The vast majority of RAAF pilots leave the service to keep flying
As a pilot who has done my fair share of @#%& ground jobs I only partially agree with this.
The reality is everyone has their price. People don't move to Saudi for the lifestyle! Similarly people don't just go to Qantas to keep flying. After all being a second officer is basically a ground job in a mobile office for all the actual hands-on flying you get. Lots of people do it primarily for the money, whether it be in the long or short term. Many forgo promotion to stay a second officer and pick their trips.
The moving around every 2 to 3 years is definitely part of it, but again if the Air Force made it worthwhile financially, your spouse may not be so annoyed about his/her stalled career when the pay cheques roll in. Again this is what you see in the expat community in the UAE etc. Obviously everyone's circumstances are different, but a
BIG pay rise would make a difference to retention rates.
So if it is so important for us to do those ground jobs, and move us around, and deploy us frequently and for long periods - the Air Force had better come up with a remuneration package that makes it worthwhile.
Would you stay for $180K? How about $200K, or $250K...