The people, probably all retired now, who made it what it was.
Thomas Coupling, well said, and it's a shame that Sky Sports lacks even some of your experience in this field.
There is no money for old fashioned air support, because there is no appetite for it in the corridors of power. As usual, it matters not whether it is a good idea, what will be will be, and it's not what used to be!
Thomas Wolfe was right, you can't go back.
The people now running the ASU "empire" don't want to hear about how is used to be. The emperor's new clothes are so much cheaper than the old way, and that's what they men in grey suits are telling everyone to provide, a cheaper service.
We hear people talking about "Dixon of Dock Green" having inspired a notion of old fashioned bobbying, and that image having been replaced with "The Sweeney", with Jack Reagan (Sheepskin Jackets & long hair) which in turn was replaced by "The Bill" and now with "Road Wars" as the current window on the job.
How do we go about finding a way to describe this "old fashioned" air support that we all miss?
Who would be your favourite character from the golden days of air support?
No names at this stage; Feel free to add to the list.
The northern UEO with less than ten years service. Legend, that's not a career, it's a tour of the building.
The unit who (almost) all had pilot's licences.
An ex army (SAS) Major who was a Chief Super but allegedly got bumped to the HO to do Air Support as he didn't get on with his Chief.
{ & his Oppo } The civvy from CAA who regulated the early days. Really nice bloke.
A "Lucky" Merseyside guy who got to end of his (ten year) Tenure, transfers out to a project at HQ. Project turns out to be, two years to find a new location for the ASU, finds it, sets it up, rejoins the unit after 2 years, with his ten year counter reset.
Pilot, not ex mil, who insists on referring to the rest of the crew as Knob Head Woodedntops. Ends up driving airliners.
Fixed wing crew member who blew up two APUs in the same week after being told not to touch the equipment.
The amateur journalist Pilot who went flying with the fuel caps sitting in the toe holes and came back early and out of fuel.
Female Sgt who holds on to a prisoner she had captured, having landed, and leaped out of the aircraft, "single crewed" and got a broken arm for her troubles.
A former Lynx display pilot who starred in a crashing squirrel video. "The door came loose but didn't come off, it just went far enough back to go into the tail rotor"
The UEO who regaled his audiences with tales of being able to strip and re assemble a Bren Gun whilst blindfolded, and of "Interviewing" suspects by the application of brute force.