tuc, thank you for your input. The minor reservations of which you speak must be very minor, for I cannot recall them right now ;-).
Perhaps I should just add that the main problem within the MOD has not been direct political interference, but interference from the principal Air Operator, aka the RAF! Often the first casualty of truth has been the SoS, at least one of which has since placed on record that he was serially misled over Regulatory and Investigation matters from within his own Department of State. Certain RAF VSOs have subverted the work of BoIs and Airworthiness provision, in the latter case to the point of causing a dysfunctional and broken system.
Leon, you ask for my proposals for a different system to the one that now exists, where one VSO, the DG DSA, is responsible within the MOD for, inter alia, both Military Airworthiness Regulation and Air Accident Investigation. Above my paygrade, mate! I merely enter on stage right crying, "Beware the Ides of March", and exit stage left. The reason that I promote the Civil Aviation system is that it clearly works. The Military system doesn't emulate that system for the reasons I gave previously, and clearly doesn't work, so let's fix it!
The problem is in particular with the RAF! It pains me to say that, but avoiding the issue in aviation is fatal, literally! The independence of which I speak is therefore principally from the air operators, ie the Service subsidiaries of the MOD. That is why it must lie outwith the MOD. That is also why the reformed MAA and MilAAIB (or whatever titles they then adopt) must be led by civilian DGs, though staffed with mixed civilian/service personnel. The latter I would suggest should be in a professionally dedicated branch (Air Safety?) to mirror civilian practice.
As to funding, it will come from you and I, the poor British taxpayer! Perfect? No! What is though? The important thing though is to avoid avoidable accidents, thus saving life and maintaining UK Air Power.
Last edited by Chugalug2; 4th Jun 2016 at 13:18.