Cruise v Puma
 

Now that's an arrival..........Wonder if they would allow them to use Trafalgar Square for the MoM drop off?

Tom Cruise dons a military uniform as he touches down in Trafalgar Square in an RAF helicopter | Mail Online

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...66_634x423.jpg

Or was it the crewman about to "jump out"

So......the RAF didn't have any aircraft spare for the Olympics opening event , resulting in Westlands having to stand in......but they can provide a Puma from an overworked knackered out fleet for a Hollywood film.

Someone needs to get priorities sorted, or are they hoping Tom Cruise can pay for the (yet again delayed) upgrade?
Question
Just how many of the Pumas have been taken out of service pending the upgrade - which is now going to take at least another year? I seem to remember reading almost a year ago that they had all been shipped out to Romania already....

AW didn't "stand-in". They were always going to fly that sortie.

MM

This seems to address some of your questions:

Eurocopter Delivers First Puma Mk2 to UK Mod | Aviation & Air Force News at DefenceTalk

What did Westlands stand in with, was it just the confetti drop?

The "James Bond" filming, and Her Maj's parachute drop, plus the Tower Bridge fly-through

and that would have been a good use of RAF helicopters?

not really, but considering it was supposed to be a national priority, and considering how many other military assets were used for those games.....

you can hardly call a Tom Cruise film a "national priority" can you?
my point isn't that they didn't provide for the Olympics, but they ARE providing for this film. In my view they shouldn't be

Milo

It would still considered a training flight.

Whether they drop someone off in the middle of a field
or Trafalgar Square, they would still do the training
except this is probably paid for by the Film company.

And it makes it interesting for all involved plus gives
great PR.

Do you think the US Navy didn't make the most of
the film Top Gun for recruiting ? Potential recruits
get interested in the armed forces by many different
means and this could well be one of them.
.

What are those awful things stuck out of the front of the engines.

They are known as pilots........

MILO
 

As I recall the Puma had a well publicized role as part of the military support for the olympic games.

But don't let the facts get in the way of a good 'crab bash', you carry on.

I wonder what is at the other end of this wire…

http://www.morethanthegames.co.uk/fi...orchbearer.jpg

The ground?

Ah yes…

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/multim...03_318157c.jpg

PR is good. Something different for training and something for those who pay for us all.

Agree that this thread sounds like 'crab bashing'.

I for one would like to applaud the old girl in action and seizing such a great PR opportunity. The Olympics was supported to the best of the ability of all three services, both in the public eye and behind the scenes. Likewise, the decision to support these high profile one-off events is not taken lightly. It's a shame that this forum is seen by many as an opportunity only to bitch and snipe with anonymity.

Well it was obviously done through official channels and probably someone thought about the disruption to everyone invloved in getting the aircraft, trucks, rovers and people to their alloted places at the right times...and possibly thought of a price for it...and possibly thought about getting paid for it too?

MM,

You cannot be serious!

You've either not thought this through (Sunday lunch at the pub?) or your grip on reality needs adjusting.

Crew recce-ing the location of the Puma re-union? If so - good skills!