Can Wigston survive the onslaught?

[Davef68]

Reminded me of a middle ranking Civil Servant rather than a senior military officer.

[AirmanNotAviator]

CAS gave a very poor performance yesterday to a relatively sympathetic committee. He appeared to be covering for the chain of command between him and Group Captain Lizzie Nicholl (who felt obliged to resign). The FOI emails show clearly who CAS was protecting. So we have a Dentist and Supplier deciding on vital questions of recruiting and training and the RAF has a Personnel Branch (of which Lizzie Nicholl was a member) not involved! Clearly, professionalism was not a consideration. There is only one answer to this disgraceful episode.

[Just This Once...]

Originally Posted by kaikohe76

Harry Truman had the sign on his desk saying `The Buck Stops here`. In my opinion I stress, is there not an honorable option the CAS could & likely should take? Just what must be the feeling amongst a RAF personnel right now. Very sad state of affairs & certainly not the RAF I remain proud to have served in.

Front page of The Daily Telegraph:

After the revelation, Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston, head of the RAF, was asked if he had presided over a “lack of integrity at the top”. Defence sources suggested to The Daily Telegraph last night that Sir Mike, who wrote the 2019 Wigston Review into inappropriate behaviour of troops, should be considering his position.

So at least the Defence Secretary got a quick refresher over his corn flakes & coffee this morning.

[Top West 50]

Sleep tight tonight - your Air Farce is awoke

[GeeRam]

I'm surprised that the RAF isn't being done under some false advertising rule for that TV recruiting advert being currently shown that suggests that a female can fly the F-35B........

[Union Jack]

Originally Posted by langleybaston

The problem is, I can. How do such ordinary blokes and blokesses climb the greasy pole so far?

Concur, sorry, quite agree.... Based on his recent performance, II certainly find myself wondering if Group Captain Nicholl would have considered the man himself for entry to Cranwell today. His wokery is borderline beyond belief.

Jack

[Mornington Crescent]

Did my bit in the C20. Am most unimpressed with the current CAS. He says lots of words and makes no sense.

Surely there is a better candidate.

[bspatz]

Originally Posted by Ken Scott

Cost new for a C130J in 2020 around $75m, the RAF paid about £165m per Atlas, so not quite 10:1. I’m sure you could buy cheaper on the secondhand market… the RAF has 14 C130J currently for sale, POA (but the C5 sold to the USMC a few years ago was reportedly $30m).

Thanks I just grabbed some prices off the internet which were obviously a bit misleading but I still think that Atlas is a HVA and not what we should be risking on SF ops. I was also a bit disappointed that CAS did not seem to understand that the Committee could clearly see what was needed and wanted him to give them the ammunition to go into bat of his behalf. Instead he stuck rigidly to the party line and was unwilling to admit some pretty obvious deficiences.

[WillNorris81]

Originally Posted by GeeRam

I'm surprised that the RAF isn't being done under some false advertising rule for that TV recruiting advert being currently shown that suggests that a female can fly the F-35B........

Women can/do fly the F35, how is that false advertising?

[ExAscoteer2]

Originally Posted by GeeRam

I'm surprised that the RAF isn't being done under some false advertising rule for that TV recruiting advert being currently shown that suggests that a female can fly the F-35B........

The 1950s called. Apparently they want their sexist back.

[muppetofthenorth]

Originally Posted by WillNorris81

Women can/do fly the F35, how is that false advertising?

Originally Posted by ExAscoteer2

The 1950s called. Apparently they want their sexist back.

It came out in committee that the RAF currently only has helmets for larger pilots, and that smaller men and women aren't meeting the minimum weight limits for the aircraft, so actually it may be true that women can't fly the F35 with the RAF...

Is the point I think he was trying to make.

Twitter

[Itaintwhatitwas]

Gerry Mayhew

Is AM Mayhew's next appointment about to be announced?

[WillNorris81]

There are F35 female pilots, https://www.f35.com/f35/news-and-features/lockheed-martins-first-female-f35-production-and-training-pilot-takes-flight.html

https://www.lex18.com/news/air-guards-first-female-f-35-pilot-is-from-kentucky-completes-inaugural

The weight minimum I believe is 136lbs (61.7kg) (9.7 stone). I would suggest most women could achieve that.

[Professor Plum]

Will,

Those are F35 Pilots from the USA.

This thread is referring to the RAF.

[Speedywheels]

The word ‘helmet’ is particularly apt to some of the inane, uninformed contributors on this thread.

[Ridger]

Originally Posted by AirmanNotAviator

CAS gave a very poor performance yesterday to a relatively sympathetic committee

He appeared to have no idea what's going on at all. Are we sure it was CAS and not a surprised stunt double? That reminded of the Guy Goma interview on the BBC:

You Tube

[Timelord]

For those that choose to comment without watching CAS’s testimony, he said this:

The current UK F35 helmet is not suitable for people below a certain weight.
There is a helmet suitable for lighter people but it does not meet UK standards of head protection. The US use this helmet for lighter people.
Should a light person be streamed F35 the UK would consider buying the lighter ( I think he said £250,000) helmet and “assess the risk “ to that individual, but that problem had not yet arisen.

I’m rather proud of the way I did that without a single male/ female/he/she!

[NutLoose]

I’m rather proud of the way I did that without a single male/ female/he/she!

What's that then, you mentioned them all, well nearly, you missed out, men proporting to be women, women proporting to be men... need I go on?

[Timelord]

Originally Posted by NutLoose

What's that then, you mentioned them all, well nearly, you missed out, men proporting to be women, women proporting to be men... need I go on?

B***er!
Anyway , good to see the Times on line edition illustrating this story with a picture of a Victor in a museum.

[WillNorris81]

Any info regarding the weight considered “too light” ?