truckiebloke

As i understand it there is an even bigger screw up here.... these technical problems have been known about for some time, and in fact were scheduled repairs....

That said, many attempts were made to get chartered aircraft into various places (wont mention names obviously) BUT the massive problem was diplomatic clearances.... This should not have been a problem because this was known about long in advance!!! But it all fell apart.

Another point to note is the armys BLOCK BOOKING of the tristars meaning that they often went home with empty seats even though people had been turned away from the flight(by the movers)..

The whole situation was a disaster but was not only the RAF's fault.... poor planning by all on this one!!

On another note, the passenger checking in at Basra ( a perfectly functioning airport til the army destroyed it) are treated worse than cattle, with no air con, extremely limited food and sat around for up to 12 hours plus....

The Helpful Stacker

I witnessed a completely empty Tristar disappear off back to BZN whilst I was in Basrah while a full load of passengers filed onto buses for transit.

The reason, that wonderful box of tricks that makes RPG's magically miss a lumbering slow passenger a/c on finals going tits-up. Duty of care eh? 2 years ago none of the regular passenger a/c were fitted with ECM yet that night it was far too dangerous to take the pax back so it was a second night in transit for them. God forbid soldiers who've spent 6 months driving up and down route 6 in soft skinned Land Rovers doing top cover run the risk of taking off at night in a plane with no ECM.

Its not on. The British Army are our main customer and with crap like this its no wonder we get so much stick from them.

scpc

"RAF spokesman said two of the Tristars had been lost to "minor servicing issues" and another needed longer-term repairs."

Not bad out of a fleet of 3 C2s, the only ones that can take passengers into theatre!!!

zedder

Bring back the Comet:

http://user.itl.net/~colonial/comet/latest.html

When it was pensioned off from Bsocombe Down one of the options to keep it flying, was to give it to Kinloss to be used as a Sqn hack. Instead of sending the 3rd crew and the groundcrew by Herc, 'Canopus' fitted out with about 50 seats would have been able to follow the 2 deploying Nimrods and everyone gets there in comfort.

The plan fell apart when some short-sighted ar$e decided we couldn't afford to put the Comet through a major at Kinloss.

BEagle

From Sky News:

'TWO MORE YEARS IN IRAQ'

The President of Iraq has told Sky News that British troops will not be able to leave the country for at least two more years.

Jalal Talabani was speaking as UK forces arrested 12 people in southern Iraq, suspected of being linked to the increase in attacks against allied troops.


Despite the violence and on-going US operations against the militants, the President said he believed the country's constitution would be approved and that Iraq would not descend into civil war.

Mr Talabani, a former Kurdish fighter against Saddam and now President, told Sky News Foreign Affairs Editor Tim Marshall: "Within two years I think our forces will be ready to replace the coalition forces in Iraq.

"But that depends on a resolution from the (United Nations) Security Council and negotiations between the Iraqi government and the coalition forces.

The recent pictures from Basra might give the impression that the Iraqi people are against the British. Mr Talabani disagrees and argues against the idea that they are occupiers, calling them heroes.

"Iraq was a concentration camp above the Earth and the mass graves are beneath it. Hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis are buried in these mass graves.

"You came, Americans came, to rescue the Iraqi people.

"I think one of the noble goals which the coalition forces achieved is that 27 million Iraqis were freed from this dictatorship, which was not only dangerous for Iraqi people but for the Middle East."

So if the Timmies are shagged out now, how will they last the next 2 years?

The Rocket

Turn it in Stacker. If I'm not mistaken we are all employed in Her Majesties Government, and we all piss in the same pot.

Since when did we turn into a new age, profit making, service providing organisation

scpc

What do you think Beags? Bring back the VC10!

BEagle

Nope.

$hitcan the pointless and totally useless aircraft carrier programme and buy some A330s.

Widger

Wondered when the inter-service slagging off would come up.

Beags you harris, that has got nothing to do with it. If you hadn't spent so much money on bunkers in the ground (IUKADGE) and Nimwacs then you could have afforded your A330s.

The problem lies firmly in light blue laps, stop blaming everyone else!

Always_broken_in_wilts

Dear Rocket

You slagged of stacker for saying "The British Army are our main customer"... but if they are not then who is?

I may well be wrong but do they not stump up out of their budget for every air asset they use...... can't believe we use Airforce money to move pongoes about

all spelling mistakes are "df" alcohol induced

brit bus driver

Stacker, your naivety beggars belief.

P-T-Gamekeeper

Seems like it's a good time to leave then. I reckon at least half the AT fleet agree. 41000?, at this rate we will be 30,000 next year.

KPax

So how are we going to get further east when we take over lead nation status. That is a very long way by Albert

brit bus driver

Therein lies the rub, KPax.

Methinks the plan hath gone to the faeces of the rodent..

The Helpful Stacker

Why thank you, I aim to please.

Of course my comments are based on my ever so humble lowly opinions, which are in turn based on my experiences.

I've never a bad word to say about the SH chaps as I've worked alongside them on many occasions and witnessed them bending the rules in order to get a job done. What I witnessed in Basrah was a completely empty (except for trolley dollies of course) Tristar take off and head back to Blighty leaving a full load of pax to be bused to transit for the second night on the trot.

Now unfortunately unless us mushrooms are actually told whats going on we draw out own conclusions so perhaps its in the best interest of the AT folk (who's U/S aircraft affect so many) to be a bit more forthcoming with information so that the rank and file have a better idea of why they are enjoying another free night of bed and board at Club 18-30 Basrah rather than making their way back to the arms of their loved ones. I'm sure if you ask the folk over on Arrse what their number one gripe is with the RAF AT fleet its being delayed and not being given any information as to why.




Actually there was one good point about the many cancelled Tristar flights in the Gulf, it meant I could get my head down early if I was on shift and not have to try and sleep in my barely air-conditioned tent during the day, for that I suppose I should be grateful.

scpc

The master plan continues, invade Iraq, invade Afganisistan, get Turkey in the EU, park our new aircraft carriers in the Gulf and we have Iran surrounded. Hah!

Its ok, God made me do it.

The Rocket

Wilts,

You really are a comedy genius

In no way have i slagged OFF Stacker. I simply make reference to the fact that we do NOT have "customers"

Perhaps, as you are obviously better informed than I, being a Loadmaster, you could inform us as to how else the Army could spend their share of the DEFENCE budget.

Were we the lowest bidders for their ongoing charter to Basra?

Can I hire one of your C-130's to take me on holiday next year?

On second thoughts, if your Tea is as good as your banter, I'd rather row there.

scpc

In a serious reply to helpful stacker. The point of contact between the pax and the AT crews are the movers. On too many occasions to mention I have found that the reason for a delay/cancellation has not been passed from AT crew to pax.

I have been frequently totally shocked by passengers telling me why they think a trip was altered that is so far removed from the truth it beggers belief! The source of their info; the movements staff.

AT crews have to deal with with the fall out from duff gen for the entire trip, its not in their interest to keep the truth from the pax, quite the opposite. They want the truth to be know and are often thwarted in their attempts to inform the pax, the Brize/Fairford situation makes it even worse.

OK time to get of my Rioja fuelled soap-box, 0-60 in 3 bottles!!!

P-T-Gamekeeper

Rocket

Your Sqn's hire a C-130 for your holidays in Cyprus every year between Apr & Jul!!!

P.S. We make sure you don't get any tea, so as not to spoil you when you get back in your shiny steeds!

Always_broken_in_wilts

Thanks Squib,

I just love it when some "royals" point out in that oh so constructive manner how baldrick and fu@wit are somehow inter linked

Here is how I understand it. Within the military we have a system of budgets, and within that system individual budget holders, at all levels are responsible for ensuring the money they allocate is correctly spent whether they are buying ball point pens, four tonners or AT/SH hours.

Semantics or not I would suggest that the guy with his hands on the Army purse strings, or the fast jet sqn/navy etc etc budget holder who bids for AT/SH support, knowing that his bag of money, albeit notional, is going to be depleted to pay for crew pay/airframe hours/servicing costs etc will feel a little like a "customer" and it is incumbent on us in the AT/SH fleets to provide our customers, and trust me we do percieve them in that way, with the best service their funds have paid for.

Therefore Stacker is fully correct, we have customers who as individual budget holders at all levels, utilise their share of the pot to pay for our services, unless of course I have missed something blindingly obvious, which I am sure you will be quick to point out

all spelling mistakes are "df" alcohol induced