Danny, you are very kind to say that you can understand my viewpoint, especially as it is based on a concept that you have always decried, that of the unique importance of your generation. In return I can quite see yours, for you have invested a tremendous effort over recent years in telling the story of your RAF service, and the very statistics that you quote are testament to that effort on our behalf. I'm sure that I speak for all who visit this thread when I say a thousand times thank you for making it such a successful one, truly a Crewroom in Cyberspace!
So of course you want to see it progress and stay in pole position and who could deny you? Certainly not I! I have made my point and now happily bend to the will of the majority, which is clearly for the thread to continue into post war training.
In that regard may not re-titling the thread by adding "and the Cold War" lead to problems in the future? When it gets to the fall of the Berlin Wall will it have to be re-titled again? My thoughts are to leave well alone and glory in the anachronism of a thread entitled as is eventually describing RAF Astronaut training, but if that is too "quixotic" then how about simply adding the words "and after" to the extant title? One for the Mods of course. PPRuNe Pop?
I am sorry to have caused a hiccup in proceedings and any trouble that may have caused. In my defence I think that a certain amount of taking stock when faced with significant changes is no bad idea. The baton though has now been firmly grasped by Fareastdriver who is off to a flying start.
That does not mean that others with a story to tell from the 40s or the 50s have been bypassed, on the contrary we need to hear from you as well. So let us now all settle back in our battered but comfy armchairs, making sure of course that Danny's is reserved for his sole use, and in a non-PC swirl of cigarette smoke and over indulgence in alcohol enjoy FED's tale, as he assumes the traditional pose of leaning against the fireplace mantelpiece...