I don’t know the legal ins and outs Acoustic, but from time to time, and despite the seriousness of what has happened, I find myself having a little smile to myself when I think of the briefings Ministers must be getting.
Can you imagine it? Ainsworth - “What idiot dropped us in it by agreeing that airworthiness was irrelevant?” “Eh, never mind that Minister, what’s more important is that you, and your predecessors, have all stated in writing you agree with him. Minister, you should be more worried that if this gets to court these letters will be Exhibit A.”.
Even if he gets an answer, our Bob must surely possess the mental agility to realise the same 4 or 5 names crop up with monotonous regularity. Tornado, Nimrod, Hercules, Sea King…….. That will severely test MoD’s policy of not involving retired staffs. I’m pretty sure the current lot will have noted what happened to Air Cdre Baber when he took the rap for others (at the inquest), and won’t be so keen to hold their own hands up.