On the subject of Route/Tac on Albert, might I offer an opinion from the point of view of a non Aircrew participant of around 5000 flying hours experience over a six year period. As an Aircraft GE through the period 88-95, I flew routes with every one of the four main squadrons at Lyneham at that time, add to that HTS, the Flight Test crew etc and I think I saw a broad spectrum of crews and tasks. A Deci Schedule, with an SF crew was no drama, and unless something slipped my awareness, no different to a Deci Schedule with a 24 Squadron Crew. Likewise having spent extra time doing GW1, it should be noted that the crews who operated the last three Alberts out of Bahrain, after withdrawal of the rest of the AT fleet, were from 24 and 30 Squadrons, to my best recollection. Certainly the crew I was allocated to were from 30 Squadron, I will always remember the camaraderie we had. As a "non qualified" observer I would have to suggest that any suggestion that 47/70 as "Tac" Squadrons offered something that 24/30 could not is risible, and simple willy waving. I've absolutely no bias in this, I never belonged to any of these fine squadrons, but I flew with them all, and all were professional people, trained to the same standard and trusted by the likes of me with our pink bodies. Perhaps I'm just paying testimony to the Fleet training system, that ensured the competency, across the board of our crews. I honestly believe that, with the exception of recent posts, the question of Squadrons and competency never arose (perhaps unlike the WIWOL thread). The Hercules fleet was never in my mind a particularly Squadron oriented operation, with UKMAMS, Ground Engineers, ALSS/BLSS, 47 AD, In Flight Catering, Flight Planning etc, the Squadrons were just part of a team that always gave of their best when presented with a problem. Sorry to ramble, but the past few posts made me take a few moments to try and see some or any difference between crews, and their support, across the fleet in my own time. I only see a common aim, to do the job. If this post falls in to the category of "mission creep" I apologise. My intention was to show why we should all be proud of spending some of our service time on this incredible machine.
Smudge
