Leon, it isn't about money, it is about people, RAF VSOs to be exact.
The RAF, as the principal military air operator, has a vested interest in the outcome of Military Air Accident Investigations. Because it carried out its own investigations into its own air accidents, it ensured that the outcome of those investigations suited its purposes. Mull comes to mind...
The RAF, as the principal military air operator, resented the ring fencing of Air Safety Budgets, particularly those concerning Airworthiness. When other budgets became overspent, because of the incompetence of certain RAF VSOs, other RAF VSOs set out to quickly subvert the UK Military Airworthiness system, in order to divert the monies. As a result illegal RTS's were issued and knowingly unairworthy fleets were put into squadron service. Inevitably what followed were airworthiness related fatal air accidents. Mull comes to mind...
The attack on military airworthiness was particularly devastating because in order to reduce safety costs and time, the regs were scrapped and the engineers sacked (unless they were prepared to compromise their responsibilities). The continuous paper trail required to confirm and maintain airworthiness was soon lost, and to all intents and purposes the system was destroyed. The grounding of the ACO gliders being the latest manifestation.
Moves to reform the system have foundered because;
a). No-one now remembers how the system used to work,
b). The old regs were so enthusiastically scrapped that new ones are being continuously written in an attempt to re-invent the wheel,
c). The reason that the old system was broken cannot be admitted, either by the MOD, the RAF, or even by Haddon-Cave, so,
d). The MAA, the DS solution born of the Nimrod Report, is based on a lie; that the period of the wilful attack on UK Military Airworthiness was an alleged "Golden Period"!
e). Similarly Air Accident Investigation was placed under the MilAAIB, itself under the MAA. So the regulator, responsible for the airworthiness of UK Military Aircraft, controlled the investigation of military air accidents, including airworthiness related ones. So,
f). The DSA was formed, headed by an RAF VSO DG responsible for both Regulation (via the MAA) and for Investigation (via the DAIB). People, you see?
If BA investigated its own accidents, or could subvert civil airworthiness, would you fly with them? Unsafe military aircraft are a waste, of both life and treasure. They also compromise the very point of military aviation, to close with the enemy and destroy him. If they never get there to do that, or fall foul of the enemy because they are compromised, then that is an own goal. Ours have been rendered compromised because of the actions of certain RAF VSOs; two fleets to date, and 63 deaths avoidable deaths counted in this forum alone. People, you see!
Last edited by Chugalug2; 4th Jun 2016 at 20:52.