BOCS?
Better
Off with a
Chinagraph,
Surely?
Well, that's what it sounds like!
The sqn planners used to do a pretty good job in the days before computer-hindered planning (the appallingly slow and cumbersome 'STARS'
) was inflicted upon them. All we needed to do as trainers was give them our requests and availabilities for the week and they would integrate them seamlessly into the main programme as they had the big picture of aircraft availability, crew availability, tasking.....and which trips the wheels wanted to steal, of course.
When the VC10C1K first appeared and 10 started doing AAR, a certain 101 Sqn OC whinged like hell when he saw the week's programme - 101 had picked up several Nimrod and Herc borexes which he resented, since 10 had been allocated quite a few decent FJ towlines..... He ranted at the planners (who were well used to dealing with d*ckheads) for accepting such an unbalanced programme.
Finally, an experienced Spec Aircrew planner turned to him and said "Well, sir - I'm sure if you paid for a centreline hose on the C1K, then they'd be quite happy to do a few Herc trips for you....."
Micro-managing idiot! Let planners do their jobs, have a say in
how they do so - and about the tools they need to do so. Presumably they had a say in this BOCS thing? Not another EDS product, is it?
Mind you, planning up to 50 trips a day on ULAS was much more fun with several delightful young ladies assisting with the process. Sure beat the hell out of keyboards and screens!!