Originally Posted by
macdo
Personally, when I'm flying as SLF I'd be quite happy (read relieved) to have someone who knows how to fly with the brown bit on top, without crashing, in the right hand seat. Probably have fewer confidence inspiring incidents like that at Smartlynx a few days ago, if we did! And I'm sorry, the management comment is simply ludicrous, could I take the time to introduce you to some of our civil managers?. I'm not ex-forces either!
People can only speak from their personal experiences, & that doesn't make their opinion due to those experiences invalid or "ludicrous". Unless you are in the same company at the same time you are comparing apples with oranges. Of the relatively small number of former military pilots I have encountered I have a spectrum of opinions, some good, some not so good but theres no point in me broadcasting them here as such a small sample cannot be representative of their "breed" as a whole. I must agree that there is a touch of the old boys network with them though. Its probably an extension of the cameraderie instilled in service life and to be fair "who you know" happens everywhere, its human nature to trust & help one of your own "tribe". Only other point I would make is that I expected some of them to be a bit more knowledgeable, sharper and faster learners somehow considering all those fancy selection procedures they went through and the £2million a pop (or whatever it is now) that was spent on their training. Maybe I expect too much of them.