Out of Trim,

if not scrapped the assets will remain on the MoD's balance sheet and they will still get charged for them by the Treasury..... you couldn't make this stuff up!

Out of Trim:

To keep them in any sort of readiness state would take almost as many technicians and support as it takes to keep them flying.

And if we pulled them out at short notice who the hell would fly them? Blackadder and the 20 minuters comes to mind, in fact I'd bet on it being nearer 5!

Guys I'm going to miss you over Wigtown Bay. Sad to think I'll never hear the Pegasus roar again. Thanks from the little kid who'se first memory of a warplane is a GR3 at Wittering - and who'se latest is seeing that last RN Harrier land on ARKR.

It was a pleasure to meet a few of you the other week in Ark. Sad to think certain pubs of Stamford (and wardrooms) will no longer hear your stories.

I am a civvy so have no business posting here.

Dan.

The Coalition Government
 

Forgive them
For they know not
What they do?

Forgive them nothing.
 

Oh I think they know very well what they are doing.

At some point the country will wake up and give the government of the day a clear mandate to re-arm the forces. This will of course involve building more aircraft which will be tarted up with the promise of British jobs but no matter what they buy, there will be a way for the UK defence industry to be part of it.

Engines or avionics or assembly, you can bet that at some point our current and recently ex lords and masters will have a finger in the till of whatever company gets that deal.

Why keep aircraft that have been paid for when you can make the MOD buy new stuff from your next employer?

I vividly remember being one of a party of 92nd Entry Halton Apprentices on a visit to Duxford in 1959 (just possibly, 1960). We were treated to a flight of one of the prototypes. When I say ‘flight’, I exaggerate! In fact its maximum altitude possible, was about 6 feet, since it was tethered to the pan by four ruddy great chains! Still, very impressive all the same.:{:{

That can't be right. The USAF doesn't have several thousands techies at Davis-Monthan, keeping all of the hundreds of aircraft at readiness. Some are closer than others, but almost all are recoverable.

Err, no. They're not. Whilst a proportion are in storage to balance airframe hours, the vast majority are in parts reclaim status or there to be scrapped.

As others have posted, even those that are regenerated from Davis-Monthan take months and that's where there are aircrew and maintainers trained, certified and ready to use them. Re-creating the corporate knowledge, once stood down takes years.

Out of Trim - plan B was deferred as a savings measure.........

I may be wrong but the last time the RAF tried balancing ac hours was with Lightnings at Binbrook when I was on Lightning Augmentation Flight (LAF). About 50 of us looked after around 20 ac in various states of storage that were rotated thought 5, 11 and LTF. Most of the airframes never flew again although many man hours was spent on their upkeep. Storing a jet ac is not the same as putting your classic car up on jacks in the garage I'm afraid.

I presume you must mean Dunsfold. The first tethered hover was on 21-Oct-1960.

Rhys.

Some images of the Harrier camouflage scheme from yesterday.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5002/...1cb73f9d_z.jpg
DSC_0224HARRIERZG506COTTESM by llihmot, on Flickr

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5207/...6619b1cc_z.jpg
0045HARRIERGR9COTTESMORE13D by llihmot, on Flickr

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5165/...4bce52ae_z.jpg
DSC_0161HARRIERZG50613DEC10 by llihmot, on Flickr

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5081/...1d9effae_z.jpg
DSC_0153HARRIERSUNSETCR by llihmot, on Flickr

TJ

FLYPAST
 

Harrier fly past rehearsal today.

Not sure of complete timings but overflying Wyton between 1445 and 1455
(confirmed).

Saw them overfly Lincoln just now. Diamond formation plus one shepherding aircraft. Superb.

Harrier Fly Past
 

16 ship Harrier fly past of RAF stations today. I'd like to say it is was good value for money, however the value is sentimental (hardly justifiable) and not helped by the flypast happening 4 minutes early, whereby most people missed it.

I think you'll find it was a rehearsal for tomorrow. :)

Hope it was a rehersal, they just went over head here at woodhall spa, v impressive, but would be better lower!

Rehearsal - as noted elsewhere in the forum. Superb flypast over Lincoln.

iRaven

I'm afraid quoting post SDSR MOD 'lines to take' doesn't quite cut it with me or the rest of those in favour of the 'capability' argument winner.

We'll have to agree to disagree on this one....

Well, I hope the CO's fund picked up the tab for some tinnies for the painters.

Great Job.:D:D:D:D

I wish them well for the future.







[this REALLY sux, doesn't it]

Since they did so well today, why waste cash makin' 'em fly tomorrow?