Pontious,
Where did you get the idea that the AAC was "sufficiently large" in comparison to the FAA? If you remove the TA gazelle pilots there are not huge numbers left.
Scribbler et al,
The case for the RAF to exist is pretty sound and generally the Service does it fairly well. But the RAF needs to learn to accept that it does not do everything well (loads of recent examples of where it doesn't) and that the FAA and AAC have something to bring to the party (and have a very proud history of doing so). Stop the squabbling and support each other or we are all doomed.
I can't help feeling that if a non-pointy was sat at the top of the RAF tree and a non-pointy was put in charge of 1 Gp life would be more harmonious all round.