SimonK,
I know what it must have been like now being in the next office to me - good rant!!
I've had the pleasure of flying with crab, briefly, and can confirm he's highly professional - but understandably a bit bruised as his way of life has been sold off to the lowest bidder so I'm prepared to cut him some slack.
Crab - I see your point: I have the utmost of respect for those I watched 'walk out the door' or run off my ramp. Heaven knows where we find such people in this country nowadays but thank God they still exist. Immense courage, and doing it for each other - not for Blair, Brown or Cameron. We did get some people hurt, at least one Chinook pilot has been invalided out due to a gunshot wound - and we know that the spectre of PTSD stalks us all, and it has already claimed some.