This is what Mr Thin Pinstriped Line thought about the air force proposals in the SNP's white paper:
http://thinpinstripedline.********.c...ottish_30.html
So in summary, the proposals for the SDF Air Force appear to be built around the concept of operating a very expensive and enormously capable fighter jet purely for QRA, while introducing an aged and nearly out of service transport aircraft into an environment where it has never been based before. It assumes that this will be done on a manpower ceiling capable of retaining key personnel, and recruiting / training more staff through a training and ground school environment which doesn't yet exist and would be extortionately expensive to create. All of this will be done within a shared wider budget of £2.5 billion.
Bluntly the sums don’t add up, the manpower totals don’t add up, and the ability to generate a long term and credible airforce is probably in doubt due to the lack of thought about the training and support implications of the plan.
(For "********" read "b l o g s p o t")
'Nuff said!
Oh and as for civil aviation, this is all the white paper says:
We propose to retain the current regulatory framework governing aviation on independence through a memorandum of understanding with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The CAA will report to the Scottish Government on regulatory matters affecting aviation in Scotland.
Building on this initial arrangement an independent Scotland can develop its own regulatory body in due course.
Obviously a great deal of thought and research has gone into that...