Farewell Nimrod QFIs

[Recusant]

I understand that now all the QFIs on 42 Sqn from the CFI down have PVRed. Surely this cannot be true?

[Avtur]

Not sure if they are all PVRs, but I believe they are all going soon. Net Jets anyone?

[SidHolding]

Soon?!? How bad is the problem?

Sid.

[Vim_Fuego]

Sid...Do I detect a hint of panic there?

You are so heading back up the A9 once you finish your training...

[SidHolding]

Haha, no panic. Just like to keep abreast of the current situations ;)

[MAD Boom]

Sure Sid, no panic.

Heard that the only QFI left on Stn will be the guy that recently transferred from Tonkas. A few months on the deployable squadrons, then off to 42perhaps??

Enjoy the north Sid.....did you sell the house?

[206JediMaster]

Never thought the CFI would go, still he can fly me to the Swiss Alps with my winnings!!! :ok:

[SidHolding]

Haha, yes I sold the house - forced into it splitting up with my ex!!

[Recusant]

Sadly for 42 it is true - they will all be off within a year. I find it difficult to know where the replacements will come from as 45 is very busy.

[ShyTorque]

A year is actually plenty of time for replacement pilots to have their brains removed. The QFI course is only 4 months, unless things have changed over recent years.

[BEagle]

Surely there must be some Nimrod QFIs at the UASs...

Ah, no. The beancounters have virtually killed off the UASs, so forget that one.

BFTS? Errm, no. It's BJ FTS or something silly nowadays. Can't afford to train non-FJ streamed pilots on basic trainers these days, which means that there are probably no ME QFIs on the Tucano. So forget that idea.

The days of "We're getting six volunteer pilots from Coastal Command, and from the Fleet Air Arm, sir. Five from each of the Fairy Battle squadrons and three from Army co-operation, sir." to make up critical shortages are long since gone...

Jock, me old B squadron RAFC chum, in case you hadn't noticed, the RAF's corporate control column is coming back and its rudder pedals are going to full extreme.

And you solution to all this is..........??

"Could an experienced, non-QFI, pilot do the job as an FI?" How? Who will guide him/her as to the requirements? And don't forget that ME pilots receive a fraction of the pre-OCU training they once did, so the concept of inexperienced 'FIs' teaching very inexperienced ab-initios to fly the Mighty Muncher would seem fraught with risk to me.

[PPRuNeUser0211]

Beags,

Hate to tell you it but something like 75% of the QFIs at linton these days are ME pilots.... (although IIRC there is a requirement for them to have at least flown the tin-can in the past but I'm not sure on that!)

[BEagle]

Really? Well I guess if there are any ex-Nimrod pilots amongst them, it could be back to ISK fairly soon for them......

[Biggus]

And if the FIs are leaving too ........?

Perhaps somebody should ask the question why the 42 Sqn QFIs are all leaving? I presume they aren't spending as much (any?) time away as frontline pilots? In theory they have a more regular 9 to 5 existance? What is the PVR rate for experienced frontline Nimrod pilots? All questions worth asking as part of the big picture.

The attention grabing news is that the OCU QFIs are all (allegedly) leaving, but how many are we talking about, 6, more, less. What is the loss rate in terms of experienced pilots from the frontline?

[BEagle]

I'll rephrase it then.....

The concept of pilots with no real QFI experience teaching very inexperienced ab-initios to fly the Mighty Muncher would seem fraught with risk to me.

Back in the days when the country could still afford an air force, QFIs would normally do at least 3 years of ab-initio instructing at a UAS or BFTS and have gained their A2 category before being released to instruct at OCUs.

But I guess some staff officer will come up with a cheap 'patch over the cracks' idea to appease the Airships.......yet again.

[Elmlea]

Hate to tell you it but something like 75% of the QFIs at linton these days are ME pilots.... (although IIRC there is a requirement for them to have at least flown the tin-can in the past but I'm not sure on that!)

No, you can become a Tucano QFI having never even seen one in the past. There are a few who've gone straight from EFT to MELIN and METS then been sent to the Tuc CFS course.

A guess at numbers actually puts it at something like 50% FJ, 10% RW, 25% ME, and 15% Creamies. Can't think of many from the Nimrod.

[Duncan D'Sorderlee]

Elmlea,

Try asking where the QFIs came from and you will find a few from the kipper fleet (although the future OC 45 has already gone, I think)

Dunc:ok:

[Elmlea]

Dunc,

Him aside, there's only 2 I know of; one off soon, and one leaving soon! Admittedly I don't know where everyone came from, but I can't think of any other Nimrod guys off hand.

[zedder]

Hope the QFIs on 42 Sqn enjoy their final jolly to ?? the weekend after next. Never mind that there are people on the front-line that have never been overseas anywhere other than the sandpit. I'm sure going to unfamiliar airfield overseas will be of far more use to them and NetJets than it would be to future Nimrod Captains/1st Navs etc:mad:

[brit bus driver]

Come on then Zedder....you obviously know more than us. Do tell. Or should we wait to read about it in the Sun?

[Knight Paladin]

Beagle:
You appear to have come out with a somewhat opinionated argument, based on some rather out-of-date knowledge, which has proven to be utter tripe. Good job you've never done that before, eh mate? Please don't rubbish today's RAF when you don't even have your facts right for how things actually are these days.

I know a great number of ex-ME guys who now instruct at Linton, and although most of them have previously flown the Tucano, several had not. I also have it on good authority that the different experiences and backgrounds of the instructors at Linton enhances the training that our trainee fast-jet pilots receive.