News of the world "story"

[Deleted]

Not sure if any of you saw this yesterday but here is the article copied from their website, with a link if you want to see the comments posted to the paper.

Very poor journalism posing as sensationalism. Disappointing too that anyone feels the need to report like this.

SCARCE Chinook helicopters are being used to give kids JOYRIDES - sparking anger from families who have lost loved ones in Afghanistan.
The giant twin-motor choppers take excited youngsters wearing tiny helmets on fun flights at a base in Britain - as troops in the desert risk their lives facing a lethal lack of air transport.
The deaths of many soldiers in the combat zone have been blamed on helicopter shortages in recent weeks.
Troops have had to travel by road, risking being blown up by bombs, because they cannot be transported by air.

As the joyrides during a Families Day at an RAF airfield came to light, relatives of heroes killed on the front line blasted the "misuse" of military resources.
Wayne Sparks, whose Royal Marine son Georgie, 19, was killed after a call for air support was delayed, said: "It's disgusting and unforgivable.
"If there had been more Chinooks in Afghanistan then, he might be here today. To hear kids are using helicopters to lark around in is a joke."
And John Brackpool, whose cousin Private John Brackpool, 27, died serving with the Welsh Guards in Operation Panther's Claw, said: "Helicopters are badly needed in Afghanistan. Surely sending them out there would be a far better use of them than allowing children to play in them."

Just TEN of Britain's fleet of FORTY Chinooks are currently deployed in the war zone.
Colonel Richard Kemp a former commander of British forces in Afghanistan, said the ratio was "clearly wrong". And he said that even accepting some choppers and pilots had to be held in the UK for training and maintenance, using them for fun flights while soldiers were dying was "at the very least insensitive".

Our exclusive pictures of families waiting to be whisked up in choppers were taken at at RAF Odiham, Hants.
It was the same day Guardsman Christopher King, 20, was killed by a bomb in Helmand trying to clear a path for vehicles.
Hundreds of people flocked to the base for a free flight in some of the eight Chinooks kept there for training.
Kids as young as ten excitedly held parents' hands as they were guided across the airstrip by RAF officers. Wearing helmets and carrying backpacks and bags, they clambered on board - unlike the soldiers who wait in vain for the Chinooks to join them on the bloody battlefield.
After a ten-minute flight over countryside, each group of passengers was returned to the tarmac.


Quizzed that day on whether extra choppers in Afghanistan would save lives, PM Gordon Brown admitted: "More helicopters in general, yes."
Colonel Kemp added: "Even if we had half the fleet in Afghanistan, the numbers would still not be right. "The RAF argue that budget cuts make it difficult to increase flying hours and training. Taking children on a jolly is not going to benefit them."

Shadow defence secretary Liam Fox said: "We are struggling with very limited assets in a very bloody conflict. Someone needs to explain why we are using helicopters for fun when soldiers are dying."
Lib Dem defence spokesman Nick Harvey said it was "a curious public relations judgement" to use Chinooks for a fun day when only a quarter of them were in Afghanistan.
An RAF spokesman said Chinooks operating from Odiham were needed "for a variety of tasks" including crew training.

He said it was common practice for a base to host families of personnel when possible.
OUR reporters also found glaring security gaps at RAF Odiham including holes in the perimeter fence and no sentries.

www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/news/431694/Fury-as-kids-go-on-Chinook-fun-flights.html

[Deleted]

As long as people buy these 'rags' they will print them.
The idea that so many people fail to realise is these 'papers' are printed to make money, the people involved in their production care nothing for the truth. You must all have heard the adage
' Never let the truth spoil a good story'
Terry

[Buster the Bear]

I guess if you wanted to widen the argument, then why have Families Day at all? The Vulcan must have cost a bit!

As for me, my daughter goes to school with a girl whose dad is a Chinook pilot. During her 5 years, her father has been away on operational duty more than he has been at home. Families Day is a way of repaying the hardship all the families go through to keep the military operation abroad viable.

I certainly don't begrudge Chinook 'joy rides'!

And as for the Vulcan appearing...........Big smiles from Alton!

[Admin (Annette Andria)]

OUR reporters also found glaring security gaps at RAF Odiham including holes in the perimeter fence and no sentries.

this is where it all breaks down .do we assume then there reporter gained access to the field
illegally in breach of the oficial secrets act ? but i bet not its a way of the Reds under the beds
scare tactics all it might do is annoy camp commandant and make things difficult for a while
like most places rightly or wrongly they manage ok with few problems untill somebody
stirs things up .ok the place should be ultra secure but in many ways that causes problems.
Delays access , upsets locals ,etc etc

[Deleted]

Just another point, but I was led to believe, and fx may be able to correct me, that much of the event is paid for or sponsored by BAe Systems. So in fact there isn't even a cost implication to the tax payer.
And seeing as picking up a group of civilians and flying them to a short distance away may be something they would have to do in an emergency, surely as training goes, it doesn't get more lifelike!

[Deleted]

and now the Mail is at it too

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1206216/Sitting-idle-Chinooks-troops-desperately-need.html