Theres a lot of good stuff on this thread, equalled by the usual nonsense.
Speaking from personal experience, ( ex RAF QFI and Boeing training captain) many civilian pilots, if they bad chosen , would have done very well in the RAF. They chose a different lifestyle. Equally, many would not have done at all well.
That said, some FJ pilots did not do well in civil aviation. The hardest trainee on a Boeing I ever had was ex FJ and even ex WIWOLS and V force captains.have failed command courses, despite our best efforts.That said, many were excellent.
Its impossible to generalise, but in these extraordinary times, lets give it a go.
Perhaps its also time for the RAF and MOD to take a closer look at what is done in the US, the Air National Guard.
My guess is that many ex RAF/ RN pilots who have moved to civil aviation would LOVE to go back to some military flying, and it might also address the shortage in the RAF at minimal cost. Win,win?
Last edited by RetiredBA/BY; 16th May 2020 at 10:14.