ClockworkMouse,

Harsh and straight talking, maybe, but neither silly nor tasteless. I for one get more than a little miffed by the inter-service blame game, which at working level is not too much of an issue these days. But what I really find offensive is this constant digging up of old excuses to have a go at the RAF and the thinly disguised accusations here are no exception.

StopStart is just telling it like it is.

I rest my case.

Forecasting for para drops was the most stressful task to ever befall a weather forecaster in my time .......... my first was c. 1962 flown from RAF Nicosia, my last I believe 1994 as an Arnhem anniversary.

Over the years [and I suspect driven by much improved liaison Paras/ RAF/ Met scientists] we introduced better science and better supervision. My first drop was a major one at night in the bondhu. I had had no specific training, I was aged 24, was a first tour junior forecaster. There was no published doctrine, or if there was, it was not in the library. There were two senior levels available to check my work, but not a peep from either.
Fast forward to 1994. I made sure that the best man did the forecast [at Brueggen], that the S Met O checked it, and that I double checked it at JHQ.

Wind forecasts in the bottom 1000ft are extremely difficult.

There was not so much as a broken limb on my watch, so the crossed fingers must have helped.

temperature inversion near the surface at night?

There's a big surprise!

Parachute training would be a nightmare of unnecessary bull****/intimidation and inter-regimental/inter-service bashing if it was run by the Parachute regiment. Leave it to be run by the RAF in their relatively (by army standards) relaxed manner. Much better to let people realise early that they are not up to jumping than to pressure them into it so that they only realise later that they can't do it.

Broxmead123