Alex, I'm pretty confident that cutting flying pay would drastically effect retention (by 1 man anyway). Sorry to hear that there are few flying jobs out there but there is more to life. If the current work life-balance were to be significantly eroded, such as a large pay cut, then people would vote with their feet and get on with something else. If you leave to work in the city or anything else you are just as 'gone' to the RAF.