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123UK income tax and, as is well known, LOA was based on price differentials for the same goods and services %u2013 but if you cannot get the normal range of goods and there are no amenities, like theatres and cinemas, then there is no need for LOA to be high! Nonetheless, the country was fascinating, the people friendly and courteous and the job was challenging and absorbing. %u0009*(/,%u0017%u0006%u00139%u0006%u0009%u0013%u0014%u0014(/-%u0006 Omanisation proceeded apace and when AVM Erik Bennett retired in 1990, in which year the SOAF was restyled the RAFO (Royal Air Force of Oman), he was replaced by AVM Talib Meran, one of the original Omani pilots from 1978. He introduced some personnel and administrative changes which, although aimed at enhancing the lives of the Omani officers, greatly benefitted Loan Service and contract officers as well. Accompanied service was now encouraged (where appropriate facilities existed) and more flexibility was permitted on tour lengths, especially where particular skills were required and new volunteers were not readily available. The fiscal situation was adversely affected by the immediate post8Gulf War tensions and by the mid81990s the Loan Service budget was under a great deal of pressure. Under the five8year fiscal planning cycle that Oman had adopted there was no allowance for inflation or currency fluctuation. Thus we were in an era of ever8shrinking budgets and each post had to be examined for its continued usefulness before a replacement could be sought for the current occupant. Although this made things difficult for the manning authorities, in a curious way it was a good discipline for the Omanis %u2013 they had to up their own game to try to fill the posts The RAFO%u2019s No 6 Sqn currently flies the single?seat Hawk 203.