Good Lord!!!!!!
You AT people are incredible. What does it take to make you realise that people out there are not happy with the service you provide. You have Pi$$ed off a lot of people in the Army, Navy, TA's, Klingons and worse still your own people - us in the RAF on other Sqns.
You blame anyone and everything for the problems and do not accept any responsibilty at all.
I could list a hundred times you have looked after yourselves and left your customers to fend for themselves: B0L1@CKS I think I will:
Daharan - 10 goes U/S - we spend another night in Kohobar towers. Crew drive to Bahrain for a Pi$$ up.
On the way to Vegas. Tristar crew spend hours arguing with Naafi staff at Bruggen about duty free - result a night in Gateway house at Brize because we lost our slot across the pond.
Leave Al Karsh after 3 month det. 10 suddenly goes US after takeoff and we have to divert to Barhain to get it fixed???? Another 48 hours before I see my wife and kids.
Comong back from Goose Bay - OH OH!!! head winds - we have to divert into Brize. Oh no!! crew out of time - no others available. Night stop in Gateway.
Coming back from Yuma. Land at Brize and suddenly find out that Bruggen has gone black. One of our Jockies gets on the phone to Bruggen ATC and they say "we are still open". No response from tristar aircrew - another night in the Gateway.
Me, Jengo and another engineman trying to fix a jet in Deci. We got the jet away but could the 10 wait for us - no way it poked off to Bruggen without us. 5 more days in Deci before a Herc took us home.
Det in Turkey. Crew running out of time. They decide that they cant land at the base we are going to, so land in Ankara. Result we are finally bussed to our base 40 miles away while the crew pop to a nice hotel.
Arkansa USA, advance party. Problems with some kit. We are held by the yanks. Where are the 10 crew?? Holiday inn in Little Rock.
Deci - aircraft gone to Cags airport - get on buses quick. Several times this happened.
Ali Al - Tristar lands at Kuwait Int airport - late arriving - another night in Ali - aircrew in hotels in Kuwait.
Dahrhan days. Tonka has a donk change in Al Jaber. Herc crew dump replacement enging off in Kuwait Int and spend night in hotel. Next day they fly off back to UK. How the hell are we supose to get an RB199 from Kuwait to Al Jaber.
The list could go on and on. I am really amazed that nobody seems to have picked up on the fact that VC10s, Tristars and (not so many) Hercs only seem to go U/S in nice places.
Movers and Departure lounge staff next.:
Why the hell do we have to be at the terminal 4 hours before take off.
Why does it take so long to unload our bags - sometimes upto 2 hours.
When we use to come back from the Gulf after 3 months away why did you (and the RAF police) make it so difficult before we could get through the gate and cuddle our family. Bruggen had great big glass windows and you could see the young kids crying because they could see their dad but could not get to them!!!!
All of what I have said happened in the past. I, sadly, dont think much has changed in the attitude of AT aircrew or movers.
The difference now of course is that we are bringing home troops that are really AT WAR!!!!!!