Ginseng & Just This Once ......
Full realisation of just what has happened to sqn ldr aicrew in the Career Stream is just beginning to bite.
I met an old friend at Fairford over the weekend who candidly told me that accepting promotion to sqn ldr was the worst move he'd ever made. Whilst he accepted that he'd enjoyed his command tour and has earned more over the last 4 or 5 years, had he known what was planned for PAS pensions he would have rejected promotion, continued flying and happily served until age 55.
Unfortunately, because the PAS is so lucrative, PMA have more than enough "older aircrew" and even though he's an A2 QFI, PMA won't transfer him back into the PA spine. As his promotion prospects look bleak, he's decided to leave the RAF and join the airlines.
He told me that he's far from being on his own...........
He laughed uncontrollably when I told him about some of the old oxygen thieves that are being posted back to the sqns because PMA can't find anything else for them to do!