Originally Posted by
Stitchbitch
There’s quite an involved process to clear Kit as suitable for flight. SME aircrew, RAFCAM, AES & platform PT(s) should all have been involved at some point. If it was that bad I’d be amazed if cockpit integrations didn’t show this as being unsuitable, if that was the case, why was it put into use? UOR? Did the scale/weight of kit carried change between UK and deployed Ops? As for not being shown how to wear and adjust it, one would hope the squippers and to some extent the local SERE training team would have taken care of that one before the aircrews got to theatre.
Well said, Bitch!
You are right it ‘SHOULD’ have happened. However, with over 25 years experience in the integration of little pink bodies into weapons systems and the procurement of AEA, I doubt that it was. For what it’s worth, it is my opinion that the bean counters have been chipping away at those essentially costly processes since the VSOs screwed the wider ‘airworthiness’ system back in the 90s. Safety compromised by economy?
Want to know more? David Hill’s book ‘Breaking the Military Covenant’ is worthwhile, if uncomfortable, read.
Also…. The recent Netflix documentary ‘Downfall - the case against Boeing’ (re:737max) shows what happens to ‘Quality’ when cost concerns override.