I "advanced" to Spec Aircrew in '84, automatically as an ex Flt Cdt.
Having accepted the pension arrangement I tried to make AVCs towards closing the pension gap only to be told No.
Not possible because Flying Pay is not pay it is an allowance! Your Basic is pay and is pensionable and so there is no excess to contribute to AVCs.
I think that later AVCs were allowed.
When I PVRed at 43 I had the opportunity to give my reasons.
The introduction of Spec Aircrew envisaged, that at retirement at 55, basic pay plus spec aircrew flying pay would be equivalent to that of a ground branch Wg Cdr.
However the pension would not!
The other reason was that the lump sum encouraged retirement/VR. Why not pay something to retain aircrew rather than pay them to leave.
I like to think that these reasons were my small contribution to the introduction of the PAS.
Fortunately it all worked out for me and I am, in retirement, better off than a retired ground branch Wg Cdr.
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