The numbers aren’t because the grass is greener but for more reasons than that. The NAO report spells out some of them. Also, it is ‘aircrew’ not just pilots making up the 800, again buried in the document. The leaving rate is not much higher than normal, but there are 3 reasons why we are in this predicament.
1. We bought a flying training system for the needs of SDSR10 - the same requirement where we sacked 170 baby pilots, stopped WSO training and slowed down WSOp training. They are still delivering the same numbers for 2010 at the moment. Then we had SDSR15 where we were told to take 2 new Typhoon sqns, take in P8 and double the size of our RPAS fleet with Protector. That was great news but there was no extra money to increase the training schools.
2. We have recruited shed loads of baby pilots in the last couple of years, but due to point 1 we can’t train them all. If we trained them all overnight then the best part of 40% of the deficit would be gone.
3. We, the UK, have sold a bunch of aircraft with RAF training courses that have made the situation even worse for some fleets!
So the current exit rate is not the reason why we are where we are. It is effectively a series of decisions and circumstances that has influenced the current situation. If we keep peddling the news that the grass is greener when it probably isn’t (it’s just different with different challenges and opportunities) then we run the risk of people leaving for a job that also isn’t really for them.