jaytee, I have to agree with
crab@ here. DHFS has improved the Army product, as much as anything else by early exposure to the other services. (And
vice versa before I cause offence)
I was in MoD when DHFS was being set up, and we had difficulty getting a "level playing field" for output standards as the AAC then claimed they could get a pilot CR in about an hour-and-a-half (I exaggerate greatly for effect). So my RN opposite number and I decided on the killer question - you will recall we were just getting into the Bosnia thing, and all 3 services were involved.
So the "equivalence" question was posed: How long after type training (OCU, 707 or whatever) would a new pilot be deemed competent to captain a singleton on a non-tactical ac changeover between UK and Split? RAF and Junglie answers were the same, about 6-9 months out of OCU at most ..... the AAC answer was a good deal longer ......
I also think you miss some of the point on the "losing the FW" plot of the AAC. IIRC the plot was to go straight to DHFS (or Wallop for that matter) and start flying training there. It wasn't the lack of flying that mattered, as much as the complete lack of any aviation groundschool.
Can you imagine a poor abo arriving at 660, not only never having flown, but with no met, no airmanship and no P of F instruction to use as a foundation......
But that was then and this is now - the system is good now (still not sure what DAAvn does and why it and Wallop are
not part of JHC
) and is being proved daily in the 'Stan with different rotary forces working superbly together - particularly the Wokka/Apache combo (not in any way to denigrate other types and theatres, where the same is true).
It's good to know the system is robust, when you've not only got mates flying out there, but nowadays the sons of mates too.......