What is the Future for RN Fast Jet Pilots?

[AFC DUFF]

Hello. Sorry now to bother you but I was just wondering does anyone know are the RN still recruiting Fast Jet Pilots?(Seeing as the harrier is scrapped)

[kharmael]

Of course they are! To fly all the Navy's other fast jets! :ok:

[Justanopinion]

Mixed opinion on that question as per the link below:

The Navy Net: Rum Ration Forums The Fleet Air Arm NAVY FIXED WING (http://www.navy-net.co.uk/Forums/viewtopic/printertopic=1/p=505349.html)

Suggest you ring your nearest RN recruitment office (when it opens post holidays) and ask them the question.

[VinRouge]

Golden Arches - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Arches)

Alternatively, I have the number for truckmaster.... :E

[AllTrimDoubt]

The RN do not recruit fast jet pilots. We recruit Naval Officers, train them as Aircrew (Pilot), and then select potential fast jet pilots. Or at least we did!

And stop typing in unnecessary bold font.

[engineer(retard)]

"And stop typing in unnecessary bold font"

because you need to practice with flags

[LooseArticle]

With Harrier gone the RN loses its grip (albeit tiny) on fixed wing aviation. With no fixed wing aviation the days of the FAA are numbered. With only helos to operate, many of with can/should operate under JHC (and are old and about to be retired/SAR Force about to contracted out etc), why would you pay for a seperate HQ/Command/uniform - its just a matter of time.

So why was the RAF willing to let Harrier go with only a tiny whimper? Well all those 'your a 100 year experiment' merchants have suddenly lost their voices. No fixed wing aviation in the RN, a dying FAA, and a AAC not capable of consuming the RAF on its own. Result, a longterm future for the RAF secured.

All in all it looks like the RAF hierachy have played a bit of a blinder under the circumstances. SDSR was never going to be good for anyone, but the sacrificial 'letting go of Harrier' is a far bigger decision than most people realise..............

Long live the RAF.:ok:

[Jackonicko]

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[AFC DUFF]

Thanks for all the helpful information.

[gijoe]

AllTrimDoubt,

I would go in much harder and faster at Loose Article - **** - I am sure those of us in the real military, as opposed to those dressed up and pretending to be so (= RAF) , will grow to love them even more than we do now. :D

AFC Duff - I hope you have seen enough here to not make the wrong choice and to help you make an informed decision. ;)

G:ok:

[Bob Viking]

Would you care to elucidate a little?!
BV:hmm:

[AFC DUFF]

I made up my mind a long time ago about joining the RN. I just hope I will succeed in the selection process. Ill keep preparing in the meantime. I dont know if I would agree with you calling the RAF not real military. I have met a few RAF pilots and they seem very involved in their work and take it quite seriously, as it should be.

[Justanopinion]

But seriously, JP you hit the nail on the head. I have been a URO and at some units I been to it almost appears to be fashionable to be leaving. It this attitude wise as the world teeters on the edge of a recession ?
Your list of benefits is very comprehensive but didn't list the adv trg side of life. My own case this year: skiing with the French Army in Feb (Free), skiing with the Brits in Austria Mar(£100), sailing for a week in April(£10), planned windsurfing instructors course in August (£25), planned skiing instructors course in December (free)...and yes I do do my day job.

This is aside from the PPL flying which the boys in green subsidise quite well through the SLC scheme and pay me petrol dosh to get there. There's loads there if you only get off of your backside and , firstly, find it and then do it !!

Gijoe

Still working hard in your 'real' military mate?

[Bismark]

All in all it looks like the RAF hierachy have played a bit of a blinder under the circumstances

I am not so sure. When Afgh finishes in a couple of years what will the RAF have to put in the public eye? Without SAR and Nimrod there will not be much going on in and around UK. FJ flying hours will be cut right back to save money, there will be nowhere to fly all the Predators you have bought, JSF training will all be in the USA, there will be a very limited requirement for Truckies and the refuellers, and all will be wondering why we have bought Rivet Joint. Oh yes, and the extra CH-47s will not be ordered and I would not lay too much store on the long term future of Puma.

I can see the RAF shrinking much further over the next 10 years. Of course you will still have a fully funded RAFAT and BBMF!

[STANDTO]

At least the Kiwis had somewhere to bail out to when they lost their fast jets. I suppose one could always kn0b off to Canada or somewhere to continue flying. In these chastened times, a fully trained FJ pilot must be worth a few bob.

[minigundiplomat]

JSF training will all be in the USA, there will be a very limited requirement for Truckies and the refuellers


Bit of a contradiction there, or will the JSF have a groundcrew/ground equipment pod? Of course we could send them by sea. They may even be there for the end of the exercise.
Falklands, Cyprus, Gibraltar all going as well? And our training/support to Kenya/Brunei & Belize all ended too?
And no more overseas exercises? or contingencies? or operations? Ever?

Happy Days!

the extra CH-47s will not be ordered and I would not lay too much store on the long term future of Puma.


They have been, and I would.

Afghanistan ending will not be the death knell for the Medium/Heavylift rotary fleet. If you think otherwise you are actually the ocean going knobber your post highlights you as.

Though I think some typing was done in haste, as your posts are normally a little more considered.

And you are right about the RAFAT. Hmmm

[Biggus]

Tirpitz,

...and what will the RN have to "put in the public eye" as you phrase it?


The public has rarely seen much of what the military do. Airshows, Navy Days, the odd SAR helo and the odd low flying FJ is about as much exposure as most members of the public get to any form of military activity. I'm sure the public won't see much of Astute or Vanguard deployments, anti drug or piracy patrols, Falkland deployments, round the world Navy jaunts - unless they buy the Navy News that is. In general the public reads the Sun, and watches Eastenders/Corrie/X-factor, all of which will have little or no military exposure post any conflcit in Afghanistan. All 3 services will have a minimal footprint with the man in the street from that point onwards....



Oh yes - I forgot to mention that the public also gets to see Landrovers/Military vehicles on motorways and in service stations!

[althenick]

With Harrier gone the RN loses its grip (albeit tiny) on fixed wing aviation. With no fixed wing aviation the days of the FAA are numbered. With only helos to operate, many of with can/should operate under JHC (and are old and about to be retired/SAR Force about to contracted out etc), why would you pay for a seperate HQ/Command/uniform - its just a matter of time.

So why was the RAF willing to let Harrier go with only a tiny whimper? Well all those 'your a 100 year experiment' merchants have suddenly lost their voices. No fixed wing aviation in the RN, a dying FAA, and a AAC not capable of consuming the RAF on its own. Result, a longterm future for the RAF secured.

All in all it looks like the RAF hierachy have played a bit of a blinder under the circumstances. SDSR was never going to be good for anyone, but the sacrificial 'letting go of Harrier' is a far bigger decision than most people realise..............

Long live the RAF.

... Or another way of looking at it is that the RAF having divested itself of all things maritime and thusly (apart from Air defence) work solely to support the Army, and given that the Army could probably cover most of the non-Aircraft trades with more cost and operational efficiency then why have a seperate Air force? All RAF Logistics could be handled by the RLC the Telecomsie stuff could be handled by the RCS etc etc...

Long live the RAF (Of the British Army) :E

[FireAxe]

Ah yes shall we shuffle the deckchairs one more time with the ever naive 'the Army should run it'. I know let's ask the Aussies how well that worked for them since the Army took over from the RAAF, the success or lack off it is their elephant in the room!!!!
I know, radical as it may sound why don't we just work together doing what each of us does best rather than waste more millions rebranding everything!!! Oh yes I know it's the Army's for the chop soon, why don't we just merge it into the RAF Regt?:}:}
P.S. Hope the FAA retain a future for FW as I've already said we all bring something different to the party and the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

[Justanopinion]

Gijoe

Still serving mate - UAS not work out for you?

[AllTrimDoubt]

BV...I'm afraid my marginally vitriolic but generally heartfelt opinions of LooseArticle and his "views" appear to have been moderated to the point of extinction!

[Bismark]

Minigun,

The RN have never been in the public eye...hence "Silent Service". The point I was making is that if you are not on operations then you face cuts. The RN's role will not change noticeably in the coming decades (ie patrol duties etc) whereas the Army and, particularly, the RAF will be searching for something to do and this Govt is unlikely to commit to anything in a rush.

Re the CH47s - my only info is written answers in the Commons and the last answer said that none of the additional 22 had been ordered - I have seen nothing to contradict this statement. Re Cyprus - we seem to be reducing there, FIs I give you, Kenya beyond 2014????, you don't need C17s etc to keep the Falklands going. Belize has finished

[minigundiplomat]

Cyprus - reducing not leaving. On a weekly scheduled flight, which will still be needed, their may be more seats, but it will still have to run.

Belize - There are still environmental courses, and jungle warfare courses run from Belize.

Kenya - We've been there in one form or other since the 50's. It is more unstable than previously I grant you, but if it is lost as a training ground then somewhere else will pop up, so there will still be an AT requirement.

Morocco - Forgot that one initially, if it does fold then it will be in favour of El Centro - larger AT requirement.

You do not need C17's for the FI, as you state. You do need the capability to get outsize items of load there quickly though.

As for the remarks about the RN in the public eye, I think your argument is with others. And thank you for what was a much more considered reply.

[Bismark]

Minigun,

All my comments are based on 2014+ when we are out of Afgh, barring a few, and have been through SDSR1, 1.1,1.2 etc the latter of which could be worse than version 1.

[AllTrimDoubt]

Aye - we lives in 'ard times....