Personally, I think it was a good thing. The 'Top Man' taking the time to get out of the office, and qualify on the latest kit can only:
a) Enhance his understanding of current issues.
b) Show him what a great job the front(ish) line is doing, despite all the cuts.
c) Show to the whole lot of us that he still can and more importantly
Wants to fly!
The costs are minimal, the rewards are great. Or, maybe you'd rather he was like the 'B' Word, with no interest in flying, and only 1500Hrs or so in his book.... Truely Shameful that was, IMHO.
Okay, so he flew the aircraft solo. But what did the sortie comprise? Presumably after his quick work-up, he wasn't part of a 2v2 AD epic?
After all he can now talk to pilots on a level
But can he? He may have taken off and landed - but what did he actually see of its capabilities? Is he au fait with all the radar's features, and all the weaponry? Surely he'd have been better in the sim, or the back seat of a T1 watching a fully-fledged Typhoon pilot engage in some proper AD stuff?
And even if the sortie did include some AD work, so what? AD is a role that the RAF hasn't done (defined as a fighter using its weapons in anger) for nigh on 60 years.
Terminally officebound senios (sic) are of no use to anyone
Yes - but CAS should spend his precious time seeing what the RAF is doing operationally, rather than slipping the surly bonds of earth for the sake of it in a stillborn aircraft which can no doubt top the windswept heights with easy grace but not, it seems do much else...(apologies to John Gillespie Magee)
For those not concerned about the cost, I'm sure I heard not long ago that the operating cost of a Typhoon per hour was not just twice as much as
any other UK military aircraft, but was not far off a six-figure sum?
Why not bin the entire Typhoon programme, selling the existing aircraft overseas, retain a flight of Sea Harriers at London City for the supposed Q task, and put all the savings towards helping the business end of the RAF and its people?