Davejb,
Might just me being a slow pilot with minimal qualififcations, but I still don't get the attraction to NCO pilot. The commisioning / OASC process is certainly imperfect, but it would remain so when selecting NCO pilots as well. We all have wondered at the stupid decisions made by commisioning and promotion boards from time to time, but are you telling me that is why someone wouldn't want to be a commmisioned pilot? Incase they fail selection? As I said before, the necessary qualities seen by a board to offer someone a job as captain of one of HMs aircraft, are well in excess of those required to offer someone employment as OC chips or some other bastion of bluntness. I can't ever see a selection board say " Yes, I'd like that chap to be in charge of X million pounds worth of jet or a crew of 20 and 250 passengers, I just have doubts as to whether or not he is officer material!!"
As previously stated, the MOD teaboy thing is a fallacy, provided you actualy want to remain flying and don't want to climb the greasy pole to Sqn Ldr and above.
Also, I would agree wholeheartedly that many NCOs have better academic qualifications that many officers. That is exactly my point. Dont consider a commision as a prerequisite for a pilot slot, see it as an added bonus, a welcome pressie for being picked to do a rather cool job!!
As for navigators.......bust them all down to corporal I say. Useless B**gers!
Arty F