Now there's an idea - saving money!!!
What's always confused me is why do the rest of the RAF have to pay for lunch in the mess (assuming they do not live in the mess) yet the aircrew get a free lunch - more commonly known as aircrew rations. Most RAF blokes - be they aircrew or ground branch - turn up for work (on average) 5 days a week and do about 50 hours a week. So, just because I am flying between, lets say 11 AM and 1.30PM, why should I get a free lunch? If as a ground branch bloke I was working over lunch hour, I would have a couple of options - bring some food from home (my expense) or buy a sandwich from the NAAFI (my expense). So why do aircrew get a free lunch. Take another example - RAF police dog handlers. OK - they choose to do the job. But they only work nights and in the winter tend to do about 12 hours at a time. Do they get a free meal in the JRM - no!!! Instead, they have to beg, borrow or steal a loaf of old bread or bring sandwiches in. Perhaps the days of "high energy rations" for aircrew should be over - aircrew are not flying 7-8 hour missions over Germany any more, being shot at in the middle of the night, in the frezzing cold, flying op missions. Why can't the aicrew eat (at their own expense) before they fly?? Obvious exceptions are long AT routes and trails - if you are away from base for over 5 hours you get subs allowance to pay for the curled up Spar sandwich so some food in fight is fair. A bit of a whinge - but if the officer corps (and that includes 99% of aircrew) are supposed to be the leaders, perhaps some leadership should be shown.