CGB
The history is very important if one is to learn and avoid recurrence. The important point in all the cases we discuss is that lessons were ignored, so we had recurrence. This gliding case is nothing new. It is caused by precisely the same failings as every other case. Yet again, MoD tries to compartmentalise, and people are falling for it.
Yes, the mess was inherited. But one needs to know when it started, why and under whose orders (all well known and notified to Haddon-Cave, Ministers and the MoD), because one cannot simply draw a line and say "move forward". You are left with huge holes in the audit trail. This is precisely the mistake the MAA made, although at first we thought they were doing the right thing by ordering audits of the project teams. But, surely, the audit of the gliding team revealed no safety case? If not, then those who conducted it are incompetent. If it was revealed, then a conscious decision has been made to gamble with Air Cadet lives. Which is it to be, because either way sackings should follow?
I think we need to read between AVM Turner's lines. The man is probably apoplectic. I wonder if his article, admitting there is no safety case, is laying down a marker. Don't blame me. It is a pity Gp Capt Baber didn't say the same thing after being named by Haddon-Cave. I would also like to think AVM Turner is sending out a message to the very top - whoever thought the MAA was the answer asked a bloody stupid question.
What nails MoD here is the timeframe. Not just 6 years since the MAA knew. The MAA was initially formed by combining existing departments. They simply re-badged the people who had overseen the problems for 20 years. If they knew, then they shouldn't have been given the same job. If they didn't know, they were incompetent and no amount of training would make them suitable. This is utterly damning; heads should roll and Knighthoods and CBs taken away.