Originally Posted by
Engines
Gents,
I wanted to hold back for a bit here, to see if anyone picked up on what I thought (happy for others to disagree) was the key aspect of the ATC Glider Scandal (and yes, I think it merits its own title). Happily, Sky Sports hits the nail square on the head.
In my view, this isn't primarily about RAF VSOs - although they played their part in setting the conditions. It isn't about criminal cases - although I could see how that might possibly be an angle. The core of this thing is a systemic failure by the RAF to properly procure and maintain an airworthy fleet of aircraft. My view is as follows. The failure started in a rushed procurement, which was compounded by a failure to properly set up the basic building blocks of airworthiness. This was followed by the issue of what must have been, even at the time, an insufficiently supported CA Release and RTS. It was topped off by an extended failure to properly maintain the aircraft, and a failure to maintain the required airworthiness record. The result was that the RAF, for some years, was flying civilian children in non-airworthy aircraft.
A number of people failed to do their jobs properly, at the working levels of all the organisations concerned. People 'did as they were told' and signed off type airworthiness documentation that they almost certainly knew was defective. People failed to carry out basic checks on the contracted maintenance activity. People read ageing aircraft audits and apparently failed to address serious issues. You can't have that many people dropping the ball without concluding that there has to be something awry with the system in which they were working. That's a systemic failure.
When they failed their initial CAMO audit by the MAA, the RAF (2 FTS) had absolutely no idea how bad the situation was. They issued a stream of updates and press releases to their staff (and the cadets) that bore no relation to the real world. Promise after promise evaporated as they failed again and again to execute their various 'recovery plans'. The RAF then went out and lied to the press about what had happened. Then they got Ministers to lie on their behalf. And right at the death, the RAF got the Government to bung a charity 750 grand to take the Vigilants off their hands, and get the issue under the carpet.
Why does this matter? Because it could be happening right now on your squadron, in your hangar, on your aircraft you just signed out. That's what 'systemic failure' means. Covering it up means that it's very probably not been addressed.
The RAF is chock full of excellent people. I worked with the RAF for years, and I always pay tribute to the excellence and professionalism of those I met along the way. But something was clearly really badly wrong here.
Best regards as ever to all those good people in the RAF working hard and professionally to do the right thing. They deserve our respect and gratitude for what they do.
Engines
As ever, a fantastic post Engines. Thank you.