Tuc, Chug and others,
Thanks for the positive replies. Yes, Ron Holley was a fine officer, great engineer and a gentleman. He always stood 100% behind his junior air engineers, and gave us the confidence to do our jobs with the aircrew (not FOR the aircrew, but WITH the aircrew).
Chug, you make a good point - it's easy to blame 'the MoD', but I do honestly think that the RAF's core approach to 'engineering airworthiness' has not been up to the demands of modern aviation. In some ways, strangely, the RAF can be 20 years behind the 'curve' - I vividly remember my wife coming home in a foul mood from a High Wycombe lunch in 2001 - she had been asked to move over to another table because she was a 'junior officer's wife' - I was an SO1 in JFH. Un believable.
Basically, you HAVE to give engineers the backing to 'do the job right'. They will always strive mightily to get the job done on time. But if they are having problems, good leaders listen and adjust. They don't bully, harangue and then use dishonest devices like 'ICARs' and 'training releases (and my special pet hate, STFs) to deliver a half arsed job. It pains me to say it, because I have many friends in the Air Force that I respect and like, but the RAF has a cultural problem with managing airworthiness that only its engineers can fix. And part of that will be getting the pilots' 'tanks' off the airworthiness 'lawn'.
I'd like to offer a possibly hopeful thought. In my honest view, the MAA has not fundamentally changed the way military aviation is discharged. It has changed some regulations, but the basic job remains the same for engineers. My 'to do' list is as follows: Set the requirements. Manage the programme. Ruthlessly control configuration. Work the detail. Understand the detail. Understand the risks. Fix them if required. Listen to the pilots, but do not obey them. Get the paperwork right. Control modifications. Never neglect the pubs and the spares. Aim to meet schedules, but never be a schedule slave.
I honestly think that our young engineers are up to the job - leadership, guidance and the occasional size nine two lace holes in will do the rest. Senior officers will do what senior officers have always done - at the coal face, do your job professionally and to the best of your abilities and things will, I think, turn out OK. Oh, and whatever you do don't listen to old farts like me.
All the very best to all those young engineers out there at the front, doing stuff we never could have,
Engines