Hi Twister
I used to work as an RAF Flt Lt tp for the RAE boffins on Aero Flight in the 60’s before joining
HSA as a civvy tp. My motivation on Aero Flight was just to enjoy the opportunity (even privilege) of being in a position to assist in improving the stock of knowledge of how to make better aeroplanes. The taxpayer paid the bills and the UK (and sometimes France – but that’s another story) got whatever benefit accrued from our work.
Now just suppose that the output of the Aero Flight team of pilots and boffins had been sold on to the benefit of shareholders who “owned Aero Flight” (and by the way would have had to pick up our costs) would I have felt upset? Thinking about it now I don’t think I would have minded that at all.
Perhaps it’s a generation thing. Many of my generation would be considered naive today, but providing we had enough to live on we were more driven by doing and achieving what we wanted than by what went into our pay-packets. Job satisfaction was very important I guess.
But then did you not say the same at the start of your second para?
Having said that, I can visualise a whole lot of problems with the new DERA set-up regarding independence of thought, professional integrity and security, but I don’t really know enough about how the set up will work to be more specific than that.
JF