A few attacks on 32 Sqn on this thread. I think there's some ignorance about what it does and how it is funded. I understood the Royals pay for their usage themselves. Also that the annual running costs are very small and contribute enormously to efficiency - I personally would prefer the important decision makers to be able to whizz round efficiently to several appointments rather than stuck in traffic and ineffective. Then again, I also agree with the posts criticising rank inflation and the sheer numbers of Air Officers.
The fixed wing part of 32 Sqn was almost exclusively operating in theatre last time I asked, though that was not recently. I also heard that the rotary element (3 Agusta 109s?) had been chopped anyway.
Anyone shed any more light?
Regarding 'personal' chefs: last time I was on an aircraft carrier, the ship's Captain had his own personal chef as the Captain was not a member of the Wardroom so he could only eat with the other officers if invited by the Commander. Seemed barking to me, but said chef was kept busy catering for small evening soirees to which selected personnel were invited (mostly female, or was that co-incidence
?). Perhaps he mucked in with the other catering staff at other times or ran the Cockers-P by himself.