BEB,
Why try reinventing the wheel? The RAF ceased the recruitment of NCO pilots because it wanted officers and leaders first, and pilots second.
As someone has already pointed out, the "Specialist Aircrew" cadre was brought in to fulfil the role you suggest, namely to retain a core of highly experienced pilots who wished to continue flying aircraft rather than desks.
During my career I worked quite closely with the army (NCO pilots of course) and watched time and time again as their good advice was ignored or over-ruled by their own less experienced officers above them. On one occasion very early in my RAF time my pilot colleague and I felt obliged to stand up to one career (non-aircrew) VSO who thought it quite acceptable to put his crews in a situation that might well have killed them, in peacetime, for the sake of his exercise. It caused a hell of a stink but we were right and I never forgot that.
I obviously touched a raw nerve about non-pilots running the air force. Sorry, but I stand by my rather tongue in cheek comment. However, I have never "slagged off" the RAF or accused it of being "broken, crap and poorly led". That's what the NAVY is for.
