The game plan was to hire a Chief Pilot designate when they started the project [using the former Chief FW pilot from the GMP Defender] use him to set up the aircraft purchase and then add pilots as they went on.
They then brought in a non-pilot Project Officer [ex-military] so they had a team of three [the third being a police officer TFO] to run the coal face work. By 2018 the Project Officer left the job for another within NPAS [Aviation Safety] and shortly afterwards they brought in pilot 2.
So, as far as I can gauge there were just two pilots on the books until the recent advertising.
That was preceded by a BIG rumour that both pilots had "resigned in exasperation" this summer. That was rubbish [or a trap] it seems.
I have heard nothing on how successful NPAS have been with hiring new pilots but it must be difficult to attract anyone in the current CPL holder shortage.
Meanwhile there are just two months left until the latest operational due date of January.
Its all a bit like Brexit!