I typed this out last night in response to dmcleod but the PPRUNE database was kaput between about 1900 and midnight. Hence, here is is now:
I've got no gripes with the way the RAAF does its business WRT its use of pilots in the reserves. However there are a couple of 'false logic' issues inherent in dmcleod's points.
The ADF train pilots from scratch whether you be a 1000hr commercial pilot or you haven’t any hours. They do not recognise any civilian time, its the same syllabus for both so there is a set proficiency and standard.
The first sentence contradicts the second. If it's a 'set proficiency and standard' then the required training from 'scratch' should differ significantly. Sure the syllabus may dictate the learning outcomes but I'd hope that a 1000hr pilot wouldn't be taking as many flying hours to tick the same boxes as an ab initio student. Of course, it may just be that the support mechanisms to move to competency based training are just too complex for the RAAF in an environment such as BFTS and 2FTS and so they choose to keep doing things as per the syllabus. That’s fine but at least acknowledges it for what it is.
Why comprimise your standards and the saftey of crews by bringing in civilian pilots with unknown qualities.
If civilian pilots are brought into RAAF Reserve as pilots then I assume that they'd have to pass the same proficiency checks as others. In this respect their qualities would not be 'unknown'.
You want to let a Qantas captain play in a hornet on the weekend for fun?
I know a couple of QF crew who do/did exactly that. Of course they were former RAAF. No one is suggesting that we allow pure civilian into a hornet- waste of money attempting the training if you ask me- but you're deluding yourself if you believe that there are NO aspects of the current ADF flying operation that civilian trained personnel couldn't cope with.
There are many highly qualified civilian pilots around with significant experience in heavy metal- far more experience than the most experienced RAAF heavy metal Captain and F/O. There is no realistic reason why these civilians can't be trained to undertake reserve work flying aircraft such as BBJ, Wedgetail, Challenger, KC30, and possibly even C17 type aircraft on milk run and' 'normal' type ops. There is no reason why the 34SQN operation couldn't survive on a cadre of permanent personnel with the remainder of it's crew being drawn from an extensive- and probably far more current- reserve network. Whilst I acknowledge the economies of scale in the US, if they can make it work having reservists- and not with previous military experience- in fast jets then I don't see why the RAAF can't make it work with civilians into ADF that do the exact type of flying that the civilians do day in, day out.
Of course there may be issues with aircraft such as the C17 as the requirement to keep the PAF crew current on the aircraft to undertake the types of ops that the civvies couldn't do. Low level tactical air drops would be one example. Therefore there may be a reason to restrict civvie crew to those aircraft but by and large my feeling is that the RAAF ignore a significant resource available to them in this country. That is type rated, current, frequently checked, 'known' quality (company assessments) aircrew who would be willing to 'do their bit'.
Of course it'll never happen and mcleod's post points to the reason why. The attitude of many is that unless you have jumped through the hoops as a boggie then you don't have and can never possibly demonstrate the 'right stuff'. You are therefore forever a lessor mortal of dubious standard.
Just my $0.02 worth!
