Grimweasel

Any one else see Panorama last night?
See the bit where the BBC political correspondant said he was shown a secret RAF pilots web board where they had been voting against a war with Iraq?(61% against)

Wonder what site that could have been???? Maybe in times like this its either best not to comment or just boycott the site for a while in the inerests of Nat. Security and all that?

If the BBC check up on these "rogue" sites then I wonder who else does?

Best give it a wide berth for a few months at least......

"I can drive a tractor" (so the song went.....means I can't spell!)

newswatcher

Interesting GrimW,

Is that as in Communist, or "rogue" as in disreputable?

rivetjoint

I didn't think there were any secret pilots in the RAF, surely the wings on the jacket or the flight suit give it away?

Jackonicko

Who was the reporter?

And was he being disingenuous (ie that he knew that PPRuNe wasn't what he described, but thought that his journalistic shorthand had more 'punch' than would calling it a 'public internet site to which some current and retired RAF aircrew do post'?)

or stupid (that he really thought it was a secret, forces-only site?)....

I know which I suspect......

Or perhaps he was right? Perhaps we are all secret RAF pilots? In my case it's a bloody well kept secret - so well kept that I haven't turned up for work for 20 years! (And don't you military types use some fancy acronym like AWOL for that?)

brakedwell

The reporter is called Andrew Marr and he works for a secret organisation called the BBC.

A Civilian

Given that what people talk about here is wildly known and can be bought from companies like Janes (UK) or Periscope (US) I dont see what the problem is. Also any organization will reflect the attitudes of the public at large be it the BBC or the RAF so 61% against is no surprize. That being said most governments have entire intel subdepartments devoted to open source intel collection.

Take percautions and always practice safe debating I wonder if Danny would put a block IP ban on known BBC computers

solotk

Andrew Marr

Is a supercillious , know-all of the first water. Has he ever got an "Inside track" prediction right? I am particularly tired of the inferences he gives, that he is Tony Blairs bestest mate, or has regular G+T's with Whitehall mandarins that tell him everything.

A clue Andrew.... Look at how your newsreaders are REALLY reacting to you. Also, when will you make a comment on BuffHoons promise to use Nukes? Oh, and next time you and your best mates are having drinkie-poos, ask them about Desert uniforms, nvg's. combat ident systems and the like will you?

Flatus Veteranus

All that Andy Marr said was that "A website for RAF combat aircrew found that 61% of them were against a war on Iraq." He then added something like "...and that's the people who are going to have to do the bombing".

Surely, that was quite reasonable? Who would have expected anything else? To my mind Marr is quite the best Political Editor that Auntie Beeb has employed for many years. And it is interesting that PPruNe is being noticed in influential places.

ORAC

I wonder if he even considered how few of those voting are really aircrew, let alone CR pilots......................

Jimlad

I'm another secret pilot - in fact I'm so secret I didnt know I could fly, but am waiting for the chip inserted in my brain to activate so I too can join those magnificent men (women) in their flying machines"

Marr is overrated, his sources arent as near as high level as he makes them out to be - I know one "source" he quoted, made out to be Cabinet level - in fact he was little more than a Grade D civil servant!

smartman

He's got nice legs though -----

BlueWolf

I'm with Jimlad - I can fly little planes, but I had no idea I was part of any Air Force, let alone the RAF. I must say it's come as quite a surprise....then again, maybe there is another website which is so secret none of us know about it...and maybe their poll results were the same?

idle stop

Actually, 'Panorama' is a BBC euphemism for 'Paranoia'.

Waddock Hunt

Shhhhh... Don't tell anyone about the REAL secret RAF pilot's Chat room website
www.rafs_secret_chatroom_website.gov.uk.org)](www.rafs_secret_chatroom_website.gov.uk.org)[/URL]
or they'll find out that its actually 99.9% of RAF aircrew who don't want to spend 6 months living in the desert away from their families!!!!!

maninblack

As told to me by an ex regimental press officer who was then assistant news editor, when I was dans la merde with the mod for talking to the press.

" The golden rule is 'never let the facts spoil a good story' so, another beer."

Tonkenna

Perhaps hes got onto the RAF intranet, the one that has all the info about the PA spine on it. Thats SO secret I can't find it anywhere. Only found out about the whole site a few days ago.

Tonks