Well, a 2 1/2 year course from 'off the street' to Wings and completion of Officer Training worked pretty well.... For YEARS!
According to the BBC:
The estimated time for an RAF fast-jet pilot to complete the MFTS programme is now seven and a half years.
I cannot imagine how awful it must be for someone selected to become an RAF pilot to have to wait for up to 7 1/2 years before finishing flying training after RAFC.