Post Afghanistan it has no real role in the defence of the UK. It will once again be an aircraft looking for a role.

Maybe, but Afghanistan won’t be the last ‘adventure’ the UK armed forces get invovled in where its abilities may well be needed. Another reason for its withdrawal i’ve read is that because its primarily used for the benefit of the Army, the RAF want its funding to come from the Army’s budget, whilst the Army argues that if they’re gonna pay for it, they want to fly it! And while neither will agree to the others demands the nuclear option is to withdraw it, how true that is i don’t know, just what i’ve read…

-Dazza

Waddington is crap these days, little foreign participation and far too much civvy registered nonsense on the flightline to make up the numbers…

RIAT is really the only game in town.

-Dazza

Great pics, love the livery on the cosmo-bus!

-Dazza

Heres a C-5 having a go!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=UUx5wTV4XVk

Admittedly not as severe as the original video but, interesting none the less!

-Dazza

As can be seen in the following photo, the MLG leg has failed, a hard landing may have been a contributory factor but, it could aso be fatigue, manufacturing flaw, poor maintenance etc, etc As far as i know this is the only incident involving an MD-11 where the MLG has actually failed? In other incidents/accidents the MD-11 landing gear appears to be almost indestructible! The FedEx crash at Narita was a prime example, that nose gear took some enormous punishment. Ones things for sure, it won’t stop the MD-11 haters pouring on the scorn…

-Dazza

I was reading about this incident t’other day over on pprune, there was some less than complimentary things being said about Centurion not to mention the usual ‘MD-11 is crap/dangerous/marvellous/flawed/ground it routine…

-Dazza