Very fair point P-T-Gamekeeper,
The generalisation is aimed more that the knucklehead than the trashie.
As to the operational tempo of the RAF and the issues faced there now, back a few ….. (ok plenty) of years ago the RAF was different…. Cold war days.
Our referral was pretty much summed up by a present and serving fast jet crew from somewhere here on the continent! They got more spares and sim time than they know what to do with. As said some of us are ex mil and still have very close contact.
12 sims per year is a hell of a lot more than any civi line driver gets. One of our compatriots, basically sims a mission then flys the mission, not talking A to A BVR, how about low level night moving mud!
As to suitability speak to any NON ex mil AB driver about the quality of some (say again SOME) of their ex mil drivers. The last mohecian will testify.
Trashies are a different bread, and we love’em.
A case in point was a while back when some of us were flying with a lot of ex-mil guys, several questions were raised and it turns out that upon completion of service these guys fronted to their local DGAC/LBA/CAA/ Insert acronym… and the friendly ex Mil office staffer was able to issue National Civil licences over the counter.
No exams, no tests, just a simple paperwork exercise.
Now we are now all part of the same happy JAR family, and these guys are still ploughing along at .8 in the same airspace as you.
Not everything that happens makes the news, (E170 FRA- ring bells) and there are many cover ups, by companies and authorities.
Now back to topic.
It seems to us that the majority of you agree that there is a problem coming. What do we do proactively, we already know that it takes a decent amount of intestinal fortitude. However this attribute is generally lacking in a 20 yo fresh from the sausage factor with daddys money to burn.
