Jeep,
Thanks for the vote of thanks for the name, I thought long and hard about that. Probably longer and harder than the board to select the transferee's.
You are more than correct, I did the age-old pastime of viewing the transfer board results and said the immortal words, how did he get it, why did he/she not get it. It is the same sport that is carried out across every corps/arm when the promotion board is released every year.
Thanks for the info about the training and selection, funnily enough i was aware of it already. I think you will find my point about who transfers was pretty similar to yours, I agree that the corps is better off, on the whole, for the people that transfer in, not so sure what the point of the RAF bowser mong was, as he transferred and then left PDQ afterwards, and i don't know if you have ever spent 24 hours on duty with him, I like the guy, but it was painful to say the least.
It WOULD be a callous system to take 18 - 24 months etc.... and not allow them a chance to transfer, but that is becoming the case more and more, we have the chance, a very limited one. I was witness to a brief last year that simply put said, we have enough now and it isn't likely to change in the next 5 years, thankyou, you can apply but don't hold your breath. We still seem to be filling up from the bottom and allowing people with the avation experience to return back to bending spanners, or cloud punching.
Whilst i recognise the fact that the supply and demand of new pilots is difficult to forecast and it changes as quickly as the delivery date for the first line regiments AH, it does seem that we are still throwing pilots through the course, albeit with a massive delay in the middle. All this without keeping the manpower with the aviation experience, by not allowing transfer and sending people back. I also recognise that some people are just not what the AAC want and therefore are not likely to transfer, surely this is then up to there line manager to point this out to them.
I know people can apply for a subsequent flying tour, thankfully. This then leaves the problem of promotion by your own branch or arm. This case may have been in the past to go back to your own arm, get promoted then reapply for a further tour, I am not convinced that you would be allowed to come back now after 2 -3 years away, when the AAC claims to have no shortage of pilots.
The whole shortage thing is another thread entirely, I just wish i had time to write it !
I still think you are wrong, as I am sure whatshisface is a little fuller in the figure or should I say operates your preferred aircraft type.
