Perspectives
I've just been looking through my first logbook. On an average month in a peacetime Navy, on my first operational Squadron I was averaging 20-25 hours a month. In one sample month those hours comprised Winching, Close and Tactical formation flying, troop lifts, confined area work, low-level Navexs, Parachute dropping, Night load lifting, Night Navexs, Instrument flying and Tactical 2" RP firing. Most flights were two-pilot plus crewman. I was P1 about 40% of the time by this stage.
The point is I was 22 years old with 400 hours total time. In the RN we got responsibility early, having been properly assessed by the senior guys, and then got on with it.
Now, I'm sure that defence expenditure cutbacks contribute to a lack of good quality training time but I believe that the RAF have never delegated responsibility to their younger pilots effectively and Senior Officers tended to hide behind rulebooks to protect their backs on the slippery promotion ladder. (Incidentally, one of the finest pilots I have known was a grizzled, grumpy old Crab on exchange to us)
If this pilot was a habitual hot-dogger, who failed to spot it and act on it? If he wasn't up to standard why was he self-authorising? Are RAF crewman encouraged to comment during training-flight debriefs? Which half-wit considered playing the "Top Gun" soundtrack through the intercom was ever a good idea?