Don't think we are talking about a few old "blow-hards" here IO.
Written as it is, we are talking about sixty crusty old blow-hards who have just come in contact with the latest from Chief Purser school. That leads me to think that the latest from CP School have just had to leave the very top of a very tall tree to join at the bottom of the most senior tree in the forest and a few egos have been scorched, perhaps?
I believe that given time mountains will become molehills.