VX927: In one word – ‘bean-counters’.

After many years of reducing budgets and focus for all military ranks on ’The Front-Line’, the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy have found it increasing difficult to justify the numbers of aircraft, bases, aircrew and support crew, against the almost non-existent primary requirement of rescuing downed aircrew. This latter fact (IMHO) is a result of vastly improved flight safety/technology and reduced aircraft fleets. The majority of rescue work now is for civilian agencies.

It is in this context that the move to a civilian contractor has been on the cards for a number of years. In fact civilians have been providing Search & Rescue for as long as I can remember. The Bristow thread on pprune makes interesting reading.

Can I just add the fact that the Bristol Sycamore and Westland Wessex also have their rightful place in the history of UK military SAR.

So what happens if aircrew do go in the water. Who fishes them out?

What exactly is a ghost?
Is it the spirit of a person who is `stuck` on this plane of existence for some reason or,
just the replaying of some moment of time?
Why do ghosts seem to want to scare us, appear at night or otherwise do weird stuff that
living people do not?
BTW I don’t believe in ghosts but I am interested in what people think a ghost is.

Can you just clear up one point?.
At what age do you consider, (And I HATE the phrase “OLD GIT”), to be an Old Git?.
Not being rude, but as a matter of interest, what age are you?.
Jim.
Lincoln .7

Old Git is not determined by age but by state of mind.
If you are shopping with the missus and she is fondling yet another potato peeler with intent to purchase and you say
“Why do you want another one of those for, we’ve got plenty in doors” or “There’s probably still some place in the loft for one of those” then
you are an old git.
Also moaning about the price of bread, those pesky kids or the general state of the country etc.
In fact posting on this forum, definitely.

Did we win the BoB or just endure it?
If the Germans hadn’t changed tactics, who knows….

Top Gear has had it’s day.
From relatively boring motor program to interesting and believable boys own car adventures.
But now it’s obviously contrived old gits using cars as an excuse to be old gits.
Time for change.

Gives the airlines an awful conundrum.
Lock the door to keep nutters out or lock the door and keep nutters in?