I cannot recall anyone in the Service openly criticising the conduct of a Service Inquiry before to the point of complaining of unfair treatment. Sqn Ldr Turner's comments to the press may have been in an unguarded moment but they do suggest that he, as OC RAFAT, is not content with the Inquiry or its findings. I'm not sure that open dissent is ever helpful, especially given the tragic and unnecessary loss of life.
Originally Posted by Grimsby Telegraph - 21 Feb 14
Elements of the recent Ministry of Defence Service Inquiry report into the tragic death of Flt Lt Sean Cunningham were critical of the conduct of the Red Arrows and Sqn Ldr Turner insists he and the rest of the team were left “hurt” by some of its contents.
“It was a horribly tragic accident that could have happened to any fast jet unit,” he said. “I feel that we’ve been singled out for some unfair treatment by elements of the Service Inquiry and I am very keen to prove to people that we are as professional, if not the most professional, unit in the RAF. The treatment hurt me very much. It hurt all of us. We all believe in this job, the engineers and the pilots, we are all keen on showcasing the excellence of the Red Arrows.”