When does summer end?

[Biggus]

The RAF has previously stated that the results of a variety of ongoing decisions/surveys are to be announced in 'summer 05'. Needless to say nothing has been forthcoming yet! So when does summer end in theory - the end of September? Can we expect further delays, as is the norm with most government announcements in all departments, or are they waiting for a 'good day to bury bad news' (parliament is in recess, so no chance for embarassing questions from/to MPs at the moment)!

Given the fiasco over decisions/announcements on the future of UASs, as highlighted on another thread, any delays certainly won't come as a surprise! I really don't know why they bother to quote timescales if they are rarely able to keep them!

[Art Field]

Biggus, you quite rightly highlight the lack of decision making on many vital projects affecting the RAF, asking when will the RAF make those decisions. Is it not the tardyness of MOD rather than the RAF you query and does it not emphasise the increasing gulf between the political will in MOD and the operational need of the RAF ?.

[ZH875]

Perhaps they are waiting for the MP's to finish their 80 day holiday before saying anything.

[MostlyHarmless]

So when does summer end

Wasn't aware it had started... :(

[airborne_artist]

Looking out here (near EGUB) it seems the UK summer is in full swing - rain, thunder and rain stopped play in the Ashes.

And it's a bit freaking parky, as well.

[monkeybumhead]

At least some people are getting some sort of summer this year. I am going to have to wait till next year for mine thanks to our occupation of the open prison that is MPA.:(
You never know they could have ment summer 05 in the southern hemisphere.:E

[Pontius Navigator]

Not so much when will summer end but is there anyone at home. My command tree looks like autumn after the storm. Last autumn's storm that is.

Just about all the posts are gapped. If some lucky sod is holding one down they are either buried in paper, cr*p, or on leave.

[JessTheDog]

Summer ends when the Ensign is lowered at 1600 rather than 1800! And, in the good old days, from the date when short-sleeved shirts were not to be worn and shirts were not to be worn sans jersey blue.

Whenever that is.

"The ensign times have changed" - a good twice-yearly windup to pass onto the oncoming OO! :E

[MrBernoulli]

DHE at a large airbase somewhere in Oxfordshire felt that summer ended at the end of October. If your MQ heating was failed then prior to the end of October it was a 'routine' repair and could take up to a month to sort out.

MQ heating in October? Who needs it? Pathetic!

[BEagle]

Perhaps the end of summer is at the Autumnal Equinox? This year, that's on 22 Sep at 2222 GMT.

How I miss the way the military measures temperature with a calendar rather than a thermometer.......NOT!

I'm somewhat amazed that the workers' tied cottages at the Covert Oxonian Aerodrome have central heating - do they have inside lavatories as well?

[brakedwell]

I don't recall seeing any dunnies in the back gardens, so they can't be overt. Must be inside the cottages - very covert, very couth!

[M609]

Last year the first snow was on 3.sept, we are hoping to beat that this year! :ok: :ok:

[Unmissable]

Having spent far too much time in desk jobs, I can reveal the truth.

All projects initially predict a month for a decision point. They then revert to predicting a season (eg Summer), then as the faceless Ba***** still cannot make a decision the targets become early 2006 or late 2006 (i.e. 6 month chunks).
Naturally they then become (if they are still in the future) years (without any further definition). Finally there is the option of describing an event as happening in an 'epoch', which I have failed to get a precise definition of, but appears to be a rolling 5 year timeframe.

While I am in the mood for disclosing secrets of a staff officer, I have also noted the politician’s way of claiming good news several times over:

First time - when we're thinking of an idea,
Second time - when we lay a draft of an idea on the table,
Third time -when we put a proposal forward,
Fourth time - when we accept a proposal in principle,
Fith time - when we put out to tender,
Sixth time - when we accept a preferred bidder,
Finally the awarding of a contract.

Of course the process can be stopped at any time in first 6 stages without loss of face, yet claimed as a major milestone for good news.

This may be stating the bleedin' obvious but the number of times I read posts on this forum when people accept any of the first 6 phases as gospel leads me to believe that PR is not well understood in the services.

[ShyTorque]

In my time summer officially ended when the heating went off in the OM and on in SHQ....... :\