C130 Techie.
Sorry, just cannot let this statement pass:
“Then, it numbered almost 120,000 people who rarely seemed to be concerned by budgets or money.”
It is really strange how perceptions change over the years, memories dim and facts can become distorted.
The REAL Royal Air Force of 1978, as opposed to that dimly recalled through rose tinted spectacles by C 130 Techie, was:
Still reeling from 11 consecutive cuts in defence expenditure, having suffered severe financial cuts in each of the preceding five years, was in the process of reducing its strength of 103,000 (It had not been anywhere near 120,000 for a long time) by losing 18,000, of which 4,000 were compulsory redundancies, including 600 aircrew, was in the process of closing 18 stations in the UK, closing the last stations on Malta, pulling out of the Near, Middle and Far East, axing entire fleets (Britannia, Comet, Andover, Belfast) reducing others (Support Helicopter by 25%, Nimrod by 25%) disbanding squadrons, merging Commands and Groups and suffering fuel restrictions and something called a ‘moratorium’ on expenditure.
You see, it wasn’t all quite so rosy 34 years ago...........