Carol Vorderman - Group Captain (Retired)

[MajorDisaster]

@JustCallMeFlight

The referendum could have been done better, with a vote to select which alternative system to offer then a second referendum on whether to change (as they did for the New Zealand flag proposals).

Alternatively, the Yes campaign could and should have campaigned better and explained to those people who didn’t think AV was enough of a change that a No vote would kill off electoral reform for a generation.

Could have sworn you were talking about Brexit then!

[Baldrick]

Stop it now

[Turbo]

Can we get back to why our ‘ambassador’ has gone AWOL, and how she’s become a headache for the SLT.

[WhiskeyNovember]

I think the consensus has been that Vorderman hasn’t been a great ambassador. It’s easy at this point to ask who should be in her place, but I want to ask the question that comes before that; what sort of person would make a great ambassador?

My mind instantly goes to the likes of Ranulph Fiennes because he’s adventurous, pushing boundaries, well respected. People who would also meet these ideas would be (eg) Ray Mears, Ed Stafford or Susie Chan. However I’m not sure whether any of these have a connection to the ATC or CCF(RAF).

[JustCallMeFlight]

I think we should be trying to emulate what the Scouts have with Bear Grylls. Tim Peake would be the obvious candidate, but he’s a soldier and I think the Scouts have already poached him anyway.

Ewan McGregor has done a few programmes about the RAF. Does he have a connection?

[Mr_OZ]

@WhiskeyNovember

I think the consensus has been that Vorderman hasn’t been a great ambassador.

I don.t think that this is necessarily the case. Having been at an event where she turned up she spent a huge amount of time with the cadets, seemed genuinely interested in the cadets and what they were doing and did raise the profile of the RAFAC at the event. She has been better than all of the other ambassadors we have had.

[Canoe_crazy]

@JustCallMeFlight

Ewan McGregor has done a few programmes about the RAF. Does he have a connection?

His brother was a frontline fast jet pilot

[Mr_OZ]

@Canoe_crazy

His brother was a frontline fast jet pilot

Obi-Two

[angus]

My feeling is that Vorderman has been, by any measure, the best ambassador we’ve had by a country mile.

Internally, she’s spent more time with cadets and Sqn staff, making, and wearing smiles, than any of the ‘who?’ no-marks who’ve gone before her - and let’s be frank, any of the CAC’s in the last 20 years.

Externally, and certainly in industry, and in her social media (and I think there’s a legitimate debate about whether her SM reaches 13yo kids who might be recruited into the ACO…) she’s done far more than any of the other ambassadors.

The Princess of Wales is supposed to be an ambassador of sorts - has anyone seen much from her, despite her SM reach which undoubtedly dwarfs Vordermans?

[daws1159]

I think she did a fantastic job before the change in Commandant. Special K didn’t utilise her in the same way that the Twitter Queen did and she has consequently faded away.

The question of a replacement isn’t “who” it’s “why” once we know why we want an ambassador then we can decide who we want and what we want them to do.

[Biggles_Lovechild]

The aspect we do not know is what they are ‘contractually’ obliged to do as Ambassadors - I think this was the issue with her predecessor who was announced and then that seemed to be the end of it.

Once they have hit their agreed commitment in yr 1or2 does anything else get done after that
Its probably as much about what HQRAFAC have asked her to do as what she is prepared to do. She did seem very keen to begin with but it did tail off. Yr 1 lots of uniform pics with cadets at big ticket events, Yr2 photos with cadets at big ticket but not so much in uniform, and then very little of note after that that sticks in the memory

[Turbo]

I would suggest that the next ambassador is someone who does more to raise the profile of the RAFAC, than their own ‘brand’

i.e. “Hey everyone, look at the air cadets, they’re pretty cool”. Rather than, “Hey everyone, look at me, I’m pretty cool”.

It would be handy if they also allowed the SLT to get on with their job, rather than having to deal with the incoming flak from the media.

[JoeBloggs]

@Turbo

“Hey everyone, look at the air cadets, they’re pretty cool”.

Carol has done a lot of that during her time as Ambassador though. At least in the early days.

[Turbo]

Asset to a liability!

[WhiskeyNovember]

“You either die retire a hero, or live stay in post long enough to see yourself become the villain”

[Giminion]

@Turbo

suggest that the next ambassador is someone who does more to raise the profile of the RAFAC

@JoeBloggs

Carol has done a lot of that during her time as Ambassador though

@Turbo

Asset to a liability

@Turbo stop moving the goalposts when someone points out that something you’ve said or implied is wrong.

[Mr_OZ]

@Turbo

I would suggest that the next ambassador is someone who does more to raise the profile of the RAFAC, than their own ‘brand’

The whole point of an Ambassador is that they have a brand, they are a media personality, they are recognisable in the field of aviation or STEM or being ally (Bear Grylls). Otherwise, what would be the point.

[pEp]

Can everyone stop pointing out that Turbo is wrong please, it isn’t good for their brand.

[steve679]

Seconded - because they have a “brand” people take notice of what they are doing.

if that person points their “brand” towards the RAFAC then people notice.

this is the issue with the Rowing “Ambassador” - there was no “brand” in place, only a reputation of failed rowing attempts…

[daws1159]

It’s worth remembering that Carol Vorderman was to Bomber Command what Joannna Lumley is to the Gurkhas.

A large part of the reason we now have a Bomber Command memorial is because of her brand and the work she put in highlighting the issue and getting people to look and listen, including saying uncomfortable things for politicians to hear.

I’m sure that’s part of the reason they went to her as an ambassador for RAFAC in the first place.