Originally Posted by
Herod
Do I gather from this that civil pilots can now become AEF pilots? I flew Chipmunks (dates me) for the AEF, originally while still on regular service, and later after retirement. I was flying commercially at that stage, but it was a requirement that anyone flying for the AEF, as a VR(T) pilot, had to be, or have been, a qualified regular.
Are there not enough retired RAF pilots willing to fly for an AEF, like my dad, that we need civilian pilots? My dad was with 1 AEF from 1958 to 1982 having previously been a QFI with No 1 RFS from 1948 and was eternally grateful to HMQ for paying for his flying for all that time, not to mention subsidising his Sunday lunch (and mine for a while) in the Officers Mess and paying his travel expenses as well.