Dear Spot
I have been jumping about the house in a fit of joy for about 30 minutes now, on my second beer already! Hearing your news has brought a bigger smile to my face then getting passes in all my ATPL exams earlier in the month (my mothers words).
My heartiest congratulations on the outcome of todays CM. You deserve nothing less. May you and Sue now take your lives forward, I wish you the very best for whatever path you choose to take. As us RN and ex RN like me say "hoist flag Bravo Zulu" (well done). HURRAH.
To Mike Jones QC I offer you a very warm handshake. You are a truly outstanding man. BZ also. And to everyone else who has supported Spot.
Earlier on this thread I said that when all was done here I would post "a piece of my mind". I am sure many feel they cant, but I am no longer in the military, and I feel it right I should.
Senior Officers of the RAF - sit down, read this and hoist it in. It is a one way transmission:
Any one of you could of stopped this CM from going ahead. It was not in the interests of anybody. But you did not. Any why? I dare say because you did not have the balls to stand up and say a mistake has been made. The level of courage required to do that is way below that currently expected of those men and women under your command who will no doubt be shortly engaged in war over Iraq.
At the very least you seriously damaged the morale of the ATC branch of the RAF and destroyed confidence in the chain of command throughout the service. Shame on you. You have let yourselves down, Flt Lt Williams down and the RAF, which operates in the name of Her Majesty The Queen.
As for the worst, well where do we start? The inquiry requested by the Guild of ATCO's speaks volumes, as does the JA decision that all Spots costs are to be met by the crown.
May you sleep unsoundly forever with the knowledge of the suffering that you have caused a fine Officer and his family.
End of transmission.
Finally let us not forget two men died on that tragic day. Let our final thoughts be with them.
God bless Spot
God bless Lt Col Kenneth Hyvonen and Captain Kirk Jones.