The current situation regarding the CM is indeed a step too far. The RAF already has an understaffed ATC branch with poor promotion prospects, and the fact that we now know we will not be supported should anything go wrong, leads to an ever increasing sense of demoralisation. The outcome of the CM is almost inconsequential, it is the fact that it is happening at all, especially as the general feeling is that the CM is occurring to make an example of someone so that we can 'all learn from it'. What people will learn is not to join the RAF and not to stay in the organisation if you are treated with such contempt. Whilst I could talk about this specific issue for ever, there are actually a few issues already mentioned that need clarifying.
Firstly; the BOI is not complete, it just has to cease if there is the possibility of any civil issues being raised and it will reconvene when the CM is finished. Secondly; to RAF QWI - I'm not sure where your 'facts' came from but you are 100% wrong on two out of three of your points mentioned. Please, if we are going on hearsay, can we ensure we state it as such and not purport it to be the truth? Thirdly; on the wider issue of ATC over-controlling and saying too much on the RT, we do it because we have to and because we don't trust aircrew to do as they say they will. We don't sit there and make up long-winded phrases because we have nothing better to do, it is ALWAYS in response to aircrew not adhering to the rules and/or not realising their own obligations. E.g. in the Area world we now have to confirm that formations are 'within 1nm and at the same level' before entering CAS because aircrew in the past have not done as they were supposed to, and thus we all pay the price of having to double-check. This still didn't stop a Tornado crew formating on an unsuspecting Harrier just before the Lichfield corridor and not telling anybody! Thank God Manchester didn't decide to erode separtion on that one or else there would be another BOI to discuss. Also, if I had a pound for every aircrew who didn't understand why I couldn't give them a RAS below my MSFL or who didn't understand why I wouldn't descend them any further under a RAS, I would be a rich woman. Whilst ATC should always be willing to learn from it's mistakes and enhance it's performance, so should every other element in the FS chain. People seem to be assuming that the recent F15 incident is purely an ATC issue and yet life, as we should know, is never as simple as that!