Exactly, it's not the Air System that's flying, it's the Aircraft part of the Air System be that manned or otherwise.

"Morning Chief, how many Air systems can we generate today?"
"Errr... three desk fans, one air conditioning unit, one fan oven, one hot airgun, two air start trollies and ermm... ahhh yes four aircraft"

;)

Well for sure "Choppers" is out as that is so Sexist.

My guess is that these people are so detached from reality that writing this sort of nonsense allows them to avoid any chance of contact with an aircraft ( sorry air system ) and therefore avoiding making any decisions that might be difficult to or involve and risk to their careers.

The question I would like to ask of my MP is why with so many failings of the military airworthiness system are we employing muppets to write this stuff rather than fix the airworthiness system ?

It's easier to produce documents about fully airworthy air systems than it is to produce fully airworthy air systems.

I think that if a comparison is made between the number of traditional aircraft types and the number of RPAS/UAVS/Drones in design, build or Service, it will become apparent that there are many more of the latter which explains why "Air System" was chosen. A few years ago, the Army in particular had large numbers of unmanned projects on the go and their compliance with regs wasn't the best. One unmanned program was described to me as like "procuring a Land Rover with wings".

EAP

Nevertheless, a UAV is an aircraft.

We first saw this bollox in the early 2000s with the first UKSAR bid - some genius from the school of blue-sky thinking decided that a replacement for Mil SAR helicopters didn't have to be different SAR helicopters - it could be a balloon or dirigible so the term Air System was used. WAFLOB.......ask an SH crewman if you can't work it out:)

In the A400 world we went from SRM to ASR, according to the Airbus web site they're not too sure if it means Air vehicle or Aircraft Structural Repair Manual

Todays Telegraph - 'Civil Enforcement Officer = Traffic Warden' :confused:

There were Air Systems at quite a few RAF Control Towers, especially where Met. lived down stairs ............... obs, specials and twarnings were shot upwards by Lamson tubes.
The occasional liaison with a WAAF was also arranged thereby.

The tubes could transport a modest quantity of jelly beans or alternatives to taste.

Crab,

The US Coast Guard sent pilots and other ranks to Lakehurst, New Jersey for Blimp Training in 1945....so yes...SAR can be done by other than a helicopter.

During WWII....the US Navy used Blimps for SAR and other duties.....the K Model had a 59 hour Fuel Endurance and carried Radar.


https://books.google.com/books?id=q9...%20sea&f=false

This nonsense started i the 70's when I was at Border Radar. We couldn't declare the radar 'Un-serviceable', it had to "Essential Facility Lost".

I always wondered where it had got to!

You should have sent it to us JRFD, we had a magic cupboard that our Chief used to shove broken ground equipment stuff in, then pulled it out months later when we were desperate and would say try that, and blow me it worked..... for about 5 mins.

What's particularly irritating about this is that if the MAA had referred to ICAO materials (Annex 2 I believe) they'd have discovered that unmanned aircraft (there's a clue in there) are classed as aircraft...:ugh:

Even the Verey pistols used by ATC are now referred to as Weapon Systems.
"Weapon fires, weapon stops!" Imagine that.

Ok, we've agreed that it's a bad idea to drive your GCS through controlled airspace, but where on the ramp can we park it?

"Even the Verey pistols used by ATC are now referred to as Weapon Systems"

As are the miniflares that I carry in my LSJ. Which also includes the delight of a weapon handling test every 6 months for currency. Lapse on this BCR and I will automatically be grounded until I re-pass the test!

Oh, and while I'm here, we had a period a few years ago when the fleet was temporarily grounded - except it was called an 'Operational Pause' because mid level leadership were frightened to be associated with failure to generate aircraft.