Feel I shouldn't really reply to this cos I've been out for a couple of years now and enjoy having a life. I didn't leave the RAF because of pay; I left because I was working 12 hour days, spending 7 months of the year away from home (when I was on the squadron) and every now and then got sent away to some god forsaken place for 4 months of unaccompanied holiday.
When I was young it was great but as I got older and the kids came along I started to take the view that my life stopped the day I left on a det or op until I could get home. There is only so much p*ss to be drunk and bonhomie to be had. I would go away for 3 weeks , let alone 3 months, and the kids started to forget who I was.
I am now out, I live in a sunny place, I work about 14 days a month on average and when I have time off it is my time. I take the kids to school about 60% of the time, see the missus and play golf without feeling guilty about taking up valuable family time. The pressure is off me and the family. I hope I might live a little longer than would have been the case if I'd stayed in.
During my time in the RAF I was involved in retention issues to some degree, not at Innsworth but at MOD meetings. I can't remember the exact numbers but Innsworth reckoned they could solve the retention problem if they increased the return of service from something like age 31.7 to 33.6.
The USAF tried this, they gave pilots $20,000/year for 7 years to stay. The uptake was about 30% and most of the guys taking the bonus where going to stay anyway. The guys in the know looked at a United Captains salary at the end of their career, worst case about $300,000 and realised that for every year they stayed they were throwing away the chance to earn about about $230,000 extra/year. (The difference between their salary now and what they would get paid at the end.) In addition, they were blowing their chances of an investment portfolio (from a 401K)on retirement that even in 1996 added up to over $3,000,000.
The RAF have now offered (after tax) £18,000 at 33 and £30,000 at 38 for the best years of your life. It becomes harder to move when you are 43 than you might believe. A UK charter captain at the end of his career still makes a minimum of £30,000/year more than the average RAF officer
Current economic circumstances might make it hard to leave (we all know things will eventually pick up) and I respect the decision of anyone to stay in. One of my buddies has done just that.
All I would say to those of you have been waved the cash, take all factors into account. Think about your family, your way of life, the stress you get put under and the thanks you receive. This won't change the infrastructure of your base, it won't bring Eurofighter into service a minute earlier. £18k should pay for a nice new sofa and a down payment on a 2 bedroom flat in Sleaford. It won't take the pressure off and it won't make you live any longer or much happier.
I am fortunate, I have a job now that pays for the lifestyle I want. The longest I spend away from home is about 4 days and I get time off to enjoy living.
Sorry about that but when you near 40 you start to come up with old fart stuff from time to time.
Enjoy the money if you take it, but stop bitching, no one will care and it won't change anything. Otherwise, make a change, my experience says that, all things considered, having a life will be for the better.
Ghost <img src="wink.gif" border="0">
[ 30 January 2002: Message edited by: Ghostflyer ]</p>