Caz
We sat in those cockpits for 10-15 minutes and then we both unstrapped, got out and said to the groundcrew "How the **** do you turn these radios on?" It took 30 mins before they found someone who knew!!
Tandemrotor
NO supporting paperwork was raised. Who even knows if any suitable protocol was followed?
These are depressingly familiar statements to anyone remotely familiar with Mull, Nimrod, Hercules, Sea King, Tornado etc. They represent major failings in the airworthiness system. I wish I’d a fiver for every time someone has said “Ditch training” or ”Don’t bother modifying (or even buying) the simulator” as a means of “saving” money. They think it’s clever and, worse, are praised. If you ignore either, the aircraft or equipment should never be offered to the RTSA, never mind actually released to service. First came across this on Harrier in the mid-80s. Pilots got in, said WTF, and got out.
But, as ever, instead of going into denial, MoD should also study examples where such failings didn’t occur and ask why.