Their Airships are not amused

[B_Fawlty]

Well, what can one expect from the journalists at the BBC when pprune forum-dwellers insist upon referring to Air Marshals and their ilk as "their Airships". Journo takes it one step further and voila:

Air force admirals and their procurement officers, meanwhile, feel the soaring and unpredictable fuel costs could hint at potential fuel scarcity.

The only purpleness I see arising from this article will be a consequence of some Anglo-Saxon vernacular rather than in matters of doctrine

[Wader2]

Air chief marshals and their procurement officers, meanwhile, feel the soaring and unpredictable fuel costs could hint at potential fuel scarcity.

looks like someone reads pprune

[KeepItTidy]

Well im sure at Farnbrough a few airships will get drunk courtesy of some corporation , the RAF will sign a deal that has no purpose at all for the defence of the UK , jobs will be discussed post leaving the military and everyone is a winner except the taxpayer. It happens every year and this year will be no different.

Call me cynical but I know im pretty close to the truth.

Again commisioned types

[EdSett100]

KIT, grow up son.

[effortless]

I always thought that Airship rank was Air Commodore up. Pa was always getting squiffy at Farn. Not that I ever saw him much. You couldn't climb the greasy and be a family man back in thse days.

"Got a new dog have we? ""No darling that is your son!"

[John Purdey]

Their Airships...

effortless. Like KIT, you should grow up.

[effortless]

effortless. Like KIT, you should grow up.

Sorry chap but I am genuinely nonplussed. I make no comment about today's RAF but my father, who was a regular vistor to Farnborough throughout his career, was often squiffy at suppliers expense.

[Double Zero]

JP, Edsett etc,

So,

Unlike KIT I presume you're happy with a Navy with 6 type 45's at best ( not allowing for them and/or one of the 2 future carriers to be out of service, be it under maintenance or under-manned...

Remembering this is an avaition site, I happen to live next door to an Admiral who gave up flying so he could get on with his career.

' Commisioned types ' indeed.

[Monty77]

Well I've read this thread, and now I'm really confused as to who should grow up, and why. I totally lost it when Navy Frigates entered the fray.

Commissioned types, eh?

They come in a variety of guises, just as SNCOs do. Take a man who has devoted himself to achieving Air Rank over a period of 30 years with all the attendant sacrifices with regard to family and personal choice.

At retitrement will he:

a. Say, '"Oh, f*ck it. I have served Queen and country well. I shall now become a postman, and continue to serve a grateful public and their Alsations.

b. Say, " I shall now explore the Hindu Kush and paint wild flowers."

c. Use his expertise and get a job with any large company who can use the skills he (or she, obviously) has accrued over the past 30 years.

Answers on a post card to PO Box Notgivina****

Private companies do not employ the useless at higher levels. They must bring something in, even if it is only reputation. And before anyone says, "oh yes they do, then I invite them to apply for a job on the board at say BAE Systems. Bigging it up on an aviation website under an anonymous name will not bring in a big salary. It may impress a few Walts and 14 year olds.

[The Real Slim Shady]

Your airship chappies generally don't make the move to civvy street particularly well: even more indoctrinated than the average officer.

[Monty77]

airship chappies. Know a few do you?

Or did one look at your uniform once?

[Red Line Entry]

Shady,

Really? My experience is that commercial companies are very hard-nosed about getting rid of people who don't shape up to their expectations. So how many ex-airships can you name who've had the chop relatively soon after making the move to a civvy firm? Bet it's a lot less than the ones I can name who seem to have done rather well.

I'm not air rank and never will be, but I get fed up with the constant drone on this site about how anyone higher than flt lt is de facto an idiot and out for themselves whatever the cost to others.

[Whenurhappy]

Red Line Entry - I'm with you. I don't recall seeing many 1*s and above selling Big Issue, or wandering the streets around Waterloo with bitser dogs on a piece of string. In fact, I don't know of any officers who haven't done once they have left the service. Most recognise that the ethos is different, as is the work rate; some do change jobs that are not what they had hoped for, but in general Service personnel - Officer and OR - do well outside the services, recent reports on homelessness notwithstanding.

[NP20]

Airship Recruiting

I'd suggest that defence companies are interested in more than an Air Rank's reputation - influence and insider knowledge are probably higher up the list of 'what can Air Marshal Bloggs do for us?'.

Are Air Ranks clueless - no of course not; have they worked hard to get where they are - yes absolutely; do defence companies hope to influence defence spending by employing recently departed star ranked officers - I believe so (after all, they are not charitable organisations).

Has the employment of star rank officers led to some dodgy procurement decisions - I don't know, but it is easy to take a cynical view especially as defence companies don't especially enjoy a whiter than white reputation.

[KeepItTidy]

Well being told to grow up is a good retort, as an adult and mature yourself you should know you do not reply to daft posts by drunken scottish people. As for commisioned types I meant leaders or airships as they hate to be called. Pilots and crew of the commisoned types I exclude from this debate as I admire them too highly. I was referring to commisioned leaders as in the ones that make the big choices, I stand by my word as they have got us into this mess, just not one is man enough to explain it.

[minigundiplomat]

I gather the jist of KIT's posts are that whilst he maintains a healthy respect for aircrew and those who operate on a day to day basis, he has nothing but distain for those senior officers who fail to meet his standards of leadership, put their own careers first and generally shirk responsibility.

But I may be proved wrong!

[Talking Radalt]

I get fed up with the constant drone on this site about how anyone higher than flt lt is de facto an idiot and out for themselves whatever the cost to others.

Agree with you there.
Everyone knows it's anyone above Officer Cadet.