What makes a successful Squadron?

How many other squadron’s do you know that parade an average of 90, there are none in my wing…

I do a lot of stats in my line of work, numbers on their own are irrelevant. As I said I’m not a senior office who gets easily impressed.

A mate of mine took over a big squadron 84 book (biggest on the wing) and he was unimpressed as they paraded 55-60, with a core of about 25 every nighters, and said there were a lot of drifters, who did little and some who thought far too highly of themselves, just because they were on a big squadron. He didn’t deny it looked good on paper and before he took over was impressed, but the reality didn’t match the expectation. The squadron had two huts which he reckoned allowed it sustain high numbers and staff doing their bit, which was in the 90s, so the qualification fest it has to be today. He’d take a squadron to 60 book in a single hut, but it only lasted for a year, as he just didn’t have the space to sustain them and staff weren’t willing to do more nights.