of potential AOG items stowed away and carted around the world on missions.



On the RAF Transports that I used to fly in (going back 10 years and more now) this is exactly what used to happen. It was known as the TPU (Tech Pack-Up) and on the VC10 (for example), depending on the route to be taken (and spares available at the scheduled stops) could include engineer's toolkits, a spare nose wheel, a spare main wheel, an aircraft tow bar and a jack sufficient to raise the bogies enough to change a wheel.

Maybe things have changed?

[Basil]

In contrast: In the eighties we taxied into Khartoum in our TriStar and discovered we had a flat. The only single local replacement wheel was out of date and, in any case, the rules said that both wheels on the same axle had to be changed.
What to do?
We just had the replacement fitted and departed as planned. :ok:

[Smoketrails]

Basil, I think you would have stuck the 'flat' with Bubalicious instead of opting for a stay in Khartoum!?

[Phileas Fogg]

Back in the day when based at a top secret Wiltshire air base the station rugby team were having an away match at St Mawgan and any supporters were welcomed to travel along on the laid on C130's, one there and one back ... Anything for a day away from Wiltshire and beside the Cornish seaside we thought!

Well, by all accounts, the rugby match took place and we met up with the team back in the St. Mawgan rugby club at an appropriate time of the afternoon/evening by which time the beer was well flowing.

At the scheduled time we made our way up to the Nimrod line only to learn that our (return) C130 had returned to stand at base ... Oh well, back down the rugby club.

An hour or so later back up to the Nimrod line only to learn the replacement C130 had gone tech en-route and returned to base ... Oh well, back down the rugby club.

By the next time we went up the Nimrod line most of us were well sh1tfaced and we took a crate of beer with us, our C130 duly arrived however it suffered a birdstrike to the leading edge of a wing in the process.

As the fresh faced crew stepped off the C130 they politely asked "Any of you lot "Airframes"?", it transpired that the majority of this p1ssed up rugby team were "Airframes" and what followed with drunks staggering across wing with speedtape etc. left the Nimrod line guys staring in amazement.

The journey back to our top secret Wiltshire air base proceeded, thereafter, without furtherb incident whilst we consumed the remainder of the crate of Cornish beer.

How times have changed! :)

[direct ortac]

Nice to see common sense prevailing! What a fab story.. LINSAK!:D

[Basil]

Basil, I think you would have stuck the 'flat' with Bubalicious instead of opting for a stay in Khartoum!?
By that date the Sudan Club was dry so, yes, concur ;)