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Originally Posted by Wander00
(Post 10145600)
Lossiemouth THEN Mt Pleasant.......
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"Lossiemouth? Is that a place?"
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The problem with most comments on here is that they are in the main only aircrew related and in general ignorance of anything else outside their Mess. Most aircraft trades have been decimated for years but denied by PC statements on-Station, within MOD and at Parliament. Even Contractor help is withdrawn in some places - I assume it is a similar trait across all the technical and support trades. The current dire straits are perfectly illuminated by the call for local ex-tradesmen to join up again as “Dads Air Force” Recruits. The RAF Trick was missed years ago by commercial attitudes to MOD training requirements - i.e. training budget is reduced first. |
Originally Posted by Rigga
(Post 10146162)
The problem with most comments on here is that they are in the main only aircrew related and in general ignorance of anything else outside their Mess. Most aircraft trades have been decimated for years but denied by PC statements on-Station, within MOD and at Parliament. Even Contractor help is withdrawn in some places - I assume it is a similar trait across all the technical and support trades. The current dire straits are perfectly illuminated by the call for local ex-tradesmen to join up again as “Dads Air Force” Recruits. The RAF Trick was missed years ago by commercial attitudes to MOD training requirements - i.e. training budget is reduced first. First the R&D budget goes, then training, then maintenance, then recruitment and finally travel.............. (the "we can save this Billion $ company by stopping people going to see a customer in Bristol" syndrome) Oddly bonuses and share otions are never cut |
NCA recruitment is in dire straits |
Well I heard recently the contractor has said that no-one asked them to train NCA so it could be 2022 before they're ready.
Those face to face meetings I had with them 4 or 5 years ago never happened then? The kids flying training sorties on Avenger are figments of my imagination too, I expect. |
it would bee good though if they did a 21st century version of Fighter Pilot and Test Pilot which were great in the 70's and I'm sure did wonders for recruitment and the RAF in general.
What about a fly-on-the-wall documentary following the build up of aircrew on the F35? I'm sure there at plenty of other opportunities for a fly-on-the-wall documentary which if done correctly could be great for the service. If the TV company are making the documentary surely they carry the costs not the MOD/RAF |
Originally Posted by Rigga
(Post 10146162)
The problem with most comments on here is that they are in the main only aircrew related and in general ignorance of anything else outside their Mess. Most aircraft trades have been decimated for years but denied by PC statements on-Station, within MOD and at Parliament. Even Contractor help is withdrawn in some places - I assume it is a similar trait across all the technical and support trades. The current dire straits are perfectly illuminated by the call for local ex-tradesmen to join up again as “Dads Air Force” Recruits. The RAF Trick was missed years ago by commercial attitudes to MOD training requirements - i.e. training budget is reduced first. I don't doubt that there are recruitment issues across the board, I would like to think like the latest RN programme about Queen Elizabeth carrier any programme done about the RAF would cover a broad scope of trades and characters. If ever done however I wouldn't bank on it! |
There was the superb series Rescue about the Lossiemouth SAR flight back in the early 1990s but the only other series I can think about was the Sky one about Brize Norton three or four years ago. I would agree that the Navy are far more switched on about TV PR, and the RAF -particularly in this year- really ought to do better.
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May I be blunt?!
Army do soldiering and tanks. Navy do ships. Air Force do planes (as far as the public is concerned that means fighters). There have been two series that I can think of in the not so distant past about jets. There was Combat Pilot (I think that was the name) filmed at Valley in 2003 (I can be seen briefly in the background trying to get out of shot - I’ve never liked the idea of being on TV) and then the Lossie GR4 OCU programme a few years later. You can also add the aforementioned Brize programme to the list. Maybe the TV companies think there have been enough jet programmes recently and that if it’s not a programme about jets, then what’s the point? I mean, seriously, who is going to watch a programme about admin or suppliers? I know that sounds mean and flippant and will just serve to perpetuate the image of an arrogant FJ pilot, but am I wrong?! BV |
Ah, Bob Viking, but what about the days when ... The Army also had a Navy (RCT) and an Air Force (AAC) The Navy also had an Army (RM) and an Air Force (FAA) The RAF also had a Navy (Marine Branch) and an Army (RAF Regt) Now try and advertise that melange!! Sadly it tends to be all about Aircrew ... especially FJ pilots. |
Losing the yellow/red and gray helicopters was an interesting decision. Difficult choices were made and arguably sharper platforms had priority but this was a capability that can’t really be resurrected and a PR goldmine for the military. Yes yes I know the argument for core capability etc but we live in a media driven world now. Still, the Coastguard did well out of it. Every cloud. |
Originally Posted by MPN11
(Post 10147708)
Ah, Bob Viking, but what about the days when ... The Army also had a Navy (RCT) and an Air Force (AAC) The Navy also had an Army (RM) and an Air Force (FAA) The RAF also had a Navy (Marine Branch) and an Army (RAF Regt) Now try and advertise that melange!! Sadly it tends to be all about Aircrew ... especially FJ pilots. |
Maybe this (from over 50 years ago), brought up to date with the Typhoon?
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Thanks, BEagle. That's the sort of thing that made me want to join. Luckily, my JP instructor reckoned the Lightning would be beyond me. He was almost certainly right. I'd have enjoyed the chance, but probably wouldn't be here today.
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While my instructor(s) advised me to steer well clear of the Lightning to avoid "climbing straight up to fly round in circles for 20 mins talking with your head stuck in a rubber bucket and then, if you haven't caught fire, had a hydraulic leak or run out of fuel, try to land." Only thing worse than that in their eyes was, heaven forfend, the V-Force!
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