This conversation has indeed been going on for a considerable time now. It seems to me that there are people speculating over things that they have no real knowledge of and are in most cases coming up with incorrect information that just fires the speculation, lets just take a step back and look again what we have.
XV230 exploded in Afghanistan shortly after AAR. We know of no other official details about it so anything that comes up is mostly pure speculation I lost friends on board but no family, to the families my condolences which I have sent before.
Lets look at life outside and inside the forces. I have flown both. Nimrods, Hercs and Tristar. The first two in the military and the latter in Civvy Street. The one thing that is common on all types is that they have fuel leaks, they have hot air leaks and they also have other major malfunctions. Now I trusted then and if I was still flying would trust them now……What am I talking about…..my ground crew, they are the guys who look with skills that they have acquired for any faults that would endanger the aircraft and the crews that fly them, they would not willingly send an aircraft flying with dangerous faults, fact they would not. The crew chiefs then check again and they also would net send an aircraft airborne with faults. Then the crew checks the aircraft, any fuel leaks will be entered in the log……the position and the rate of leak is put there, any leak found and allowed to go flying would have been assessed against a written guideline and either allowed to fly or not. This is a system that has been around for many years tried and trusted by aircrew and ground crew alike at any stage someone could have said no to taking the aircraft flying the crews are briefed what defects they are carrying, they were red and greens in my day not sure now. People spend time writing up faults, leaks etc so we all know what is happening. These are people I trusted then and would trust now.
Now to the next lot, the press and anyone who leaks unofficial document emails etc to anyone who will listen to them…….words fail me. Cannot think of anything nice to say about them so that should give you an idea of what I think about them. All the armchair experts……when will you stand up in front of a board and say what you think I have done so and it cost me a lot but I came from facts and thorough knowledge of the situation. I did not use hearsay just knowledge that I got myself and used at the inquiry. Facts that I could check myself .I used the details that the BOI had and quashed rumour with fact. Now at the inquiry you will find people that know only what is written in front of them, don’t waste time asking them what they know or think, arm yourself with experts that will know facts and let them speak on your be half.
TD I respect what you are doing in trying to find facts but don’t let sentiment delay the BOI answers, wait till you have their facts before getting in their faces with other information. Remember the more you give them the more they are prepared for your Questions.
I have ranted on enough take a step back all, wait for the BOI results and then take action.
Regards
Fergi