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Harrier Pilot attacks Prime Minister on cuts

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Harrier Pilot attacks Prime Minister on cuts

Old 20th Oct 2010, 07:04
  #61 (permalink)  
 
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Some here have said about cutting benefit scroungers or other less worthy causes instead of the military. Well read the papers, they are doing just that. I realised many years ago that I was just a number, not a person in the RAF. Hundreds of us have well over 3years service in NI/Kosovo/Iraq/Stan where we faced being shot at every day. 140 missions is not a monopoly. When the politicians need you for photos, you are a hero. The rest of the time you are an expensive pain in the butt. Service voter equal a couple of hundred thousand, people on benefits equal millions. They need the votes, just accept the fact (right or wrong) because it isn't going to change. Good luck in the job hunting, you and the other 500,000 public sector workers, plus the thousands of BAE workers, plus the thousands of contractors are going to need it.
PS. If anyone says you should have voted Labour, they would have kept borrowing and in 5 years this would look like a picnic in comparison.
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Old 20th Oct 2010, 07:31
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Not everybody on benefits is a "scrounger". There are plenty of people out there who are suicidally desperate for a job.
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Old 20th Oct 2010, 07:47
  #63 (permalink)  
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Smile ... time to wrap this up ??

.... before "scruffy fanny" has a heart attack ?
I have no problem with the guy and his excellent service record.
My problem is his arrogance "I am going to be unemployed"
So are the guys who service his Harrier, the clerk in the office who makes sure his pay and allowances are up to date, the bowser driver, the barman in the officers mess et al.
They also have mortgages, wives and children to feed !!
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Old 20th Oct 2010, 08:07
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Having only seen his comment on BBC news I think the mistake was the "I'm" bit. If he had posed the question more in a "I am a Lt Cdr in the RN and have many junior officers and ratings who are asking me about their futures, what would you suggest I tell them Prime Minister?",I would have had a great deal more sympathy with him. I felt his question came across as rather immature and seemed to show self interest in Ward, Harrier pilot rather than Lt Cdr Ward, RN officer.
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Old 20th Oct 2010, 08:14
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Rogerk I have lost my job on medical grounds and would love to get back to work yes there are those who think they have a devine right to benefit and should be sought out and dealt with appropriately.But the bottom line to all this is it was the bankers who got this country in this financial mess and are they being punished NO. They still keep their high salaries and very nice bonuses thankyou and I believe that they should be the ones to be targeted and made to pay. The men and women of are armed forces who put their lives on the line in Stan everyday should be the ones with those sort of salaries not bankers who have been able to walk away from this scot free.Once again military personell and the defence of our country has been shafted thanks to the morons in the city.

Footes
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Old 20th Oct 2010, 09:29
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Flap62

I think the mistake was the "I'm" bit.
Likewise. I think he spoke from the heart, and if, as you say, he's been slightly more inclusive in his comment I don't think he'd have raise the ire of some here.

Having said that I'm sure the Lt Cdr knows that it's a very cold world out here in civvy aviation land ( another player seems to have gone down the tubes overnight) and the chances of him and others getting any job associated with aviation with sensible T&Cs in the near future seems slim...which is probably what drove his comment.

All I can really add is good luck to everyone effected by these cuts over the next few months/years.
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Old 20th Oct 2010, 09:47
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Footster:

Hear hear. Illegal tax evasion by the wealthy costs the Treasury 15 times more than benefit fraud. Legal tax avoidance costs even more. Let's call these cuts what they are - ideologically driven - for the benefit and at the behest of chief executives of global corporations and banks.
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Old 20th Oct 2010, 10:51
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Blimey, at the rate we are going, a group of private collectors will have a better capability than us!

Keep sending those donations to Dr P and keep that Vulcan flying.
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Old 20th Oct 2010, 10:57
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Hows He Suppose To Feel?

Well he should be feeling quite smug really. He can take a redundancy package, won't have to pay back his FRI (£50k) and is beyond his IPP so will take that too. With his experience he should have his licences so potentially walking into a job with a comparative salary.....

or stay in for peanuts, with a two year pay freeze, stag on in the "Stran, work long hours for the idiots at Whitehall who created the mess in his lovely multi-million pound financed PJHQ.......
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Old 20th Oct 2010, 11:33
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I totally understand the sentiment expressed by Lt Cdr Ward, let's face it, ultimately these cuts affect individuals and in the heat of the moment you can't really blame him for speaking in the first person. Maybe he was surprised these swngeing cuts have come from a Conservative PM. Well Conservative in name at least. Labour were always too afraid of cutting UK AF this deeply, too much baggage in this area. Perhaps we should re-evaluate Cameron as some kind of socialist in Tory drag. All I know is that 14billion has been spent on Iraq Afghan since 2001. We could not afford to deploy to Afghan in 2006 but military chiefs of staff willingly committed an over-stretched military to fight a war on two fronts and now we are broke. All too predictable and sadly The conservative party voted for uk involvement in Iraq in 2003 and Helmand deployment in 2006.

Time to sling out the old guard at the top of the MoD they have been responsible for some shocking decision making in recent years.

My sympathies to those about to lose their jobs. Don't listen to some on this thread your training and expertise will be welcomed in civvy street.
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Old 20th Oct 2010, 11:59
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Anyone know what will happen to the Harriers now - as in, when will they be grounded and cease flying? I guess that the tap will be turned off quite quickly to save cash...

I agree with Nigegilb - skills will be highly valued, self-discipline etc - very positive in civvi street! Good luck to all those affected.
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Old 20th Oct 2010, 12:10
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Its good to see that the "How do you know someone's a Harrier pilot? - he'll tell you" joke is as relevant today as it ever was. Obviously it will soon has to read 'ex-harrier pilot'.

What a plonker
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Old 20th Oct 2010, 12:16
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I notice that both BA and Virgin are recruiting at the moment - HM Forces loss is BA/Virgin's gain etc...
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Old 20th Oct 2010, 12:29
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I notice that both BA and Virgin are recruiting at the moment - HM Forces loss is BA/Virgin's gain etc...
They were recruiting. Both were so over-subscribed they took down the online application forms after a couple of days. And they were only accepting applicants already type-rated with minimum of 500 hours on type.
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Old 20th Oct 2010, 12:43
  #75 (permalink)  
 
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Seconded.

Just sticking to pilot job isues, I hate to be the gloom in the room (especially as an ex crab) but no matter what your personal qualities, no matter how self disciplined you are, the now-closed recruiting for BA and Virgin was for those with a type rating and X hundred hours on type. BA certainly will not fast track somebody through the selection process just because they are ex-forces I'm afraid, you're stucking going through the same selection mill as the zero to hero wonders.
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Old 20th Oct 2010, 12:43
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They were recruiting. Both were so over-subscribed they took down the online application forms after a couple of days. And they were only accepting applicants already type-rated with minimum of 500 hours on type.
Granted but a good portent?
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Old 20th Oct 2010, 12:59
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This thread is now officially getting on my wires!

Who says that just because you are a Harrier pilot, a Harrier techy or a Harrier anything else you are now redundant!

Ward, as a Royal Navy lieutenant commander, has reached the pinnacle of his time in an RN cockpit and will, no doubt, be destined for many years as a staff officer in the RN (either flying related or not) where his skills and experience will be put to good use. He is no more likely to be made redundant than the next guy and, if he is as good as he clearly thinks he is, less likely than some others to be cast aside. Alternatively, if he doesn't fancy that option, which was on the cards anyway at his time of career point, he can resign!

The truth, and I don't know him, is that he has displayed all the tendencies of a pompous, self-opinionated, self-enhancing and selfish ass (comes with the Harrier turf, perhaps) who should have known better but to keep his own council in the environment he found himself in. As was stated previously by another poster - had he spoken on behalf of his troops then it might have been different! Prat who clearly likes the sound of his own voice and, as such and all-in-all, unworthy of holding a commission!

Sadly, like father, like son!

Now that feels better.

Carry on, everybody!

Foldie
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Old 20th Oct 2010, 13:15
  #78 (permalink)  
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"Folding Wings" at last !!

This was my sentiment when I started the thread !!
But I would keep your head down because the nutters will come out of the bunkers in droves now !!
Especially one who is too old to know what a Harrier looks like and lives in Auswitz (If his profile is to be believed)
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Old 20th Oct 2010, 13:31
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Foldingwings - couldn't have put it better myself.
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Old 20th Oct 2010, 13:52
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Lets face it, it doesn't really matter what the pro's and con's are. This bloke has set an all time record on so many levels..........

"Good afternoon Prime Minister, I'm a Harrier Pilot................"

You couldn't make it up.
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