Sumps
The changes that have been made are by no means irreversible, but going back to the old way of operating would only bring short respite. When the manpower cuts start to bite, as a result of the manpower drawdown, it would become increasingly more difficult to function, so a way has to be found that can cope with the future losses.
HLS has, I assume, a much larger shift of techy’s than 47/70 or 24/30 had before. The difference is that half are J qualified and half are K qualified. As far as I can see, the only way that Lyneham will be able to work in the future is by implementing a cross-platform work ethos. You don’t need a trade Q to work on an aircraft, but it would be advisable to have a supervisor that is qualified. Et voila! A solution; any tradesman can work on any aircraft type providing at least one of them is qualified on type. (Someway down the road, I assume that the schools will be offering a joint K/J Q course, but knowing that the speed that the cogs turn in the RAF, is inversely proportional to the speed that the goalposts move, I doubt I will see it in my lifetime). I believe most of our civilian brethren in the aviation world are not restricted to type, so this modus operandi is not too radical a step, I would suggest. This is just one way that Lyneham may consider to be the way ahead but there may be other ways that may be blindingly obvious to you but not yet contemplated by the management. Answers on a postcard……..
I assume your comment on the reduction of deployments and duties was made with tongue firmly in cheek. The guarding commitment will undoubtedly remain the same so duties will come round more often. Unless there is a massive shift in the way that the Government sees as the role of our Armed Forces, we will continue to be on standby to assume any role they see fit, fire fighters, cattle slaughterers etc. Can’t really see deployments decreasing either, so I think you may be right in saying that the length of time that you will spend at home will decrease. That said, when I was on FJ’s, we considered ourselves fortunate if we spent 6 months at home, and I’m sure some of our Tonka and Chopper brethren will agree with that. Anyway, my spies tell me that personnel are VOLUNTEERING to do a stint on guard rather than endure the mad house that HLS has become. Is that true??????
Multi-skilling; that’s not going to be the panacea that cures Lyneham’s problems either – 100 or so places between now and April 05. It’ll help, but not a lot.
It has yet to be explained to anybody’s satisfaction, let alone mine, how under the new system we could possibly unzip the J’s from the K’s and send them off to Brize. Take 150 blokes out of the equation and it becomes impossible as far as I can see. UNLESS, we imagine that the 25 aircraft at Brize are a detachment, so Lyneham then only has to send a handful of blokes and a couple of GE’s across to keep them running.
Hmmmmmm
Obe One
Doh - finger trouble. Read April 06 in para 4