RAF Tasking and Payments
There used to be a well-established payment mechanism for the use of RAF transport aircraft and I am sure it still exists. There were 3 rates ranging from a no loss cost (ie direct operating costs only - fuel, landing fees, hotac etc) to a full costs which included elements even for the original training costs of the crew. It depended who asked for the task in the first place and Treasury Rules. A commercial organisation would pay full costs which in the case of a Hercules used to be in the region of £7500 to £8000 per flying hour. This was 20 years ago so a. Memory is not necessarily accurate and b. The rates will have changed.
The only exception to this will be if Ebola type flights have been incorporated into core tasking when, presumably, the Health Service would probably pay a standing charge for the commitment and the RAF would then pay from its own resources from then on.
In the case four own troops now involved, the arrangement is really no different from any other situation. The headline, at least that on in the DT, was misleading. Military personnel will be treated in theatre initially. If those resources are sufficient and satisfactory nothing more need be said. Then if the condition requires greater effort than is available an aeromed would follow. It is what we have been doing for 40 years to my own knowledge in both individual and team cases.
Looking back at past posts, remember also that the RAF does not do this kind of thing of its own volition. COBRA meetings, as at present, will have decided if or when any aeromeds
Are provided either for others or will have agreed the decision process for our own. In the case of a one-off a SofS will have asked the SofS Defence to do the task. - in other words it is a political decision initially.
Last edited by Xercules; 13th Oct 2014 at 21:02.
Reason: Delete medieval insert aeromed