This is my first post after watching and reading with interest for many years and covers a few of the issues within this complex thread. It is therefore a bit rambling so sorry.
As someone who flew Nimrods for 6 years, I was lucky to be involved in only one minor Smoke and Fumes incident. There seem to be quite a few people on this thread who think that recent problems are to do with the age of the Nimrod. It is an old aircraft but IMO that is not the major problem The problem is the Government's lack of financing for the aircraft and insufficient time and servicing personnel to do anything other than patch problems not fully repair them. The ground crew do an excellent job under trying circumstances but are fighting a losing battle.
Attitudes that you joined the Services and risk is part of flying do not help. It is a statement of fact but when the risk is unfairly increased due to funding issues then that is another matter. Most people on here have nothing but admiration for the people who fly the aircraft and the excellent and important job that the aircraft does in all the theatres it operates in, but without proper funds to keep her going, the amount of snags, problems and risk is going to do nothing but increase.
This problem is not isolated to the Nimrod. Serviceability at both Lyneham and Waddington are reported to be shocking and the E3 is not an old aircraft and does not fly at low level or consistently in massive temperature changes, so explain that to me if it is not funding and manpower related.
This is all MY opinion and it is how I perceive the current problem. It is a view shared by many of my current and past crew mates but not all of them. We do not trust our lords and masters and we do not trust our Government. Give us the money and the manning to fix the problems and watch the discontent go back to it's usual low level. I like many of my colleagues want a return to the Forces that we joined, a place that was a career and a way of life. This government is rapidly taking that away and turning it into just another job, so stop having a go at people for leaving and/or moaning. Loyalty only stretches so far and is not a one way street as some seem to think.