In that case she'd have a good cellar.

Roland,

On the few occassions when CAS hosts VIPs then either an RAF chef comes along for the day to do the cooking, or the "entertaining" is done in a mess somewhere, etc. Rather than employ a chef 365 days a year for the few (becoming fewer as we reduce costs?) time he "entertains". Maybe VIPs need to learn to be "entertained" a bit less in these (globally) more austere times?

As for the Sunday express article. Lossiemouth is already a fast jet base, is due to recieve JSF when we get it into service, has HAS facilities, etc. Kinloss is a multi engine aircraft base, with no current aircraft, and due to recieve a total of 9! More importantly, Kinloss has a geese problem that directly effects aircraft operations, are you going to put a single engine aircraft into a base with a bird problem? So, as you seem to suggest, perhaps they have got Kinloss and Lossiemouth the wrong way around.

I had heard that Leuchars was the most logical to go. Land in a good location for housing viz Dundee and Edinburgh, with a railway station. I heard that a lot of money would need to be spend on Leuchars to make it suitable for Typhoon, but it hasn't been spent yet. Close Leuchars, sell the land, move Typhoons to Lossie for northern Q, approx 100nm nearer the bad guys, and reduce the GR4 fleet by a couple of Sqns (Lossie ones) to save money and make way for Typhoon.......

Seems logical to me, but no doubt it won't happen, and one of the Moray bases will close on the basis that the area already has 2 bases, so taking one away won't have such a massive impact as closing the only base in one area!

We have to do the Fitness test. Every year... Otherwise we don't go forward to the promotion board ..... If you fail the fitness test you don't get promoted.

Vec, thank you, but do you also manadated to do 3 periods of exercise each week. I note you also say that your sanction is you do not get promoted whereas in the RAF you won't get paid if you see what I mean.

And quite right too. If you are not fit enough to serve in the Armed Forces then why should you get paid? Being in the Armed Forces is a tough, demanding job which expects the highest levels of physical and mental fitness. If you cannot keep up then step aside and allow someone who can join in.

I think what the UK military needs now, from the top down, is to work together to ensure a joined up approach to the budget cuts rather than a willy waving competition as to who has the most stringent fitness test or AT programme :ugh:

Why cant the mil leaders, faced with unprecedented financial pressure do the same as a civilian CEO would. Get together with the executive team & make the tough choices, then go to the the budget holder with a properly costed & agreed shopping list showing how much they need for each present and future project/programme and make it simple that if the money is not there then the mil cant afford & wont continue with that project or programme. Then the politicians need to decide what they want the mil to do within the realms of what they can afford & pay accordingly...Hey we do this sort of shopping exercise with primary children when teaching them basic math & money lessons and they seem to grasp it fairly quickly...

Even more important now the leaders have adopted a zero tolerance to risk taking in light of recent enquiries etc. Not taking risk costs money. There is no money. Therefore the do more with less strategy WILL fail. Simple....isn't it?

Apart from Kinloss being discounted over Lossiemouth as a JSF base due to the bird-strike risk...only one JCA engine as against Nimrod's 4.....I don't think MAA will overlook that.

PMH,

See post 89........:ugh:

Any figures on what £ Leuchers generates in landing fees per annum??

Sacking CAS's chef, or chopping the odd PTI will not generate the required savings.

A culture of fiscal responsibility is required. We all know of waste, and those that don't are living in lah lah land, or are FC's!

Wyler: will you bite or shall I? :rolleyes:

Sorry,


couldn't resist, banter intended for humour use only. Thanks for hosting us so well at Waddo over the weekend.

Stay safe.

Maybe there are a few things that might help: Medical services are effectivly doing the same job so why have 3 of them? Or in case of Army why have 3 separate corps? Medical,Dental & Nursing? yes amalgamation will save maybe a few million but its still a few million saved.
Cut 32Sqn back to supporting senior officers and Royals and ban politicians and civil servants from using it.
How many of HM Forces are undeployable? a Reservist who goes on FTRS is payed X factor at a rate dependent on his/her deployable status so fully deployable gets full X factor, Home only gets it at reserve rates and Un deployable doesn't get any. Maybe that should be applied.

Nurse - those are good points but I think that you maybe missing the point....rather than amalgamating the nursing, dentist, medical corps of all 3 services....why not get rid of the lot? Why do we need so many doctors and nurses? why are dentists considered officers?....they are hardly doctors..... why not rely on the NHS?

Parkinson's Law plus a spot of rank inflation???
 

You have to be extracting the urine on this one?

How many NHS dentists are willing to deploy on HM War Canoes? How much would it cost to select an NHS Doctor for a tour in Ascension? What is the chance of finding one that has a proper degree and language skills?

One attribute for RAF Doctors is AvMed knowledge. This includes a specialist area of physiology and also protective clothing. We once had a doctor fast-tracked through to the unit bypassing Cranditz. It fell to us to teach him not only the customs and etiquette of the Service but also AvMed. He had a brain the size of a planet and put our training to good effect,but that is another story.

Answered exactly the NHS has little or no understanding of service needs. Its a bit like saying contract the flying in the RAF to virgin or BA.

Why not reform the medical, police and supply services into Joint orginisations?

Bin Red Arrows and 32 Sqn

Close Halton and have a single point of entry to the RAF.

Close Honington and collocation Regt training and Honington Sqns at an Army infantry depot.

Move CAS and staff to HQ Air Cmd and bin CINC Air, DCINC this and DCINC that. And do the same for CGS and 1SL

Review Air Officer Numbers i.e AOC DAUs, why do we need this post, give the duties to AOC 1, 2 or 38 Gp.

Bin CEA with immediate effect unless you are in recepit of payments in which case they end when the kids leave school.

Stop SSFA if you own a house within 25 miles of your duty station.

Amalgamate RAF legal service with the Army and RN Legal Services, one Armed Forces Bill = Requirement for one Legal Service.

Bin RAF stewards and PTIs.

Bin Air Officers Drivers, have a pool of civvies do it

Outsource IT provision/maintenance to the private sector, I know of a number of firms who'd love the contract.

Civilianise 2 MT. Do 2 MT drive across the AFG/PAK border to Kandahr etc?

Tie the Aircrew FRI amount payable to the number of airline posts advertised on the most popular pilot recruitment website, i.e more posts advertised and the FRI does down.

Oh thats just for starters

Would that be the same AV medical specialist who asked me during my last aircrew medical if it was uncomfortable when my ears wouldn't clear...?


Yeah,right..... specialist medical officers.... ........Baboons more like

VVHA,

I always read your posts wondering just what daft thing you are gonna say next but that one is absolutely priceless :p