Guys,
This subject has been thrashed out and bitterly (and in cases) arrogantly and ignorantly argued on previous threads.
I suggest that we all tread very carefully indeed, to the light blue we know too well that our new shiney wokkas may soon be history and that allegedly both ACAS and CAS have apparently been recently put firmly put back in their boxes over being too single service.
Equally Fisheads should sound off with caution, PR11 is not finalised, we are broke beyond unbelievable proportions for many years to come and therefore absolutely no option is beyond reproach.
Trenchard Phase 4 is certainly a Defence Helicopter Force that goes our (the light blue) way, but we should be careful as it is entirely feasible that this new potential Defence Helicopter Force may not include RAF in any major (command) role.
Therefore, when the stakes are this large, MOD this broke and the scope for change so large, arguing about where simulators go is being very very short sighted and believing that it is the key to the ownership or operation of helicopters is even more so.
Defence is changing to such a degree that we will probably never be able to recover, with a belief that capability 'holidays' and gapping can be rapidly re-generated (as we did at the outbreak of World War II). But what those that are taking these decisions and risks do not appreciate is that where a War Office may have been able to fight Spitfire pilots after as little 9 hours, today's technology will never see 'rapid re-generation' faced with conflict.
Last edited by MaroonMan4; 20th Feb 2011 at 19:14.