I hope it's a balanced piece of good journalism that will shed light on the matter. But given how the series to date has gone, I doubt it will be.

Panorama Mon 4th June
 

The next Panorama is based on the tragic Nimrod crash. This is the title.
'On a Wing and a Prayer: Shelley Jofre investigates whether Britain's single biggest loss of military life in over two decades could have been avoided'

Ah yes - Panorama. Anyone remember when it used to be an incisive, investigative political comment programme, rather than an extension of the Jeremy Vine show, or a later-night version of Watchdog?

Let's hope for some balanced BBC reportage...:rolleyes:

I think people would do well to wait , watch the programme and then comment on its validity. As for being balanced if therre are problems with the nimrod fleet then there are . They are not going to say on the one hand there are and the other there aren't.

If the BBC are such experts on the Nimrod then maybe the MOD should have invited THEM to carry out the BOI instead :rolleyes:

MadMark!!! :mad:

"I think people would do well to wait..."

What you mean like the BBC have waited for the BoI results?

I would say the approach they are taking beggars belief, but sadly the standard of BBC reporting (i.e. woeful) not longer surprises me.

TD

Agreed. Despite what we might think about Vine-orama at least it will bring the Nimrod problems to a wider audience. All publicity is good publicity.

Still don't like Vine. But not as much as Nicky bl@@dy Campbell. Makes my skin creep.

JFZ90

Why do the BBC have to wait for the BOI to make a programme about the state of the Nimrod fleet. Is there not a thread on here intitled Kinloss........Whats Going on? that has had 308 postings and 54,730 hits.
Does this not show the amount of concern people have ???

If the BBC had done the inquiry maybe the families would not still be waiting 9 months later for it !!!!!

3 people on the BOI working 40 hrs a week x 9 months = 4320 hours and still no result :ugh:

Why?

To be fair it depends upon whether the BBC start linking gossip and rumour with the last years tragic loss. If they don't then fair play to them, I wonder what it will be about.

If they do however try to link rumour with the loss (and I'd be surprised if they didn't try to as its a "good story"), they then I think they should be ashamed.

If the BBC had done the BoI would you believe it?

Flashy, I suspect the message (whatever it is) will be lost to a huge swathe of the population

BIG BROTHER starts tonight :ugh: 'Bigger, better, badder than before'

Once again proving that the education system is in serious need of reform :sad:

JFZ90
Maybe they will talk about the number of fuel laeks per 50 flying hours
Maybe they will talk about the number of parts swapped from one a/c to another to get it flying
Maybe they will talk about Nimrods exceeding their planned flying hours
Maybe they will talk about PVR rates
Maybe they will talk about a/c availability and serviceability
Maybe they will talk about about the poor risk management on the fleet
Maybe they will talk about groundcrew shortages
Maybe they will talk about spending millions on ecological work at the base instead of on the aircraft

Or maybe they won't wait and see.

BOI's don't make programmes and the BBC doesn't sit on BOI's

Oh, fcuk, is that BB cr@p back on again?:sad:

Hang in there TD ..... :ok:

Just found the programme description (just noticed this is mostly in the original post too).

"Shelley Jofre investigates whether Britain's single biggest loss of military life in over two decades could have been avoided, and reveals a series of potentially-catastrophic faults with the RAF's ageing fleet of spyplanes."

So Shelley is, in fact, doing a kind of BoI into the loss, prejudging the official BoI.

I detect some here feel that this is a good thing, perhaps envisaging probing journos finding the truth etc., just like in films ("All the presidents men" spings to mind).

I can only judge by recent BBC journolistic standards, but I fear that the programme will be sensationalist, poorly researched, make tenuous and misleading associations and deductions and generally do many in the RAF a rather large disservice.

Of course, I'm prejudging the programme here having never seen it - that would be stupid thing to do wouldn't it!!!!!

JFZ90; Or Watergate

I dont see haw describing the fleet as ageing will do a disservice to the RAF. Ok its true, I dont really know the current state, but those airframes & that 'technology' have been around a few years too long IMHO.

Of course, it may well be full of 'dramatisations' illustrating what happened (we even get those in toothbrush adverts these days), lets wait & see.

I'll watch it anyway, even if its just to shout 'Bo&&ocks' at the TV every time I think they get something wrong.

TD

Despite the grievance that you must feel, 9 months is not a long time for a BOI. It is just not that simple. The BoI for the squirrel crash at Shawbury hasn't reported yet after almost 5 months. And that [I]only[I] had one fatal and 3 injured. It happened on a military airfield in the UK, not in a hostile country thousands of miles away. They had access to the wreckage without the danger of being attacked by the Taliban.

I am sorry for your loss, but you cannot prejudge the BoI and NOR SHOULD THE BBC. I will watch the programme, but going by recent BBC journalistic standards I will not be surprised if it is full of inaccuracies and rumour.

I find it incredible that people have automatically made up their minds about this documentary days before it has even been broadcasted. What are people scared of? It is a documentary by the BBC!!
Whether conjecture or not it is journalism trying to enlighten the public on the tragic events of that day thus encouraging our pitiful goverment to act before it happens again.
I'm sure it will be full of dramatization, exaggeration and perhaps inaccuracies but it has got to be a step in the right direction.

Like someone has already said Hang in there Tappers Dad our thoughts are still with you.

Absolutely right.

Maybe we should watch it before we pass judgement upon it.

JFZ90

Why are you so anti??
Surely, any programme that highlights things of this nature, that are patently wrong is a good thing isn't it? Only a complete fool would suggest otherwise, certainly as far as the Nimrod fleet is concerned.

Roland,
whilst I appreciate your sentiments Sir, the comment: 'but you cannot prejudge the BoI and NOR SHOULD THE BBC' casts a slur on the guys running the BoI frankly. Do you really think, for one second, that they will be influenced at all by any programme? Of course not.

I am looking forward to the programme, not so much for it's 'factual' content, but to see the BBC bring the problems that not only the RAF face, but the Nimrod fleet in particular have to put up with, into the public domain. If it changes the views of the public about how continuing cuts in defence funding is putting the lives of our friends and colleagues at risk, then that has to be a good thing.

Kind regards to all
TSM