As a current RAAF Reserve pilot I agree that experienced civil pilots on certain types that could be utilised by flying squadrons for basic type training if the impetus was there.
However there are complications - if civie pilots were to operate state-registered and ADF-owned aircraft, then they must fly under the Defence Act (not the Civil Aviation Act). There are lots of things that hang off this, like ADF liability, compensation, and the like. Licensing does not apply and there is a litany of Defence Instructions, Standing Instructions that you have to work under and understand (like another lot of CAA - CASRs, CAOs etc... only many more levels and books!). Then there is the cultural aspect, terminology, where flying operates as an organisational airpower thing. Your Commanding Officer uses their legal command under this heirarchy... they are responsible to CAF for their unit missions, flying safety and duty of care. So bringing pilots without a military background into deployable flying units could put a lot of 'holes in the cheese'. There are enough differences when the RAAF gets a Navy or Army transfer!! Also civil pilots would have limited employability...as there is little actual flying is done in the RAAF...and they could just walk away if they chose to, which is unacceptable to defence commanders. So basically the ADF will only use civil expertise that is it needs to start up a military capability, then quickly convert to in-house ops. It is then more productive to capture known departees into the Reserve, or send mil pilots outside to be trained then haul them back in. Just like any employer that wants to keep their talent.
As Trojan 1981 said, this is the way the ADF works. The system is set up so our government can send you to support/do violent operations, and do things CASA would not dream of allowing...all under a legal framework. No amount of argument on experience can change it....and even the VIP Squadron operates under the same framework.
As for the very small number of KC30 MRTT being bought, I know a few ex-mil QFIs flying A330 now with relevant mil backgrounds and any one would be a shoe-in for Reserve flying on the MRTT (....if they wanted to deploy with the knucks for weeks and suckle hornets for hours)
Last edited by Roller Merlin; 14th Jul 2008 at 05:53.