Ministerial taxi service
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: France 46
Age: 77
Posts: 1,743
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
As someone who accumulated 4414 Hrs flying whilst employed as an aircraft Captain/Training Captain/ Flight Instructor/Local Examiner/MG/IRE on 32 Sqn; I can assure you that the system did not change when Governments changed. Nor, during my time, was it just Politicians who had the benefit of our services.
One of our lesser known tasks was to provide a casualty evacuation service for seriously ill new born babies from mediterranean garrisons. We could get an incubator in though the over-wing escape hatch on a HS125.
The Mk1 Andover could, and did, carry out casualty evacuation of those unfortunate enough to suffer severe injury in places like NI. That aircraft could carry up to 4 "Iron Lungs" or 18 stretcher cases plus Medical Staff.
The Sqn also fulfulled a major Comms role for the RAF and other Services as well as providing a transport facility for "high Profile" visits to the Forces of other nations. I remember taking the RAF Staff College Course of 1989 to Moscow and joining them on their visits to Kubinka Airbase and Monino Air Museum.
The Sqn provided a year round service for personnel returning to UK on "Compasionate A " grounds.
When I joined the RAF every Command had its own Comms Sqn - that's when you saw abuses of the system; and Politicians didn't get a look in.
One of our lesser known tasks was to provide a casualty evacuation service for seriously ill new born babies from mediterranean garrisons. We could get an incubator in though the over-wing escape hatch on a HS125.
The Mk1 Andover could, and did, carry out casualty evacuation of those unfortunate enough to suffer severe injury in places like NI. That aircraft could carry up to 4 "Iron Lungs" or 18 stretcher cases plus Medical Staff.
The Sqn also fulfulled a major Comms role for the RAF and other Services as well as providing a transport facility for "high Profile" visits to the Forces of other nations. I remember taking the RAF Staff College Course of 1989 to Moscow and joining them on their visits to Kubinka Airbase and Monino Air Museum.
The Sqn provided a year round service for personnel returning to UK on "Compasionate A " grounds.
When I joined the RAF every Command had its own Comms Sqn - that's when you saw abuses of the system; and Politicians didn't get a look in.
Last edited by cazatou; 12th Apr 2006 at 20:44.
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Somewhere sandy probably.....
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by SSOT
Well said spiro and cazatou.
P.S. I once heard that if it floats, flies or fuŁks - it's cheaper by the hour
P.S. I once heard that if it floats, flies or fuŁks - it's cheaper by the hour
Below the Glidepath - not correcting
The vulnerability of your own glasshouse to large rocks is usually determined by how many $10,000 Burger runs you have ever done to the nearest (or furthest) PX/BX, not forgetting to get something for the missus and kids while you're on that particular Long Navex, or how many Akrotiri bound training exercises you have been on or planned, or the duration of your longest WX check on a bright sunny summers morning.
I couldn't agree more that these all factors add to the quality of service life in a very positive way, and that the stinking, communist hordes are busily trying to erode all of this, but come on, isn't it just a bit rich to be surprised by this behavior or act as if our own use of Joe Taxpayers money was always exemplary and beyond reproach (or Sun reporters in Spain)?
I couldn't agree more that these all factors add to the quality of service life in a very positive way, and that the stinking, communist hordes are busily trying to erode all of this, but come on, isn't it just a bit rich to be surprised by this behavior or act as if our own use of Joe Taxpayers money was always exemplary and beyond reproach (or Sun reporters in Spain)?
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Bris Vegas Australia
Posts: 164
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by fergineer
Well the NZ Prime Minister with two of her top Ministers, her PA and 2 police types arrived here in my little town in an Air New Zealand Link Beech 1900 along with 13 other fare paying passengers.....no police outside no security, not even the mayor, she mixed with the other punters in the terminal, we don't have seperate arrivals and departures......4 hours later the same thing both on scheduled flights and both arrived/departed within 5 mins of their allocated times......as one of the locals here put it....."we dont put anyone on a pedestal here"........what a nice pleasant change it was...she then visited the local school still with no banners or people screaming "get out of the way PM approaching".........Can you ever see Blair doing that!!!!
Happy days
Happy days
And as for the "It's his train set" argument......
Was once scheduled to fly a standard North Sea towline exercise from the Covert Oxonian Aerodrome one Friday - and on the way back, drop in to Waddington to pick up the COxA Stn Cdr plus AN Other. No problems with that - a useful training approach for the crew plus it was on our route in any case.
Shortly after we took off, an engine decided it was past its scrap-by date and failed. So, a bit of dumping and back to the mushroom farm. That was that, we thought.
But no. His Imperial Staishness decreed that (in addition to the unscheduled engine change), we were to generate another jet so that we could fly from the COxA to Waddo and back in order to pick him up. It should be noted that he had his own car and driver already in Lincolnshire as he'd been at a conference at Cranwell (where, rumour hath it, he'd had his ar$e firmly kicked by a VVSO!)..... So we did. We managed to find another co-pilot and an air engineer; finally at about 1500 we set off, picked up His Nibs plus some Air Vice Marshal who lived in the Cotswolds and flew them back. It must have been some pretty urgent business that he had to be back for, or so we thought. Meanwhile his driver drove the car back solo from Cranwell......and his next task? To pick the Stn Cdr up from his 'urgent business' - Happy Hour in the OM.
So it was 'his train set'. But the unnecessary extra work inflicted upon the ground crew who were already involved in an unscheduled engine change hardly justified him saving about 30 min by not driving back in his staff car.
Was once scheduled to fly a standard North Sea towline exercise from the Covert Oxonian Aerodrome one Friday - and on the way back, drop in to Waddington to pick up the COxA Stn Cdr plus AN Other. No problems with that - a useful training approach for the crew plus it was on our route in any case.
Shortly after we took off, an engine decided it was past its scrap-by date and failed. So, a bit of dumping and back to the mushroom farm. That was that, we thought.
But no. His Imperial Staishness decreed that (in addition to the unscheduled engine change), we were to generate another jet so that we could fly from the COxA to Waddo and back in order to pick him up. It should be noted that he had his own car and driver already in Lincolnshire as he'd been at a conference at Cranwell (where, rumour hath it, he'd had his ar$e firmly kicked by a VVSO!)..... So we did. We managed to find another co-pilot and an air engineer; finally at about 1500 we set off, picked up His Nibs plus some Air Vice Marshal who lived in the Cotswolds and flew them back. It must have been some pretty urgent business that he had to be back for, or so we thought. Meanwhile his driver drove the car back solo from Cranwell......and his next task? To pick the Stn Cdr up from his 'urgent business' - Happy Hour in the OM.
So it was 'his train set'. But the unnecessary extra work inflicted upon the ground crew who were already involved in an unscheduled engine change hardly justified him saving about 30 min by not driving back in his staff car.
Join Date: May 2003
Location: East Anglia
Posts: 68
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Especially liked the last paragraph of the BBC article. Does this mean the next time the Tristar/VC10/C130 goes bust taking me and my buddies home from the sandpit we can expect a fleet of HS125/Bae 146 to rush to our rescue?
Seriously though, we're just as guilty 'swings lantern'. Back in the 80's I remember being called into work on a friday night to open the airfield OOH for a HS125 move,2pob in, in from Northolt, out to Edinburgh 2pob,10 mins later, not withstanding the crew/operating costs must have a cost a few thou. Anyway, found out the following monday that the reason we'd opened up was because AOC somebody or other was in Edinburgh and had been invited to a dinner. No Number 5's so a 125 had been laid on to take them to him. Kept me out of the pub I suppose.
At the opposite end of the spectrum I remember an AOC's AFI at one of the East Coast ranges when the AOC turned up with his wife in their own car towing a caravan! They were doing all the ECR's in a week and making a bit of a holiday of it. Slightly detracted from the seriousness of it though.
Mind you... I wonder if he was claiming Rate One's???????
Seriously though, we're just as guilty 'swings lantern'. Back in the 80's I remember being called into work on a friday night to open the airfield OOH for a HS125 move,2pob in, in from Northolt, out to Edinburgh 2pob,10 mins later, not withstanding the crew/operating costs must have a cost a few thou. Anyway, found out the following monday that the reason we'd opened up was because AOC somebody or other was in Edinburgh and had been invited to a dinner. No Number 5's so a 125 had been laid on to take them to him. Kept me out of the pub I suppose.
At the opposite end of the spectrum I remember an AOC's AFI at one of the East Coast ranges when the AOC turned up with his wife in their own car towing a caravan! They were doing all the ECR's in a week and making a bit of a holiday of it. Slightly detracted from the seriousness of it though.
Mind you... I wonder if he was claiming Rate One's???????
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Up North
Posts: 801
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hit the git where it hurts...in the wallet! 
By the way:
Bliar - hours in the air courtesy of the Armed Forces = hundreds
Bliar - hours spent visiting wounded personnel and bereaved families = zero
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...131931,00.html
By the way:
Bliar - hours in the air courtesy of the Armed Forces = hundreds
Bliar - hours spent visiting wounded personnel and bereaved families = zero
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...131931,00.html
Blair 'liable for tax bill over use of Royal Flight'
By Andrew Pierce
Tory critics are seeking an inquiry into ministers’ personal benefits in kind
INLAND Revenue officials will be asked to investigate whether Tony Blair and government ministers enjoyed tax benefits by using the Queen’s Flight for personal or party political purposes.
The Tories will table a series of written questions next week demanding to know what discussions the Treasury will hold with the Revenue over whether using the flights operated by the RAF’s 32 Squadron amounted to benefits in kind.
A leading tax consultant has told The Times that the Prime Minister is liable for extra tax on his family holiday flights, such as the £31,000 trip to Sharm el-Sheikh in 2004, even if he used the Queen’s Flight for security reasons. The questions will also focus on whether Mr Blair benefited from using the flights to attend three Labour Party conferences in Blackpool and Scotland.
There are strict Whitehall rules banning the use of taxpayers’ money for party political events. Downing Street insisted that the Prime Minister had also conducted government business on the trips.
Downing Street confirmed yesterday that Mr Blair had used an RAF helicopter during the general election campaign to fly to MG Rover’s Longbridge plant after the collapse of the company. Mr Blair and Gordon Brown, the Chancellor, were flown to the West Midlands by the RAF. Downing Street insisted that it was a legitimate use of an RAF flight, as it was government business to secure agreement on a £150 million support package for workers who had lost their jobs.
By Andrew Pierce
Tory critics are seeking an inquiry into ministers’ personal benefits in kind
INLAND Revenue officials will be asked to investigate whether Tony Blair and government ministers enjoyed tax benefits by using the Queen’s Flight for personal or party political purposes.
The Tories will table a series of written questions next week demanding to know what discussions the Treasury will hold with the Revenue over whether using the flights operated by the RAF’s 32 Squadron amounted to benefits in kind.
A leading tax consultant has told The Times that the Prime Minister is liable for extra tax on his family holiday flights, such as the £31,000 trip to Sharm el-Sheikh in 2004, even if he used the Queen’s Flight for security reasons. The questions will also focus on whether Mr Blair benefited from using the flights to attend three Labour Party conferences in Blackpool and Scotland.
There are strict Whitehall rules banning the use of taxpayers’ money for party political events. Downing Street insisted that the Prime Minister had also conducted government business on the trips.
Downing Street confirmed yesterday that Mr Blair had used an RAF helicopter during the general election campaign to fly to MG Rover’s Longbridge plant after the collapse of the company. Mr Blair and Gordon Brown, the Chancellor, were flown to the West Midlands by the RAF. Downing Street insisted that it was a legitimate use of an RAF flight, as it was government business to secure agreement on a £150 million support package for workers who had lost their jobs.
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: ecosse
Posts: 714
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
West Coast - W*nker
Are you suggesting Bliar is Head of State?
If so, you should take your head for a sh*t
Whilst your at it, rinse your mouth out with a strong solution of caustic soda
Are you suggesting Bliar is Head of State?
If so, you should take your head for a sh*t
Whilst your at it, rinse your mouth out with a strong solution of caustic soda
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: SE490618
Age: 64
Posts: 182
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Blimey...now you've opened a can of worms....but rather than swear and shout at the poor chap, perhaps you could form an argument as to why he should not be considered the head of state and why the real head of state is neither been elected nor wanted and why we pay through the nose for them.
It should be a fundamental right of the people of this country to elect their Head of State rather than the office being the sole prerogative of one family. The denial of this right debases our democracy and fails to apply the principle of accountability throughout our constitutional system. Elected heads of state are accountable for their actions and subject to the people in a way that no hereditary monarch can ever be.
Vive La Republic.
It should be a fundamental right of the people of this country to elect their Head of State rather than the office being the sole prerogative of one family. The denial of this right debases our democracy and fails to apply the principle of accountability throughout our constitutional system. Elected heads of state are accountable for their actions and subject to the people in a way that no hereditary monarch can ever be.
Vive La Republic.
Red On, Green On
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Between the woods and the water
Age: 24
Posts: 6,487
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
why he should not be considered the head of state and why the real head of state is neither been elected nor wanted and why we pay through the nose for them
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: SE490618
Age: 64
Posts: 182
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Exactly. France is a good example of how a well run Republic can work.
Its time that we abolished the Monarchy and elected our leader rather than suffering with the offspring of successive Monarchs.
It is time to claim the right to our own country and to choose our Head of State
Its time that we abolished the Monarchy and elected our leader rather than suffering with the offspring of successive Monarchs.
It is time to claim the right to our own country and to choose our Head of State
Red On, Green On
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Between the woods and the water
Age: 24
Posts: 6,487
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
France is a good example of how a well run Republic can work
It's not all topless girls at St Tropez you know
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Kent, UK
Posts: 174
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by rafloo
Exactly. France is a good example of how a well run Republic can work.
Or not.......
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.../ixportal.html
I think rafloo is on a bit of a roll. He has posted about 10 comments on a variety of threads today, with some fairly contentious remarks.
On a fishing expedition, looking for an arguement? To seriously say we should be more like France!!??
On a fishing expedition, looking for an arguement? To seriously say we should be more like France!!??
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Up North
Posts: 801
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
perhaps you could form an argument as to why he should not be considered the head of state and why the real head of state is neither been elected nor wanted and why we pay through the nose for them.
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: UK
Posts: 591
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Oh come on. We would all fly in luxury if we could get away with it.
I seem to recall a bunch of aircrew from a certain Sqn at a secret Hants helo base, upgrading to first class (at the behest of their Gulf War hero Sqn Cdr, contrary to regs and at an additional cost of £33k) for a flight to attend an EX across the pond. That was swept under the carpet. Perhaps we need a few 'freedom of information' enquiries closer to home.
I seem to recall a bunch of aircrew from a certain Sqn at a secret Hants helo base, upgrading to first class (at the behest of their Gulf War hero Sqn Cdr, contrary to regs and at an additional cost of £33k) for a flight to attend an EX across the pond. That was swept under the carpet. Perhaps we need a few 'freedom of information' enquiries closer to home.
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: France 46
Age: 77
Posts: 1,743
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Well, I guess the reason why Ministers and their Deputies do not fly Civil Air is amply demonstrated by the "Bomb Scare" on a RYANAIR aircraft diverted into Prestwick. One small piece of paper left by a buffoon on a previous flight cost the taxpayer hundreds of thousands of pounds.
WHY?
Because you cannot assume it is a hoax.
Now, would you like to work out the potential confusion if some (say) 40 Ministers or their deputies (or even Senior Civil Servants) were forced to divert because of "Bomb Threats"?
Or what if it was a "Coup Attempt"? Sorry, I forgot; we don't do that sort of thing in UK......Do we?
WHY?
Because you cannot assume it is a hoax.
Now, would you like to work out the potential confusion if some (say) 40 Ministers or their deputies (or even Senior Civil Servants) were forced to divert because of "Bomb Threats"?
Or what if it was a "Coup Attempt"? Sorry, I forgot; we don't do that sort of thing in UK......Do we?
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: .
Posts: 196
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by cazatou
Well, I guess the reason why Ministers and their Deputies do not fly Civil Air is amply demonstrated by the "Bomb Scare" on a RYANAIR aircraft diverted into Prestwick. One small piece of paper left by a buffoon on a previous flight cost the taxpayer hundreds of thousands of pounds.