Grubber, sorry if I touched a nerve,it wasn't my intention to belittle the FAA. I was talking about the introduction of the Defence Aviation Error Management System (DAEMS) & it associated components (reporting,investigation & just culture etc.). The RAF was the first,doesn't make it the best. As an ex maintainer I didn't always follow procedures,I over signed work I hadn't seen & tended to keep errors 'in house'.
The DAEMs process (to have any hope of brining about change) has to (and does) recognise that our people are imperfect & sometimes make bad choices. Unfortunately this has become the cultural norm,we make decisions & take on risks we shouldn't.
Can do & initiative are valued & will be still. we have to work on the whole of military aviations culture top to bottom. Willing horses are great but (mixing my metaphors here!) in being part of a culture where we always achieve (no matter what) we create a rod for our own back. One of the things about military aviations just culture is once you move outside (death,serious injury loss of platform) you move to civil law & it isn't just & it isn't fair.
Precursors of serious accidents are generally known before you get the bad outcome, but people don't flag up issues or if they do they aren't listened.
DAEMs is trying to adress this,it by no means perfect & our people (because of the way the've been treated) are jaded & become cynical,but its moving in the right direction. Its already startuing to bare some fruit.