- Reaction score
- 6,354
- Points
- 1,090
My desk was 5 over from the RCAF one on the project. There was a Cylcone pilot in that chair. The Civi in charge of the hangar and aviation facilities (2 over from me) just kept asking the airforce what they wanted and needed, constantly running things by the RCAF rep and had the squadron maintenance folks on speed dial. By that time the Cyclone had deployed on VDQ, TOR and REG. And the project hadn't even built the hangar block yet. So there was direct operational feedback going in.It is not even that close to being that simple.
Unlike the Sea King, there is no second line maintenance program- we jump straight to third line on Cyclone. A bunch of folks took a stab at what aviation support facilities should look like on a tanker, but alot of it was based on what we used to do with Sea King, which is not great starting point. So- once we get SHOL sorted out, we will embark a tanker det and try to figure this out.
Everything down to briefing rooms, offices, weapons lockers, the side of the desk the MWO wanted their phone was planned. Every tool, every piece of equipment had a storage space, every spare, all the tie downs, the movement of people in and around the hangar was mapped out, including moving torps in and out of the magazine.
The detail that went into the airforce requirements at the direction or request of the Cyclone folks was immense.
All I'm trying to say is that if something was missed don't blame the RCN. If there isn't 2nd line due to platform particularities thats fine, it's going to be a very well planned/furnished first line. I expect that things will change once they operate in the space, that's a given.