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Original poster

The Royals jumping ship...

848 replies

Wolfgirrl · 25/03/2020 14:37

A virus pandemic breaks out in the UK. Everyone is essentially on house arrest bar a few essential occasions. Businesses and workers facing going bust. People dying every day. Hospitals overwhelmed. Surely this would be a great moment for a morale boosting message from our beloved royals, who we pay to keep in the lap of luxury? Oh wait, a little recorded message has been deemed a health risk to the Queen (allegedly).

Oh well, they can always volunteer Buckingham Palace as a makeshift hospital or hub for supplies, etc, as I'm sure they want to do what they can for their beloved citizens, especially now theyve legged it out of London. Oh wait.

Seriously what are these people for and why do we pay for them again?

OP posts:
notimagain · 28/03/2020 11:22

Why cant Wills go back to work as an air ambulance pilot for the duration of the pandemic

He can’t just dust down the flying suit, jump in a helicopter and rush to the rescue.

You’ll probably find his licence and associated ratings are well out of date and so he’d need a refresher course/retraining plus exams/testing before he could go back to the job...and doing that would tie up personnel and resources who at the moment have more important things to do.

Original poster
Wolfgirrl · 28/03/2020 11:34

@notimagain

He left the job less than 3 years ago ago. If doctors that have been retired a couple of years can go straight back to the front line, why cant he?

What, in your view, should our head of state be doing when the country is in the worst state since ww2 and facing recession? Tweet a video?

OP posts:
notimagain · 28/03/2020 11:52

He left the job less than 3 years ago ago. If doctors that have been retired a couple of years can go straight back to the front line, why cant he?

Licences (as in the basic book that allows you then be further trained) can be valid for several years but the proficiency checks and ratings (such as instrument ratings) that you also need to do the job are generally only valid for 12 months.

The CAA are are extending check/medical validity for current pilots, since they are in practise.

I don’t have an opinion on what HRH would do, but I don’t want him stepping into a helicopter without retraining - flying is a fast perishable skill and without the retraining he would be a menace to himself, his crew, his patient(s) and anybody on the ground.

Original poster
Wolfgirrl · 28/03/2020 12:00

@notimagain

I'm not sure how much has actually changed in helicopter technology in 2 years but I doubt it is more than in medicine.

Seems to be fine for retired doctors and nurses though Hmm

Shame he gave up the job to do nothing then, he would actually be useful right now. Ah well, putting up his feet in a stately home it is.

HRH 🤢

OP posts:
BurneyFanny · 28/03/2020 12:04

Again, why did we pay for him to train if he was going to let his license lapse within a handful of years?

Original poster
Wolfgirrl · 28/03/2020 12:26

@burneyfanny

I've noticed the royals tend to do a job for a few years then quit, so if anyone queries their position everyone can shriek 'oh but he/she used to be in the army/a helicopter pilot/a land girl'.

Conveniently overlooking the fact there was no reason for them to give up. It wasnt like they needed a better paid job or had to look after their kids, was it?

OP posts:
notimagain · 28/03/2020 12:27

I'm not sure how much has actually changed in helicopter technology in 2 years but I doubt it is more than in medicine.

It has little if anything to do with technology changing, the job isn’t just button pressing, especially as far as helicopters are concerned....this is to do with pilots losing hand/eye, motor and other quite specific skillsets if they don’t fly on “their” type in their role for a significant amount of time...they are known as perishable skills...

From what I have seen pilots coming back to work after a long lay off they pick the skills up very quickly but by quickly that I mean several flights/hours...., not in 5 minutes.

ATM I would suggest the Air ambulance system hasn’t got the spare capacity (as in instructors and airframes) to retraining a royal just because he would look good in a flying suit...TBH there are probably a lot of civilian helicopter pilots grounded at the moment who are more “recent” than HRH who would be quicker to retrain.

How the medics get prequalified/refreshed I have no idea, that is not my “aisle”..

Snog · 28/03/2020 12:31

The Royals seem more and more to be an extremely expensive irrelevance at best.

Original poster
Wolfgirrl · 28/03/2020 12:31

@notimagain

He is the future king. I'm sure if he wanted to refresh his skills he would be able to do it.

The queen was advertising for a helicopter pilot recently, maybe he could step up and save the public a few bob 😂😂

Feet up at a stately home it is.

OP posts:
chocoholico · 28/03/2020 12:33

there are lots of non-expert roles he could volunteer for - likewise Kate (like my DH - we have 2 DC, one disabled, we struggle hugely but we still try to help). It's about attitude and sending a message across that they do care and want to help. But instead they hole up in their country castle.

I think lots of people will come to their own conclusion over the course of this crisis...

No wonder Lizzy is remaining silent.

BurneyFanny · 28/03/2020 12:34

Any thoughts on how he gained such a sought-after training position in the first place, only to give it up after doing it part time for a couple of years?

chocoholico · 28/03/2020 12:37

Burney

he is second in line. He is important.

notimagain · 28/03/2020 12:39

He is the future king. I'm sure if he wanted to refresh his skills he would be able to do it.

I’m sure everybody would be highly delighted if in the present climate an air ambulance and at least 1 qualified helicopter instructor had to be taken off the day job for a week or two to revalidate HRH..can’t see that playing at all well.

I would however be slightly more impressed with him if he turned up to act in some relatively unskilled role/non-expert role such as helping with ground handling, working in operations, that sort of thing.

BurneyFanny · 28/03/2020 12:39

It cost the taxpayer £162,000 to train him. He worked part-time for two years. Well worth it Hmm

Original poster
Wolfgirrl · 28/03/2020 12:44

@notimagain

Yes I'm not picky, ANY hands on role (and not just for one afternoon of PR) would be better than nothing.

But, nothing it is apparently.

OP posts:
Original poster
Wolfgirrl · 28/03/2020 12:46

@BurneyFanny why does that not surprise me🙄

I wonder if @Clavinova and @Alsohuman can tell us what vital commitments left PW with little choice but to quit? Childcare? Looking after relatives? Needing a better paid job?

OP posts:
chocoholico · 28/03/2020 12:51

wolf

he needs to get prepared to be king one day. Having an actual meaningful role is in steep contradiction to being king.... guess it's just to ease him in.

BurneyFanny · 28/03/2020 12:56

About £8500 of the "flight training" cost was him flying his helicopter to a friend's stag do.

Mamamia456 · 28/03/2020 13:02

Wolfgirrl - You're not still going on about this are you? The queen is in her 90s she was in contact with Prince Charles recently who has now contracted CV. She will be isolating. Prince William gave up flying to concentrate on being a full time royal to prepare for when he becomes King. Prince Phillip had to give up his his career for the Queen.

Original poster
Wolfgirrl · 28/03/2020 13:06

@mamamia456

Yep that's the point of the thread Grin

  1. So the queen can be in the same room as a photographer but not a cameraman?
  2. If PW is concentrating on being a full time royal why does he not work full time? Where is he now? And what is it they actually do again bar tweets and charity dinners?
  3. Never asked about Prince Phillip but see point 2.

Yet again, no factual answers, just wishy washy excuses that cant be supported.

OP posts:
Mamamia456 · 28/03/2020 13:17

Wolfgirrl - No she can't have a cameraman go in, that would risk his health as well as the queen's. I've already said that is was more likely a member of staff who took the photo, not a photographer who went on specifically. Again for health risks. I would imagine the limited staff at Windsor Castle are all in isolation as well they're not going to have people traipsing in and out.

Prince William's royal duties will have been put on hold, as will all royal duties until this crisis is over. That's how Prince Charles contracted it, from a royal engagement.

I don't know why you're finding it so difficult to understand, it's just the same thing over and over again.

Original poster
Wolfgirrl · 28/03/2020 13:22

@Mamamia456

Let me come at this from another angle.

I come for a job interview with you.

I tell you I would like 60 million pounds a year and a stately home.
You wont be able to sack or discipline me.
I will not follow a job description, set working hours or a contract.
I can take days off whenever I like and pretty much do what I want.
I can phone and say I'm worried people will criticise my work today, so I'm not coming in.
I have a very dubious personal life.
My job will pass down to my children without question.
I have no formal qualifications and the jobs I have done before I sacked off after a year or two.
If the business is in a time of need I will disappear.
When you ask what I can do, I tell you I can host some charity dinners using your money and make the odd speech.

Would you hire me?

OP posts:
Puzzledandpissedoff · 28/03/2020 13:23

actually money for good causes and charities are raised by incredibly hard working fundraising teams, members of the public and a stream of volunteers

Very well put, Leigh. As said I've been through one of these royal visits - admittedly by an unattractive RF member - and the infestation of flunkies and security staff, while no doubt necessary, caused more trouble than it was worth. Worse, it tied up a lot of people in bowing and scraping who were of much more use elsewhere

Original poster
Wolfgirrl · 28/03/2020 13:23

Prince William's royal duties will have been put on hold

As head of state isnt their presence more important now than ever? You keep acting like I'm querying why an office employee and their grandma wont go out and to work.

As for the servants, why can they take a photo for national press but not record a short video?

OP posts:
Mamamia456 · 28/03/2020 13:33

Wolfgirrl - Royal engagements carried out last year
Princess Anne 506 engagements, The Queen 295, Prince Edward 308, Prince Charles 220, Prince William 201, Kate was less than 100 but bear in mind she gave birth last year.

I would hate having to do that job, so I am quite happy for the royal family to carry on doing what they do. Like I said good value for money only costing me £1.24 a year.