Allan
Point 1 - Aren't "planners" drawn from the pointy part of the team? So that wouldn't be admin, supply etc (or whatever constitutes 'blunty' nowadays)??
That used to be the case - fly - fly - HQ Job - fly - planner etc. Then, about 10 years ago the cycole changed.
fly - fly - PVR - fly - fly - holiday - fly
This only left rearcrew to do plans jobs and fly Tonka/Nimrod etc so they dreamt up Flt Ops branch.
not fly - drink coffee - plan - not fly etc.
In Ops one day, just before I would have switched the lights out, ATC relayed to the Fire Section et al the emergency state and problems of an inbound aircraft. To say this caused barely a ripply in the two Ops O's coffee would be an exageration. It caused no ripples whatever.
When I asked what the tannoy call had been they had neither understood or even registered the call.
PS, as well as not requiring any particular aptitude attainment they do not get flight pay either.