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UK MFTS on or off the rails?

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UK MFTS on or off the rails?

Old 12th Oct 2017, 22:31
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Angry UK MFTS on or off the rails?

Considering the number of holding aircrew there appears to be around all 3 Services at the moment then I took a read of the National Audit Offices’ report on UK MFTS in 2015...shocking reading. However, I then found the following link to a televised grilling of MOD PS Jon Thompson, Head of Ascent and AM Sir Baz North by the Public Accounts Committee.

Some pretty explosive remarks contained within like “not value for money”, “its come off the rails”, “you could run the student phasing on a simple spreadsheet!” and “what the hell were you thinking?”; well worth the whole first 54 minutes if, like me, you have never seen it before:

Parliamentlive.tv - Public Accounts Committee

Transcript here: https://www.parliament.uk/business/c.../publications/

Don’t forget this is TWO YEARS old and that SDSR15 was about to be released with extra aircrew requirements. However, are we any further forward? I don’t believe we are...
Lots of holding students in the Services
Rumours of aircraft not fit for purpose
Rumours of further delays
Of the NAO, I am heartened to see at least one competent public sector department!! Here is their report:
https://www.nao.org.uk/report/military-flying-training/

The B Word

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Old 13th Oct 2017, 00:17
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Patently obvious to anyone who has been in the training world that it would be an utter waste of money....I went for an interview in 2011 for an aircraft that still isn't in service....and now they can't even fill the roles with the terms and conditions offered. Note their website for jobs that get advertised and readvertised and readvertised
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Old 13th Oct 2017, 06:59
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I thought I was reading the script for the next episode of "Yes Minister".
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Old 13th Oct 2017, 07:14
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As someone who was due to teach at cranwell it is looking pretty interesting...
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Old 13th Oct 2017, 08:30
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Sir Baz North retired in May 2016

Jon Thompson moved to HMRC in April 2016

Lockheed Martin appointed Paul Livingston as its new Vice President for its Integrated Systems line of business in the UK in November 2016. His new responsibilities do not appear to include pilot training.

Frequent changes in management is a recurrent issue in these contracts Those involved know that whatever decisions are made they will not be around if the wheels fall off.
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Old 13th Oct 2017, 08:44
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"Frequent changes in management is a recurrent issue in these contracts Those involved know that whatever decisions are made they will not be around if the wheels fall off."

....and, ta-da, one of the single biggest reasons for inefficiency in the whole acquisition system is neatly summed up. Add in the "revolving door" of gifted amateurs at Desk Officer level, chronic lack of ability to train and retain SQEP and pernicious in-year salami-slicing and the failure model is complete. Never mind, we can just "re-baseline" to expunge the sins of our predecessors (who, more often than not are now our superiors and writing our OJARs) and provided we all reach promotional MSD everyone wins. Well, apart from the poor souls trying to make it work on the shop floor.....
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Old 13th Oct 2017, 09:53
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Whilst I'm not going to step up to the plate and defend MFTS (some of the stated goals are ridiculous - no holds is an impossible thing to achieve unless your frontline requirement is static or your training pipeline is shorter than your recruiting timeline!) But also in my memory is the review of the carrier catapult by NAO and their total inability to understand that the reason the proposed carrier fit cost twice as much as the cost of an emals was that we were buying two of them per carrier. Came across like they were always on a witch hunt and a bit 'out for the glory of the kill, regardless of the facts'.
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Old 13th Oct 2017, 10:56
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Came across like they were always on a witch hunt and a bit 'out for the glory of the kill, regardless of the facts'.
It came accross to me as finally some public sector officials being vaguely held to account with their underperforming “whole force”partner. Yes, there is lots of waste in all Govt Depts but you have to start somewhere. The most entertaining bit was when Ascent announced that they had changed all of their leadership team and then for Jon Thomson to shuffle about uncomfortably mumbling that the civil servants were still in place and unlikely to be held to account. Even his “re-attack” minutes later was unconvincing. Finally, as Sir Baz was the Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) how much real accountability is taken by the military? I know that he was just ‘on watch’ when the report came out, but there have been several AMPs during the contract period - 2 of which became 4-stars!

For me it made very sad and uncomfortable watching but thanks for sharing.
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Old 13th Oct 2017, 20:03
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Originally Posted by 4mastacker
I thought I was reading the script for the next episode of "Yes Minister".
Actually it's a bit more W1A
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Old 13th Oct 2017, 20:37
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We (civilians) happened to be watching old re runs of "Yes Prime Minister" when a VVSO came into the crew room. "Is that what it's like operating at that level" someone asked. "No" he said, " It's like In the thick of it"

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Old 14th Oct 2017, 13:10
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Actually it's a bit more W1A
yes, the MOD working out what they do best and then doing less of it, better..........................wasting taxpayers money by the look of it.
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Old 15th Oct 2017, 12:57
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A bit like when the SofS requested latest recruitment figures from me and the following week came to visit and told the HQ that things were improving; quite who he was trying to convince is beyond me.
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Old 15th Oct 2017, 17:37
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Timelord,

Being in the colonies, I had never heard of "In the Thick of It".

Something to look forward to, once I've found it on the Internet.

Thanks!
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Old 15th Oct 2017, 17:42
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Originally Posted by India Four Two
Timelord,

Being in the colonies, I had never heard of "In the Thick of It".

Something to look forward to, once I've found it on the Internet.

Thanks!
I hope you are not easily offended by bad language!
TL
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Old 15th Oct 2017, 19:30
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Or be shocked the foulest-mouthed one on there became the new Dr Who......
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Old 15th Oct 2017, 22:51
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This is what you are getting into, be prepared.

Well if you don't like it, you can just **** Off, and when you've finished ******* Off, **** Off some more!

As we enter the third week I find Mr. Tickell’s attention seeking tent based twattery even more annoying than weeks one and two

"Who was it that did your media training, Myra Hindley? It's terrible! All these hands all over the place. You were like a sweaty octopus trying to unhook a bra. It was like watching John Leslie at work."

"Terri, when I want your advice, I’ll give you the special signal. Which is me being sectioned under the Mental Health Act."

What the **** is this? Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, ****?

"The guy is an epic f*ck-up. He’s so dense that light bends around him."

"No, he's useless. He's absolutely useless. He's as useless as a marzipan dildo."
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Old 16th Oct 2017, 01:09
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Great series - I regularly use ****ety-bye and **** you very much.
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Old 17th Oct 2017, 15:59
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No, he's useless. He's absolutely useless. He's as useless as a marzipan dildo.

You tried one?
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Old 18th Oct 2017, 09:17
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NL - that has still got me chuckling
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Old 19th Oct 2017, 20:24
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Originally Posted by airpolice
Well if you don't like it, you can just **** Off, and when you've finished ******* Off, **** Off some more!

As we enter the third week I find Mr. Tickell’s attention seeking tent based twattery even more annoying than weeks one and two

"Who was it that did your media training, Myra Hindley? It's terrible! All these hands all over the place. You were like a sweaty octopus trying to unhook a bra. It was like watching John Leslie at work."

"Terri, when I want your advice, I’ll give you the special signal. Which is me being sectioned under the Mental Health Act."

What the **** is this? Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, ****?

"The guy is an epic f*ck-up. He’s so dense that light bends around him."

"No, he's useless. He's absolutely useless. He's as useless as a marzipan dildo."
Well if you think 'W1A' and 'The Thick Of It' are good, I heartily recommend watching 'Jonathon Pie' sketches on You Tube. A fictitious news reporter who in between takes to camera presents his own views on the politics and situations of the day.

He doesn't so much as address the elephant in the room, the elephant generally ends up shot, stuffed and mounted all in the space of 2-3 excoriating minutes. It's very cathartic!
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