Biggus

You missed out 42 Sqn.

TW,

I'm sure there are others as well, I was just trying to illustrate a point.....

For Blunty:

RAF - 42 Squadron

There is admittedly this page:

RAF - Recently Disbanded

But if Squadrons have been put on here why doesn't the main entry for them reflect this?


You would be better off totally scrapping the whole website, and starting again with one that you keep to a size which you have the manpower and resources to keep up to date on a (very) regular basis!! Alternatively, I'll retire and run it for you full time as a self employed consultant - and since it's my old employer, I'll only charge "mates rates" of £600 a day!!

In this day and age a poor, out of date, website reflects badly on any organization - in which case I suppose it is an accurate reflection of the current state of the RAF? :(

Those sqns are listed under 'recently disbanded' though I agree the associated text needs amending:

These aircraft are pooled with those of the other Kinloss-based squadrons should now be were.

Searching for stations - RAF Wainfleet - this ceased to be an RAF unit in 2006 and closed permanently in 2010. At least it has been deleted from the Media Comms list.

How frequently is Air Clues published? Last link is Jan 2012.

10,000 pages, 153 websites, 80 Airspace websites, Intranet, Social Media, Internal Comms, Pubs library, no funding, 4 staff. Probably embarrassing then! However, I will take all the comments on board and get them updated because I agree that an out of date content is not good.

Blunty ...

A suggestion ... If you don't have a Web Content Management System ... then get one PDQ. Then devolve responsibility to key content stakeholders e.g. Squadrons, Stations etc. for keeping THEIR information up to date (making and holding them accountable). You can still control what get's published but you aren't dependent on an information funnel that requires someone on your staff to punch everything on to the web ... let alone chase people for regular updates.

PS. I made this statrategic change for a large global organisation where the quality of content and currency improved dramatically and almost immediately.

Coff.

CS,

CMS has been in use for quite a while now. Hence why the information is only as good as the units that update (or don't in many cases) them.

Trust me when I say Blunty knows what he is talking about. Just doesn't have the resources or funding.

Ok mate ... :ok:

One of my men took on the job of creating our web page. When I saw his efforts they were puerile. Worse he had forgotten how to edit the page. (I had not given him the job).

Hmm, with some arbitrary editing I'd opine I've worked for plenty of people within the raf matching these criteria. It's certainly difficult to narrow them down though.

Ah, so you are saying there is expert military input to the RAF News?

Blunty

If it helps here are a few that I spotted:

A new page for "Recently Closed Stations" to go with the Recently Disbanded Squadrons might be an idea (even if only to embarrass the politicians and show the continually shrinking size of the RAF).

On that list could go those mentioned above plus RAF Kinloss (closed June or July 2012) RAF Cottesmore (not sure when the station actually closed).
Is there anyone still at RAF Lyneham? Is there any RAF unit based at RAF Topcliffe?
And at the end of this year will need to include RAF Church Fenton (why no station badge for Fenton? One exists, even if the station isn't a "full" station. The badge remains part of the history and heritage) and RAF Wyton (?)

In the Training Squadrons page you are missing the 3 EFT squadrons (is it 16 (R), 57 (R) & 85 (R) (?) plus 115 (R) Sqn which is the CFS Tutor Sqn at RAF Cranwell) And of course 85 (R) Sqn now needs to move to the recently disbanded list.

Shouldn't all the Training Squadrons be listed as *** (Reserve) Squadron?

Hasn't 19 (R) Sqn disbanded at Valley to be replaced with IV (R) Sqn on the Hawk T2?

Does 55 (R) Sqn still exist at Cranwell? I thought they had gone with the Dominies?

76 (R) Sqn formed (2008) and disbanded (2011) at Linton-on-Ouse for the Tucano Nav Phase, so 76 should be in the recently disbanded list.

10 Sqn is missing from the AT & AAR section.

13 Sqn are missing from the RPAS page

14 Sqn are missing from the recce page

Do we still have 4 Herc sqns? I thought 70 had gone.

111 Sqn disbanded with the demise of the F3, but listed in both Air Defence and Recently Disbanded

Just as a thought, you have all of the OEUs listed under the section titled OCUs, should they be a separate section or does the title need changing?

I know you only have a very small team but I hope this helps in going some way to correcting a few of those 10000 pages.:}

Firstly, I assure you that this is not a dig at anybody who has identified errors on the RAF website. I agree that errors need to be identified and corrected. However:

Blunty,

You have my whole hearted sympathy. I read the RAF website quite often and have always enjoyed the content and format. There will always be minor mistakes and time taken to update pages when you are dealing with so much information. And let’s face it; there has been a lot of change in recent years.

IMHO the RAF Internet is streets ahead of many corporate websites including the rather large (Space, Planes & Defence) organisation I now work for (both internet and intranet).

To find out that you are only a Team of 4 with no funding is astounding, but not really surprising I suppose……..just part of the equation of why I left :ugh:

However, what it does reflect, is that the work that you and your Team do is a credit and a reflection of a can do attitude. I take my hat off to you and your Team. Keep up the good work and I will carry on reading :D:D:D

As for the RAF News, I can’t remember which I stopped reading first; The Sun or the RAF News……..but it was a long, long time ago :E

Have you looked at search for stations by location?

East of England:

Creech AFB - RAF Benson

Now in my day, East of England was all the German based, Malta, Cyprus, Bahrein, Masira, Aden, Gan, Singapore

Now West of England had Goose and Offutt so I guess Creech should be West not East!

For a layman searching for his local RAF stations they should be within the nationally recognised areas. East of England embraces East Anglia etc. Lincolnshire might be in East Midlands but Fylingdales is very definitely in Yorkshire and Humberside.

Hiding stations doesn't look good.

Here's an interesting observation which I've yet to have anyone recognise, what is the point of Air Command? My understanding is that Air Command emcompasses all that is left of the R.A.F. Therefore, it carries no relation as a command. i.e. there aren't any other commands with which together the air force is formed.

It would also be interesting to know what the hell happened to all the money which has been saved through all the base closures, squadron disbandments loss of permanent overseas stations, personnel redundancies and so on, not to mention all the posts contracted out to civilian rule and so forth.

Can't imagine how George Osborne would react to the proposition of running H.M. Forces as they were circa 1989 just!:ok:

FB:)

FB, oh dear.

Well we have LAND Command often referred to as LAND so AIR Command sits well with that modern PC like name.

Air Ministry was quite good but nowhere near as punchy as WAR Office. No doubt what they did and it wasn't peace keeping. Bomber changing to STRIKE was punchy too but didn't really fit with humanitarian missions.

Hard to convince an NGO that your STRIKE aircraft was delivering manna from heaven.

Now what about SEA Command or NAVY Command or whatever?

Who is going to suggest the Navy comes in to line?

Admiralty Board: The Admiralty Board is responsible for policy and decision making and the Service Executive Committee of the Admiralty Board, known as the Navy Board. With a First Sea Lord.

Now there is PC for you :)

Pontius

Not trying to score points or anything, but don't we now have:

Air Command @ HW
Army Command @ Andover
Joint Forces Command @ Northwood and
Navy Command @ Portsmouth

It's all part of the Civil Service master plan to get rid of the single services and have a British Armed Forces. Despite Canada's failed experiment to go "purple", there is an element within the Monastery of Defiance that still want a purple military. They've got rid of the majority of the military worker bees from the "Head Office", they've got rid of a number of 4*s, they want the single service chiefs out of London and they've reduced the military to 4 Commands. Watch this space, it will be a short step to 3* single service chiefs and a 4* CDS. Then it will be the BAF, not HM Armed Forces. :}

It's been Navy Command, at HMS Excellent (Whale Island) for at least 5 years, if not longer.

I take it that is a YES, then?

RF etc TY. I did search and Admiralty came up, Navy command referred to that which you do if in charge of a ship.

However the list you show still makes one of the Services the odd one out and it isn't the Army or the Royal Navy :)

I suppose the other could argue that if Navy Command is to Royal Navy as Army Command is to Army so Air Command would be Royal Air Force.

Posted by Blunty

"my latest project is the 70th anniversary of the Dambusters."

I was told that it is official RAF policy that 70th Anniversaries are not commemorated.

Can you confirm that this is still the case.

CC