Originally Posted by
Lima Juliet
But I agree, Mission Aircrew (WSO/WSOp) are just as important as the Pilots. Also, Engineers more than any other Branch/Profession/Trade are needed in support of the Aircrew and their aircraft. If those 2 fall over then you aren’t going anywhere!
I agree, and reminds me of when we were given Direct and Indirect Labour criteria to meet. ('Direct' being those who contributed directly to whatever your output was). It would be different in each domain, but the first time I came across it, in a workshop, it was generally 60/40. Just before I retired nearly two decades ago, in DPA we reckoned it was more like 10/90. If that. With the advent of consultants, it probably became 1/99! If that 1% goes sick, or ships out, you're snookered; because it takes 10 years to train a replacement. MoD has been 'fouling' for all those years trying to escape.
I recall in 2002 a Brigadier toppling at a programme's System Integration Plan, which simply called up the mandated Def Stan and applied it to that requirement. He let a 6-month contract on a consultant to find out what System Integration was in the first place. The Brigadier and consultant weren't even indirect labour, making no contribution whatsoever.