Originally Posted by
Timelord
if the RAF and RN can magic up some pilots between them!!
Sad but true, apparently, particularly in the wake of the black hole induced by the carrier gap (remember the late Kristian Ward's altercation with David Cameron in Oct 2010 about being 'sacked'?).
UK Military Flying Training – heading for the cliff-edge?
Originally Posted by SOPHY GARDNER from the RAeS Air Power Specialist Group 12 Mar 2019
There are approximately 350 trainee pilots from the Royal Navy, Army and RAF in the military flying training pipeline and they are currently waiting for an average of 58 weeks between Elementary Flying Training and fast jet training...
The FOI response stated that a future pilot graduating from RAF Cranwell after Initial Officer Training can expect his combined holding and training to get to a frontline Operational Conversion Unit to take up to 90 months. That is seven and a half years. Now some of that is taken up with the training itself but several years of that will also be holding. That officer then has to qualify as combat ready before they enter the formal system of operational tours and annual appraisals as aircrew...