Hows it looking for us wannabes?????

[chrisburden21]

Anyone in a position to help!!!

1) How is the current status looking for wannabe pilots who have made it through to reviews?

2) Is there a need for an influx in pilots over the next year or so?

3) Are the prospects good for a wannabe pilot applying now?

Any information to these questions would be very useful to everyone involved,

Cheers all.

CB

[16 blades]

1) The current status for ACTUAL pilots is crap, with redundancy looming. Some streams are more overborne than others though.

2) There will always be an influx since we cannot simply shut down the training system. In times of over-capacity, we have traditionally drip-fed the system, leading to a) Competition for slots even more fierce than it usually is; b) The trg system upping its standards as we can afford to be more fussy. The RAF will deny that that is the case, as will some posters here no doubt, but subjective and anecdotal experience suggest otherwise; and c) Long holds between courses.

3) No. Unless you're lucky, and a f***ing good pilot, under circumstances as described in 2) above.

However, this is just my view, others may opine differently. Don't let any of the above put you off, just letting you know what you may expect, based on historical precedent. If you want it, go for it. Work hard and enjoy! Best of luck!

ps - once the redundancies have bitten, most opinion suggests a SHORTAGE of pilots (there's MOD logic for you), so the situation may be turned on its head in a year or 2.

16B

[A10 Thundybox]

Agreed, currently you'll have to be a) fcucking lucky b) sh1t hot c) have slightly better SA:

At the moment from all I hear I'm Aware the Situation is fairly bleak.

I would by no means discourage you from trying, just manage your expectations accordingly.

I have tried for years and been thwarted by "Options" and cuts er, "SDRs" which have slowed overall recruitment and re-rolled the existing Force.

I guess that's just the way things are now

As the man says the general picture is a bit thin, even for those in the pipe, Linton is a case in point, but you only need 1 slot.

Best of luck

[Jucky]

Take look at the Fleet Air Arm. They will be increasing their Pilot and Observer requirement next year.

[Pontius Navigator]

Everything said it true. The pipe is slightly open again as the Typhoon is strating to come on stream which has released the pressure on progression in pilots.

Lots of pilots were trained for Euro fighter 2000, they are now sqn ldrs etc and some even beyond the FJs. Others are now deemed too old and can be released at their option rather than be assimilated, all of which means the training system should not be quite as constipated.

This is a personal observation and not policy but I think there may well be light, other than a train, at the end of the tunnel.

[PPRuNeUser0172]

I was under the impression, that due to cut backs, the light at the end of the tunnel had been turned off until further notice........

What do you mean that lots of Pilots have been trained for EF 2000?? How does that work, do you mean they were recruited with Typhoon in mind, or is there a secret training base somewhere that I have missed :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

The training system seems to be a skeleton of its former self, but there is still a trickle getting through, but as has happened before, there is a steadily improving state of affairs in the airlines, and very little chance of assimilation for anyone wanting to convert to a PC which over the next few years will even things out and 'they' will be hurting for experience again on the front line. Its almost as if it was planned like that..............:ok:

[Si Clik]

I concur with Jucky,

Fleet Air Arm requirement on the up!

It had already gone up from the current low level.

More increases predicted specifically in 05/06.

:cool:

How do I know? I live and breathe the targets!