Originally Posted by
Lordflasheart
Question please ?
Is it generally agreed that those six Vigilants were still perfectly airworthy at 4pm on Sunday 6th May ?
Or had some further safety problem arisen (that has yet to be revealed) that required an urgent cessation of Vigilant operations ?
Was the termination in the middle of a busy bank holiday flypro yet another carefully polished policy decision ?
Or was it another demonstration of crass mismanagement and a stupid time to bury bad news ?
LFH
..............
The only serviceable aircraft at Topcliffe on the 6th May was indeed serviceable at 16:00 as it was fueled in readiness for flying to Syerston.
No one has come forward with any suggestion of a further safety problem arising.
The termination looks desperate rather than polished with staff being informed at 10:00 Saturday of Sundays 16:00 termination.
The news hasn't been buried more left out in the open for the few Buzzards interested to pick over the Gizzards of a once great and inspirational organisation.
By leaving the affair out in the open with very little official recognition the "news" will become dust to be scattered by a brisk crosswind that only those involved or who have been involved will care or know about.
Joe public will be blissfully unaware of how an organisation like the mighty RAF can allow a simple aircraft like Vigilant or even simpler Viking to become unairworthy and then spend a small fortune recovering those aircraft only to shortly scrap them.