Originally Posted by
Tourist
"an RAF insider even glibly told a national newspaper that "these things happen from time to time" . "
And it is quite true that they do, but I cannot think of anyone who has done it more than once.
To dump someone who cost x million to train because they are human would be the height of petulant idiocy.
Everyone makes mistakes when flying. The lucky ones of us get away with them.
It's called a wheel. It goes round and round. In the late 60s early 70s the RAF did indeed follow current US practice. It was quite the norm for the wg cdr or stn cdr to be penalised for the errors or mishaps for a subordinate. It might be habe been an instant career brake, or a posting, perhaps even gardening leave.
The atmosphere was paranoid with the SOs living on a knife edge and that from the actions of subordinates and the presumed omission by the chain of command as opposed to the issue of possibly illegal orders.