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Comments on: Defence Cuts https://www.fourfax.co.uk/11/general/defence-cuts The website of the IV(AC) & IV(R) Sqn Association, RAF Thu, 04 Nov 2010 06:44:17 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.10 By: alanpollock https://www.fourfax.co.uk/11/general/defence-cuts/comment-page-1#comment-7683 Thu, 04 Nov 2010 06:44:17 +0000 http://www.fourfax.co.uk/?p=548#comment-7683 s capability, so proven where and when it matters, seems incomprehensible to the Army as much as the Navy & most others. That this news came out to us, exactly 50 years to the day on Thursday after the first P1127 vertical takeoff on 21 October 1960, was an extremely sad coincidence oblivious to our ministerial masters – 50 years later the Harriers lay grounded for that Thursday and Friday, so the celebratory flypast at Bristol was cancelled – rather sad after all Jock Heron’s, R-R Bristol’s and the RAF Historical’s splendid Seminar on “The Bristol Connection” under the aegis of Sir Peter Squire in the Chair down at BAWA. Design began in 1957 by Sir Sydney Camm, Ralph Hooper of Hawker Aviation and Stanley Hooker (later Sir Stanley) of the Bristol Engine Company - one of the all important ‘Bristol’ forces not just for the Pegasus was Gordon Lewis who died this last 4th October. Surely separate from Typhoon both/and for Tornado AND Harrier rather than either/or was still the more correct (& cost effective after so much amortisation) alternative? If not then Ministers must explain why they are reducing our light blue capability for a few years to a state of monorchism, which may well have a significant different type of price to be paid by others over the extra few interim years. This seems to confirm the poet and author James Hamilton-Paterson’s recent “Empire of the Clouds”, to whom & which John Farley steered me a few months ago - a pretty powerful analysis, the more so perhaps since, like most of us, James H-P starts with such a poignant and nostalgic pre-disposition with his deeply ingrained love of the Air. All the best, Chris to you and yours, Al et al]]> Not just to decimate but actually to destroy and discard the superb Harrier’s capability, so proven where and when it matters, seems incomprehensible to the Army as much as the Navy & most others. That this news came out to us, exactly 50 years to the day on Thursday after the first P1127 vertical takeoff on 21 October 1960, was an extremely sad coincidence oblivious to our ministerial masters – 50 years later the Harriers lay grounded for that Thursday and Friday, so the celebratory flypast at Bristol was cancelled – rather sad after all Jock Heron’s, R-R Bristol’s and the RAF Historical’s splendid Seminar on “The Bristol Connection” under the aegis of Sir Peter Squire in the Chair down at BAWA. Design began in 1957 by Sir Sydney Camm, Ralph Hooper of Hawker Aviation and Stanley Hooker (later Sir Stanley) of the Bristol Engine Company – one of the all important ‘Bristol’ forces not just for the Pegasus was Gordon Lewis who died this last 4th October.

Surely separate from Typhoon both/and for Tornado AND Harrier rather than either/or was still the more correct (& cost effective after so much amortisation) alternative? If not then Ministers must explain why they are reducing our light blue capability for a few years to a state of monorchism, which may well have a significant different type of price to be paid by others over the extra few interim years.

This seems to confirm the poet and author James Hamilton-Paterson’s recent “Empire of the Clouds”, to whom & which John Farley steered me a few months ago – a pretty powerful analysis, the more so perhaps since, like most of us, James H-P starts with such a poignant and nostalgic pre-disposition with his deeply ingrained love of the Air.

All the best, Chris to you and yours, Al et al

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