Secret RAF flights in the UK
Gentleman Aviator
I think Bernard Woolley (Sir Humphrey's underling) summed up "need to know" accurately...
Bernard: The fact that you needed to know was not known at the time that the now known need to know was known, and therefore those that needed to advise and inform the Home Secretary perhaps felt that the information that he needed as to whether to inform the highest authority of the known information was not yet known, and therefore there was no authority for the authority to be informed because the need to know was not, at that time, known or needed
Yes, true, and most of us knew that, What a few of us want to avoid is relating that which is known to some of us and is still a secret to be guarded. My detailed knowledge is 20 years out of date and not worth knowing, but we do have serving members who know a great deal.
All too easy to have a couple of drinks and accidentally help our enemies.
Just saying.
All too easy to have a couple of drinks and accidentally help our enemies.
Just saying.
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Correct, and there's nothing like putting it all on one thread. It's the opportunity or temptation for some muppet to add to the stories...why risk it.
There is just a minute chance someone will inadvertently overstep the mark and cost a capability or worse, a life.
There is just a minute chance someone will inadvertently overstep the mark and cost a capability or worse, a life.
Alcohol and secrets aren't always a good mix. I was at Branch association dinner at Halton House earlier this year and after a lot of drinks a Sqn Ldr blurted out which agency she had been working for - to a number of people. Whether people remembered is neither here nor there, but I understand it got back to her line manager. Cue a rapid posting...
ETA in an earlier post at an Embassy I had to remove an Army Sgt who became free-talking after a couple of beers. He had been warned and once the Ambassador got to hear of his behaviour, it was untenable for the Sgt to remain.there.
ETA in an earlier post at an Embassy I had to remove an Army Sgt who became free-talking after a couple of beers. He had been warned and once the Ambassador got to hear of his behaviour, it was untenable for the Sgt to remain.there.
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I once worked in an area of extreme sensitivity (my desk diary was a registered TS document, for example) and was horrified when a certain 'thing' was named in the Media. It had been so sensitive that the codewords were never spoken except by their initials. Even now I feel reluctant to talk about it.
And many of you here know 'things' as well. The best course has always been to STFU, and carry on confining the subject matter to official channels, and to recipients who actually need to know.
Wishing you all a Happy and Discreet Christmas!
And many of you here know 'things' as well. The best course has always been to STFU, and carry on confining the subject matter to official channels, and to recipients who actually need to know.
Wishing you all a Happy and Discreet Christmas!
Avoid imitations
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
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I made a career out of knowing hardly anything!
Avoid imitations
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
Posts: 14,573
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No, even I know more than that!
To (Mis) quote Bunny Gunston, ex RAF AEOp, pilot and ATC turned after-dinner speaker. " We can put boardings around the airfields to hide them, but people notice aircraft taking off and landing every now and then,. Consequently, the Government know where 90% of our airfields are." ( From "What goes up might come down" speech to ATC dinner, available on-line youtube.
)
Obviously there are secret things going on which should never be discussed on open Forum, like details of current ops and investigations, but really what a load of tosh. There is very little that can't be deduced from reading articles on platform capability in the open press, or watching specialist TV channels or even ordinary TV channels over the vast amount available. There are obviously capabilities that are still far too secret to be shown on TV or in the aviation press but people can interpolate and project without being too far from the mark. Couple this to looking at ADSB now and then and following the King Air and Sentinel tracks and one can get a pretty good idea of where current (on the day) interest lies within the UK. I think that people overreacting and metaphorically calling "Beadwindow" is a little over the top. I'm with MG on this one, really entertaining sometimes!
Last edited by Doctor Cruces; 27th Dec 2019 at 11:13.
Obviously there are really secret things going on which should never be discussed on open Forum, like details of current ops and investigations, but really what a load of tosh. There is very little that can't be deduced from reading articles on platform capability in the open press, or watching specialist TV channels or even ordinary TV channels over the vast amount available. There are obviously capabilities that are still far too secret to be shown on TV or in the aviation press but people can interpolate and project without being too far from the mark. Couple this to looking at ADSB now and then and following the King Air and Sentinel tracks and one can get a pretty good idea of where current (on the day) interest lies within the UK. I think that people overreacting and metaphorically calling "Beadwindow" is a little over the top. I'm with MG on this one, really entertaining sometimes!
