-re shoddy maintenace
To those who are asking, nay demanding, that Tapper’s Dad explain himself over his use of the term “maintenance”;
1. I suspect he is feeling quite worn out by the events of the past year, which have culminated in a singularly successful campaign despite the odium he has occasionally faced. A year ago he buried a son, which is life’s greatest tragedy. He has, or should have, earned the everlasting respect of everyone remotely concerned with Defence aviation for taking on the might of the MoD and bringing it to its knees. The admission that the MoD’s airworthiness processes, procedures and regulations are not IMPLEMENTED properly is a triumph. While this has been known for nearly 20 years, and was denied as recently as last week, the lies have been exposed.
2. As to the maintenance issue, by now it should be clear to anyone who reads and understands this thread that the term in this context refers to ALL technical, administrative, managerial and supervisory actions supporting the objective to retain or restore an item so that it is fit for purpose. You may argue semantics, but this holistic view is the one you should take. The BAeS and QinetiQ reports make it crystal clear that the MoD has failed in this DUTY at all levels. The Board of Inquiry report and especially the reviewing officers (with the notable exception of a former Director/Maritime and Nimrod MRA4 IPT Leader – I wonder why) have agreed.
In short, Tapper’s Dad is absolutely correct, and has been all along. Leave him in peace to recharge batteries for the next ordeal; the inquest. And be grateful that this momentous first step has been taken and Military Airworthiness is on the way to a resurrection. But there is still a lot to do.