Ouch
Join Date: Dec 2004
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Everyone else would go to Prague and get lagered up and meet some stunning leggy East European blonde - but good to see that the Crandits boys uphold the finest traditions of the Services and wear their DJs in some stuffy old building reminiscent of the reception room in an Officers Mess!
Is the guy at the back wearing a comedy trombone on his head??
Is the guy at the back wearing a comedy trombone on his head??
Hmm - no doubt this'll run and run.
Smells as though someone tipped off the Sun (how else would they have managed to get their muck rakers in the right place at the right time?) - and presumably that female wearing the ante-room carpet is the 'girl' in question?
Did anyone.....?
Smells as though someone tipped off the Sun (how else would they have managed to get their muck rakers in the right place at the right time?) - and presumably that female wearing the ante-room carpet is the 'girl' in question?
Did anyone.....?
Join Date: Jan 2005
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So a bunch of aircrew take some aircraft on a cross continental nav, all in the name of training, with the advantage of a good night out as a reward for their efforts, and throw guys in the back to have a leaving run somewhere different, all at the tax payers expense? Everything we do is at the tax payers expense, ffs!
I think a grown up in the PR chain needs to take these Fleet Street hacks aside and explain exactly how much good value for money the UK is getting from their shoestring RAF and the rest of the armed forces.
Jackonicko, surely you can see the blatant armed forces bashing that is going on here?
I think a grown up in the PR chain needs to take these Fleet Street hacks aside and explain exactly how much good value for money the UK is getting from their shoestring RAF and the rest of the armed forces.
Jackonicko, surely you can see the blatant armed forces bashing that is going on here?
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I'd concur the last sentiment. The RAF PR machine has taken a severe kicking over the past week:
1. Queens Flight lash up
2. The sun
3. and then the recent story of the Puma squadron taking the aircraft mountain flying only to thin out early to go skiing.
It doesn't seem as though the RAF is getting value for money out of the PR office.....or have they all taken an aircraft away for the weekend moutntain flying in the Netherlands?
1. Queens Flight lash up
2. The sun
3. and then the recent story of the Puma squadron taking the aircraft mountain flying only to thin out early to go skiing.
It doesn't seem as though the RAF is getting value for money out of the PR office.....or have they all taken an aircraft away for the weekend moutntain flying in the Netherlands?
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.......and they were not a teeeeny bit suspicious when someone offered to take their photo for them........ with their own camera....................!!
Clearly a tip-off from an insider.
Clearly a tip-off from an insider.
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I think we get great value from the raf, infact Im suprised that they not up to this kind of thing every weekend, after all its not as if they are getting paid is it?
Join Date: Jan 2002
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Why is the fault of Corp Comms when the stories are true? The' RAF pilots fly off to [insert country] and booze it up' is a recurrent one (wasn't it Harriers to Spain last year?). All the PR guys can do is seek to push out the positive message that flying nav-exs overseas is an important part of training. However the damage has been done by then.
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I think youre right about the training BUT the recurrent theme is the party at the weekend.
Continental Nav training exercises are vital and a very good part of training BUT where does it say in the Instructional specifications that the Continental Navigation training is only good value if you leave on Friday and return on a Monday?
Continental Nav training exercises are vital and a very good part of training BUT where does it say in the Instructional specifications that the Continental Navigation training is only good value if you leave on Friday and return on a Monday?
Hmmm....
When we used to fly our States Trainers, there was no question of any 'weekend off'. After 6 days' continuous, I think we were obliged to have 1 day off (unless there were 2 staff crews working alternate days), but that was about it.
Mind you, the old Vickers FunBus would often break down requiring a new bit to be sent out (slowly) from the UK. Sensible itinerary planning usually made sure that this wouldn't strand the crew in $hitsville, USA - although I did once end up for 5 days in b£oody Little Rock Arkansas when a 30 year old hydraulic pipe finally reached its use by date!!
When we used to fly our States Trainers, there was no question of any 'weekend off'. After 6 days' continuous, I think we were obliged to have 1 day off (unless there were 2 staff crews working alternate days), but that was about it.
Mind you, the old Vickers FunBus would often break down requiring a new bit to be sent out (slowly) from the UK. Sensible itinerary planning usually made sure that this wouldn't strand the crew in $hitsville, USA - although I did once end up for 5 days in b£oody Little Rock Arkansas when a 30 year old hydraulic pipe finally reached its use by date!!
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Liverpool based Geordie, so calm down, calm down kidda!!
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I am as guilty as anyone else of fully enjoying detachments, my comrades will vouch for that. Our overseas trainers (in years gone by I might add) went from monday to friday. Our simulator used to be in scandanavia and I enjoyed that to the full and more. However, it seems that this ran over a weekend and the paper picked up on this. If there had been weekend flying then there would have been no problem. If there was, then fine. If the taxpayer pays weekend hotels then the papers are bound to lock on to this in the current miserly climate. The army and navy will also reinforce their views of the RAF. In the past, my Sqn Cdr refused to pay for a hotel in Newcastle when we went on a landaway for this very reason. We paid for ourselves......... It was worth it 
Join Date: Oct 2001
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I think the problem with this case is that, even IF it was a nav training exercise then why not go one day and return the next, during the week? However, looking at the average age of those in the photo, what appears to be the instructor to student ratio seems a little high!
Yes, we all go away on extremely worthwhile overseas training flights (well, we used to
) and whilst there do enjoy ourselves during our free time, but this does appear very much like a group of instructors heading overseas purely for a weekend-long farewell p!$$up 
What else are Joe Public to think
MadMark!!!
Yes, we all go away on extremely worthwhile overseas training flights (well, we used to
) and whilst there do enjoy ourselves during our free time, but this does appear very much like a group of instructors heading overseas purely for a weekend-long farewell p!$$up What else are Joe Public to think
MadMark!!!
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What they failed to mention on the Royal Flight story is that they were there over Xmas and New Year - I'm sure that some of them (not all) would have rather been with family over that period.
It sounds like someone definitly tipped the sun off - and someone should be trying to find out who.
It sounds like someone definitly tipped the sun off - and someone should be trying to find out who.
Join Date: Dec 2000
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RAF PR, of course, is its own worst enemy - isn't it frustrating when the Sun tears into the Typhoon for years only to be rewarded by having one of its hacks get the first UK media flight in the aircraft? And such an intellectual report: two pages of "I was really sick!" and then a quick ooh, it's a really good plane...
Not that I'm jealous or anything...
Not that I'm jealous or anything...
Join Date: Jun 2000
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Swings n Roundabouts Boys......
You have to love the Sun.....
"RAF boys waste YOUR taxes"
Can you imagine an RAF News headline:
"Sh1te Goverment Leadership wastes YOUR lives" ????
Me thinks not!
I have it on good authority that a lot of the outgoings of said 45 Sqn trip came out of participants pockets....still, i'm sure they're bulletproof on this one (judging by those involved!!
)
The sad thing is that the Sun readership might actually believe this BS!
End of rant.
Uncle G
"RAF boys waste YOUR taxes"
Can you imagine an RAF News headline:
"Sh1te Goverment Leadership wastes YOUR lives" ????
Me thinks not!
I have it on good authority that a lot of the outgoings of said 45 Sqn trip came out of participants pockets....still, i'm sure they're bulletproof on this one (judging by those involved!!
)The sad thing is that the Sun readership might actually believe this BS!
End of rant.
Uncle G
Daresay the guys in Prague would have been on allowances, anything over the top would come from their own pocket. If I'd had the chance - I'd have spent a fortune of my own cash to have a good weekend away with the boys! Well done guys!
Now the real question.
Who was the girl and how did she know of the chance to manufacture outrage?
Now the real question.
Who was the girl and how did she know of the chance to manufacture outrage?