Ab initio RW flying training closed

[Flyboywanabe]

Have recently found out that RW flying training has been closed for the "foreseeable future". Any ideas how long this might be and whether this stream might open up again?

The only streams open at the moment are ME or FJ, with large holds. The reason for the closure has been put down to lengthy waits for OCUs etc, however if the waits are also lengthy in the other two streams what is the difference?

[cazatou]

Its a SNAFU.

My dictionary describes "SNAFU" as:-

"Situation normal - all fouled (euphemism) up."

[airpolice]

Given the number of people who have qualified in recent years and the demise of the RAF, how many rotary Pilots are they going to need?

The much talked about rush to PVR will not exactly decimate rotary ops. I suspect there are quite a few Chinook capable Pilots out there who would happily go back to flying instead of a ground tour or the uncertainty of civvy street. Where the very best of the Pilots end up is another matter.

EGOS can't continue as is simply to supply Bond with EC145 & MD900 drivers, since that market is drying up as well.

[oldbeefer]

Could I ask where you got this from? I know there have been cutbacks there with some students suspended from training, but a complete stop is news to me.

[Flyboywanabe]

From 22 Grp, which is presumably from the top? Although pinning it down to a specific person is typically hard to do! It's all lost under the name "Air"..!

[teeteringhead]

And 22 (Trg) Gp is about to get (another) rotary mate as AOC .......:ok:

That's the 4th one I can remember .....

[muppetofthenorth]

Well Pilot recruitment [RAF, at least] has been frozen until early 2013 - or at least, that's what the AFCOs are telling people. So you'd have to imagine that until that's been restarted + selection time + a couple of IOTs + EFT it's a reasonable decision. If noone's going through why keep the thing open just for the sake of it?

[TorqueOfTheDevil]

NB This is RAF RW trg only, the Army and RN haven't (yet?) turned the tap off.

Apparently part of the rationale for the total stop is to avoid/minimize the amount of refresher courses needed at Shawbury (both between Squirrel and Griffin, and pre-OCF), whereas refresher flying is an accepted part of the FJ trg world. Frankly, with a year-long gap in studes brewing, I'd have thought Sixty and SARTU would welcome some refresher flying, just to keep them ticking over! Because the alternative is...:mad:

[Pheasant]

Presumably, if there only 12 new CH47s, the Merlins are going to the RN and SAR is being civilianised, the RAF RW pilot requirement is reducing dramatically.

[airborne_artist]

So have the civilian QFIs been laid off/had their working hours reduced? What about currency? You can't just turn out the lights.

[oldbeefer]

I believe just a few of the civvy QHIs are to be made redundant. Shouldn't be a problem, as many of them are on their last legs anyway!

[WASALOADIE]

Yep, some civvy QHI's, 1 QHNI and 2 QHCI's (me included) Redindant wef today. More at Valley too. Just got my cheque in the bank!

[airpolice]

You can't just turn out the lights.

Actually, you can. And very easy it is too.


However, turning them back on may be a little more complex than the beancounters imagine.

[St Johns Wort]

You must be on your penultimate legs by now!?:):E:O

[Shackman]

Likewise; unfortunately as they say timing is everything and I made the decision to hang up the flying gloves just before the redundancy scheme was announced, :sad::sad:. But at least the legs are still holding out.

Does that also rule me out of posting on the PVR thread!!!

[oldbeefer]

St John's - better than expected - the local Real Ale seems to work wonders (in moderate amounts, otherwise the reverse is true, as always!).