mile and a half, OK so I'm hypocritical, out of touch and pompous in your book. Add to that I'm probably one of the "many arrogant, self-appointed know it alls", as well. As Homer would say: "Yeah? Well what can you do?". I certainly was not querying your professionalism, or for that matter any of your colleagues. I'm sure that the high standards of engineering professionalism in the RAF are as sound as ever. What I was criticising was the professionalism of the comments you made that I quoted. But as you say, I'm an OAP and don't do banter, which seems to be boorishness by a different name to me. You tell Mike Smith that:
the thread has been adopted by a niche group who are using it as a campaign against the MoD and it's failings in the area of flight safety, rather than a discussion of Nimrod issues.
Well, guilty again as charged! I feel strongly that "Nimrod issues" are directly related to the "MOD and its failings in the area of Flight Safety". Are we to not comment on the latter because a thread is seemingly about Nimrod, Hercules, Chinook, etc? At least we are agreed about our regard for tucumseh. He has illustrated repeatedly the pattern of cause and effect leading to the parlous state of UK Military Airworthiness. I'm afraid I intend to go on about relieving the MOD of its airworthiness responsibilities. If that is self appointed and arrogant so be it.