Now way past my sell-by date, as aircrew or the blunty I became later, I am constantly amazed by the continuing threads on aircrew rations. Point was even made in the TV programme on the RAF in Afghanistan that the flying programme did not match the mess meal times, so it was "find your own".
Back in the sixties we were constantly being told to eat proper meals, no chips, and don't live off sandwiches. Point was that a 3+ hour sortie launching at 0930 got you back too late to be changed into No 2 for lunch - and no aircrew feeder then either! Guess what - sandwiches in the crew room AGAIN!
It seems little has changed. Clearly the establishment does not provide enough mess staff to keep the messes open to meet operational requirements, and in-flight rations have not moved up the scale much either.
Best in-flight rations EVER were when flying Canberras for RRE out of Pershore (where that? the youngsters ask). Sortie profiles always gave you 20 mins below 10,000ft mid-trip, when the soup, fantastic sandwiches, and coffee (inc plasic cups) came out. Also had electric socks for the B2 (Mod) we were flying because they had the early cabin heater (which heated very little).
Perhaps Jamie Oliver should be made a hon Gp Capt and asked to sort it all out.