Biggus,
You may be fed up but there is nothing wrong with banter between the Services. In the case of the RAF vs RN it is born of very different cultural backgrounds and thus approach to the way we do business. In the case of SAR the RN has treated it as part of any RW aircrews day to day job because in general we work solo off the decks of ships. The RAF on the other hand grew up with a culture of a static and thus bureaucratic approach to the subject - an empire was created in the form of SARF, SARTU etc.
None of the many SAR sorties I was involved with over many years were any more or less difficult, brave etc than the "professional" SAR boys from the RAF. Often we were tasked on the same missions and worked quite happily alongside each other. However, our training routes were very different. I was using core skills learned from frontline operational flying, in general the RAF boys had only ever known the yellow Wessex or Seaking, and operated from static bases. No-one is necessarily better than the other, but the cultures are totally different hence the banter.
All of the angst the RN feel is a direct result of your seniors behaviour in trying to dismantle the FAA via the Harrier debate. The distrust of the RAF resulting from this runs exceptionally deep I can assure you and it will take many years to recover. The FAA has high hopes for Andy Pulford!
Last edited by Bismark; 28th Mar 2013 at 21:25.