Originally Posted by
Diff Tail Shim
Possibly as there was a lack of volunteers. Reds is a constrained tour with the positives and the big negatives of block leave and restrictions when you can take leave, plus a lot of working weekends.
Sorry, that wasn't the case at the time. The Reds have always been an attractive tour for many engineers and apprenti were just sent to wherever, irrespective of their wishes although it would be fair to say some did get them fulfilled .
As for the AMM's, they would only be there for, in theory, 12-18months, before doing the Tech's course. However, most got their first choice for one very good and specific reason. With the drawdown in fleets / locations, it benefitted both the RAF and the individual to be based at, and working on, a location and type that appealed to them. A certain "well known rotary station " did, in fact, demonstrate how effective this policy was with regard to how they treated AMM's as they wanted, and got, them back after they became Techs.
The (in)famous lunch time drinking ?....long gone, now replaced with?..... visits to the gym !
It will be interesting to see how these revelations develop and what, if any, effect they have on the public given most simply want to watch, as certain MSM thoughtfully explain to their readers, their, ahem, "aerial stunts " .
Internally is probably an entirely different matter and, whilst these revelations have reached the public domain, many of the issues bear a horrible and uncanny similarity to events at Lossie where it took, as I understand it, an SAC to have the moral courage to stand up in public and address a VSO as to the then flight safety culture...which lead to a significant investigation and some individuals " no longer employed " .