Has anyone noticed?

[Rigga]

...that today, on the Military Aircrew Forum, there are no less than 7 threads on the conversion of flying time to Licences, the use of ELC's, restarting of licence qualifications or just on finding and moving through tunnels to get out of present situations.

Sad.

[Roland Pulfrew]

Something to do with the topics on scrapped aircraft, cancelled aircraft and aircraft going to sale/scrap having just entered service.

It's no longer a career and loyalty only goes one way nowadays:(

[minigundiplomat]

Has anyone noticed?


Yes, I had. Sign of the impending train crash and resultant mass exodus.

[BEagle]

I've never known a time when I've had more questions asked about civil licences - from an increasingly younger demographic group....:uhoh:

[Airborne Aircrew]

Look on the bright side... They put GPMG's on the QEII, why not a few JDAM's or a couple of AIM-7Ms on a 747... makes total sense... :hmm:

[Rigga]

...and the worry is the maintenance guys are doing the same.

[Big Bear]

Just wait until the revised allowances package is revealed. Mass exodus out of London methinks.

[Red Line Entry]

You make a good point BB. If (and it is still an if) the allowances package make the Mon-Fri commute/live in Pimlico option unattractive or unavailable, it will have several impacts:

a. The demand for London MQs will increase (at significant cost).

b. Commuting expenses will increase.

c. Personnel will be less willing to work into the late evening if they have to commute (not necessarily a bad thing as the self-flagellation mindset in MB is appalling)

d. Manning will have far more difficulty in filling Centre jobs.

As this is being done to save money, it is the first 2 impacts that are likely to cause big problems further downstream. Unfortunately, that may all be too late.

[Big Bear]

The demand for MQs may well increase with the changes to CEA that have already been announced. As for commuting costs, my weekly rail ticket has increased by 25% over the last 2 years and another 6% has already been announced. Shame GYH has not been increased to match.

The cynic in me however believes that in the long term it will be a case of 'you don't miss what you've never had' and a few posting cycles down the line things will stabilise. Unfortunately, London will be then be full of the young thrusters who still think they have a career and are prepared to make the financial sacrifice required to work there, rather than those who want to do an interesting job and are prepared to make the family sacrifice as long they are not financially disadvantaged.

[Torque Tonight]

I left a couple of years ago to seek my fortune in the airlines. Throughout my association with the RAF (from Air Cadets, to UAS to frontline regular) the trend was one of cutbacks. Every review and cut was met with a great deal of despair, but we continued to get the job done mainly through the extra effort, sacrifice and goodwill of the membership of the RAF.

We have now reached a critical point: breaking point; point of no return. Individuals in the RAF cannot give any more, the overstretch cannot be stretched any further and consequently we are looking at almost irreversible capability losses. A few more parliamentary terms and we'll probably resemble the RNZAF. It is a lot easier to lose real estate, systems, capabilities and most importantly experienced manpower than it is to reactivate it.

The exodus is obvious. A good majority of the Flt Lt (and above) pilots I know have taken some steps towards getting out. There is a realisation that the concept of a Military Covenant is a crock, and the the relationship between the organisation and the individual is a one way affair.

The transition to civvy life is not a straightforward one, particularly at the moment, but there comes a point where the concept of 'service before self' starts to sound fairly hollow and you have to look after No.1 - yourself and your family. It makes depressing reading but this is where we are now - the RAF is a sinking ship.

I made the difficult move and haven't looked back. I fly more, have more time off, I'm better paid, less stressed and have no secondary duties. I miss knocking around at low-level (but there's less of that these days) and I miss Mess life, but I still get an invitation to the functions. Just sad to look back and see a barely recognisable RAF.

[BROADSWORDCALLING]

The real worrying thing is, nobody seems to give a toss that lots of good, experienced people at all trades and ages can't wait to leave.

Its not just about the lack of renumeration for travel/disturbance etc, is is the endless management speak boll@*&s that comes from the hierarchy. Two day CCS, day two being totally pointless and having "ethos" rammed down your throat. Admin discharge for failing your fitness test, no matter how many out of area assignments you go on and how hard you work and how good you are at your job.
For what? 6 month out of areas with no R and R or PODL when you get back, oh but you can take it out of your annual leave!!!!!

How can they be wondering why we are leaving? Act now Air Marshall Sir whoever, before you are the last one out.

[Seldomfitforpurpose]

Not sure which part of "nobody gives a flying f@ck whether you like it or not" some people here are failing to appreciate. If you don't like what's happening then rather than come into Prune and whinge like some pre menstrual schoolgirl why not up sticks and sod off.

The military is currently chock a block with folk who will happily fill the void so all of those muppets who regularly come on here threatening to pull the plug over CEA, HTD, IE, blah blah feckin blah either man up or bugger off and join the job market as the military has absolutely no use for your sort.

Oh and by the way unless they have a really really really good reason for not being able to run up and down the gym a few times folk deserve to be hoofed out for being malingering LMF twits as last time I looked this is the military and not bloody Sainsburys.

[Big Bear]

Not whinging, merely voicing a point of view. After all, last time I looked this was a 'forum'. I was just pointing out that, although cutting allowances is a politically acceptable way of saving money, there may be some unwanted affects in the short term.

As for the fitness test, totally agree with SFFP, although the girls levels should be made a lot harder :E

[Torque Tonight]

"nobody gives a flying f@ck whether you like it or not"

SFFP, that's a quote from the new Military Covenant, I take it. If that's the level of appreciation shown for people who apply sustained 100% effort then little wonder people are getting thredders with it.:rolleyes: (With you on fitness test though).

[Samuel]

A few more parliamentary terms and we'll probably resemble the RNZAF

That big an improvement huh?:D

There are more than a few RAF people of late who have seen the RNZAF in a favourable light! Good on them!:ok: