Mid 90's and Ex Purple Star saw 18 Sqn crews and ground crew flying to Cherry Point on a charter aircraft that was short finals to got to a desert graveyard and our Chinooks and Puma's getting to the US in a chartered boat totally unfit for purpose.

Any of the SH folk involved will no doubt remember the daily briefing telling us that the aircraft would, yet again not be arriving today, a clusterf@ck of truly outstanding proportions :p

Had to think about that for some time. Do you know, there is a huge number of Google hits for James Blunt.:E

It's his stage-name, but not too far removed from the entry on his Birth Certificate, just missing a vowel.

mmitch,

You can't be too careful where security is concerned.

Anyhoo, now you've brought the subject up, I wonder what the chances are of seeing the Voyager at any R.A.F. airshows as well as, I'm sure, Farnborough this year?;)

FB:)

What part of cost-effective do you miss?

Admin hauls of Passengers do not require a Military Transport.

He once said in an interview that he changed it from Blount to Blunt because it wouldn't be quite as funny whenever people called him a Count.

Disappointing to read some responses trying to drag "Blunty" down.....his music may not be to all tastes (he's obviously the first to recognise that, judging by his humour) but it seems to me he's well on side.

He had good reason to write that report; especially in view of a similar debacle when he was last invited to travel "Britmil".

Anothers fame, success and earnings often bring out the bad side with some folk :(

I was very cross when I saw the article but wasn't after I had read it.

Courtney,

He served 6 years as a recce commander with the Household Cavalry, including the NATO action in Kosovo, plus his father was a Chief of Staff for the AAC, so he does have some relevant experience to fall back on.

Charter flights.
 

Glojo,

Yes you are correct about the Aden flights. I went out on a British United VC10 from Gatwick in 1966, but I think the service was taken over by the new RAF VC10s shortly after I got my knees brown.

Good article , not to critical of the RAF more so of the political masters ,
My Question is , the must be a glut off half decent airlines parked up somewhere . With all the airlines that have went bust in the last few years. Why haven't we looked at either a buy or long term Leese . Even as a temp ?

Must admit I thought the article was a thoughtful piece and it saddens me (ex-RAF) to see you guys still struggling on with aircraft BA laid off a decade plus ago and which is now pretty much a museum piece.

Sadly you can't just buy a box labelled "bust airline" and have a ready made Transport Fleet..... Aircraft from the failed airlines have either gone back to the leasing company or in some cases off to the desert/side of a runway somewhere, and the crews and support staff will have dispersed to either the job centre or are already off to Emirates.

To regenerate one of these outfits would involve similar expense to starting up a new airline and I get the impression HMGs not going to foot the bill - so the RAF struggles on with the existing fleet ( and yes, IMHO it's wrong).

My first major overseas detachment, with 120 Squadron, was to Singapore in 1966. We flew out on a British Eagle Britannia charter flight, with the best Cabin Crew I have ever flown with. We arrived at Paya Lebar on schedule, after two stops - at Akrotiri and Colombo - which I feel sure were more needed to replenish the bars than the fuel tanks! Thirsty lot, the Kipper Fleet.

A reliable charter flight would surely be more cost-effective than relying on those venerable Tristars. Captain (Cavalry Retd) Blount's 'Hat Trick' is a shocking indictment of the current state of the RAF's transport fleet.

It isn't just wars we're trying to do on the cheap, it's everything. The fact is that we're in a business that costs money; either the war fighting bit or the support to ops bit. If we continue to do it on the cheap then at some point very soon, people are going to end up in the dock explaining themselves because we're cutting corners in breach of law. Sounds dramatic I know but it's true :{

Wiggy, the desert is located a sparrows fart from from Odious, and is called Lasham, see link

aircraft storage LASHAM - Google Search

There is a damn good reason the likes of Queasy Jet and Ryan Scare shift their jets on at about the 5 year point, they come off warranty and the maintainence cost soar.. God knows how the MOD can justify flying around decades old Tristars and VC10's, fuel consumption alone must be horrific on the Tens, you need to fly the proverbials off them, then shift them on while they hold high residual values, Ryan Scare by having a high fleet turn over can drive down the cost of new aircraft from the manufacturers.

I realise the country is skint, but by the time you offset the higher maintenance costs, downtimes and fuel burns against a lower operating costs of a leased aircraft, I would bet the figures would open some eyes.

Nut (re-your post now deleted?)

Absolutely agree, although it's not an original concept as I'm sure many others here would concur; and the troops would be far better served.

tlightb - yup, most warriors were flown out on charter. I went out on a British United Brittania in '64 (I think!), certainly from Stansted. Back and forth on various others, inluding the RAF Comet IV and Hastings (UGH!). But with the advent of the BOAC VC10, life became far better. On a further tour at Muharraq (short straw), the Moonrocket RAF VC10 was simply bliss - as was the arrival/departure procedure in those days at Brize.

We had a shorter and less stressful confict then: so why can't those now responsible for putting our people in harm's way be far more attentive to today's combatants' far greater needs ? I think I know - they have no f***ing idea or understanding of military confict or ethos , despite their briefings/prepared speeches/PR visits etc etc. Three Chavs approaching early middle age - God help us.

I said this earlier but several places to which we would have flown the troops was to military bases and we tended not to have civvies flying in to them. That is still true to a point but there is no reason why the pax aircraft can't do the bulk of the route with Tac(T) doing the final leg.

There was also the special mods that the airbox deemed essential which was why our VC10s were different from everyone else's VC10 from feight doors to floor to fuel in the fin. We did the same trick with the perfectly reasonable Argosy. Once we got into the special mods game then of course any economies of scale disappeared. Of course we have learnt that lesson with Voyager haven't we?

ShyTorque,

Who, Sir? Not me, Sir? I just asked a tongue in cheek question!

Foldie:ouch:

Don't understand this response to my input. Many civvies flew on all these flights that I alluded to --- ?