For what it's worth, I made the jump and haven't regretted it one little bit! Started my own business, customers very happy that they have someone who will deal with problems outside "normal" working hours without them being shafted for higher labour rates etc, and they also seem to appreciate the "engineering integrity" that comes with my having had 22 years of aircraft engineering.
I was lucky - very lucky - I applied for and got redundancy, even though I had NO intentions of signing-on to LOS30, and actually left the RAF very close to my original 22 year point but with enough dosh to pay off the mortgage and set up my business. I am still involved in aviation engineering, still have contact with a lot of friends and workmates still serving, and I have absolutely no doubt that I jumped at the right time. When I look at what is happening at Kinloss and Lossie these days it just reinforces my thoughts no end.
Managers that have no spine to stand up to pressure (either real or perceived) from above, instead simply passing the pressure down the line seem all too common these days. There are some good guys left, but they are fighting a losing battle in my opinion. As the thread title states, "The RAF IS Knackered" indeed. A sorry state of affairs, brought about by penny-pinching politicians who do not realise or understand the implications of their decisions and then of course the "old-boys" sitting in their Ivory Towers at places like High Wycombe and Wyton looking after their own skins and making a top-heavy establishment even more so!