You know you have become a third rate Air Force when....
1. It has more capability gaps than capability.
2. It can't afford its own elementary training aircraft.
3. The rented elementary training aircraft fall to bits.
4. It can't afford to train its own QFIs.
5. It can't afford practice weapons for trainee fighter pilots.
6. It took the scrapping of its maritime role without a murmur - instead of Air Staff resigning en bloc.
7. It took the scrapping of its V/STOL role without a murmur - instead of Air Staff resigning en bloc.
8. It contracted its primary AAR needs to a civilian service company which has yet to acheive any AAR service.
9. It had to go cap in hand to MCCE to find some foreign tankers to take its whizzy new fighters on a simple 4-leg trail.
10. It can't afford military hospitals. Or bands... Or squadron events in the Officers' Mess.
11. It can't afford 'Air Clues' and its own newspaper is riddled with errors and inaccuracies.
12. It has all but stopped recruiting.
13. It "Hears what you say", but does nothing "Because there's no money". Or should that be 'will'?
Last edited by BEagle; 17th Apr 2013 at 07:46.