Well,
I was poised all ready to join in the Merlin slagging thread. After just finishing an Exercise in East Anglia with 6 AH, Lynx and CH 47 with rumours around that the Merlins were not quite up to the job and have already pulled out of this years NITEX. The ammunition was there.
However, Si Clicks post reminded me that the Merlin appears to be suffering from the same lack of support as the AH does. People (IPTs/DPA etc) want all the bells and whistles of new technology but dont want to support the aircraft with spares, software and infrastructure. Just enough, just in time philosophy does not work in a financially strapped environment.
So, Si - well done. Gossip is great and so is rumour, but sniping from the sidelines is just negative and doesn't do anyone any favours. If you fly the aircraft and you think that it is the best capabability there is and the issues of serviceability are for those well away from the cockpit/airframe...then good on you. Good to see some moral backbone.
In the AH world we too have endured some really ill informed comment from arm chairs afar. Speak to the crews, identify where the issues are and focus energy on the heart of the problem (dont just put yourselves in a flat spin out to see whingeing and whining like an astazou).