WHO'S UP FOR RIAT?

[BEagle]

As one is going to be enjoying corp.host. freebie champoo at Cottesmore tomorrow, will there be many PPRuNers present? 'twould be nice if badges were worn discreetly behind the left lapel of one's lounge suit or flying suit........

[Snapshot]

Blimey BEagle, you have a PPRuNe 'badge'!
Was it free following your valuable contributions to all PPRuners out there?
Snaps :D

[Captain Kirk]

Hope to see you there BEagle.

I do not have a PPuNe badge either but shall wear one of those little aeroplane pins as you suggest.

Beer tent it is then!

[John Nichol]

I'll be there Beag's, will I recognise you by the grey flecks in your barnett?

[Descend to What Height?!?]

Seeing they have taken the best looking aircraft at RIAT off us, we wont be there this year :( :(

WOnder if they will let us bring the new 146 when (if) we get it off the gound?

Have a good one! At least the weather looks better this year than last. Did we get some stick off Joe public for that!

Famous last words
Incomming!
:eek: :eek:

[sprucemoose]

It'll be easy to spot BEagle at Cottesmore, as he'll be flanked by a couple of fast-jet jocks in tight formation!

Fly safe everyone, and enjoy the good weather!

[Ima Muppet]

Why don't we bear our left breasts when we meet as a secret sign?

[BEagle]

Excellent day at Cottesmore - not just because of the very generous hospitality (and yes - I was on leave!) Learned some very interesting things (such as 'they' being rather miffed at me being highly critical of MFTS!), met some good blokes, got deafened by excellent Harrier displays - their flypast with Andy Sephton in the Spitfire was very impressive.....but NULL POINTS to the Hunter mob - not one single decent 'blue note'! Great to hear J79s again - especially the F104s. Nice Vampire (just for you, Paul!), sorry, didn't see you JN. 99's C17 looked smart as did 216's TriStar, E3D looked very grubby.

Stupid damn 40mph speed limit on empty A43 all the way from Towcester to the M40 - think I got a flash trying to get past a truck doing 38 on an empty bit of unobstructed dual carriageway by The Green Man - BUGGER!! So if you're going that way tomorrow, fellow PPRuNers, watch out for the A43 plodcams!!

[ 27 July 2001: Message edited by: BEagle ]

[Denzil]

I hope you didn't partake of any Airbus hospitality, not with you being a Boeing man!!!!

[BEagle]

Hmmmm - was thinking of posting this on the old FSTA thread, but the future AAR needs of the RAF could be served either by a single type providing efficient, affordable AAR - or by the synergy of multiple types serving intra and inter theatre requirements. The latter option might provide huge offloads and rapid deployment ability, augmented by intra-theatre 'tactical' AAR.

So, if you go for 767K, you would probably need a certain number of airframes with perhaps a 73T fuel capacity; if you accept that a 100T capacity A330K would only operate from certain locations backed up by A400MK where and when you need AAR in more austere locations, then you might end up with a wider spread of capability. The Italians wanted a 707 replacement and that's what 767TT will do very well; the Germans will have a multi-role A310MRTT. If the RAF wants the biggest tanker available no matter what, then A330K obviously makes better sense if basing constraints prove not to be a factor; furthermore the PSP has access to rather more 3rd party revenue generation.

No - I'm not necessarily a 'Boeing man' - I didn't think that A310MRTT would be right for theRAF, I do think that 767K would be an excellent all-rounder and I accept that A330K offers huge on-station time if the RAF were happy to augment it when required (for example in the Islas Malvinas) by A400MK.

But there are far bigger issues in the whole FSTA programme than basic product comparison..........