VinRouge - Nail, Head, squarely smashed! Have been trying to point that out for a while but the solutions seem too deep-reaching & costing to happen!
BEagle - I don't think the RAF will have to compete too hard! I saw i TV interview with some BALPA chap a couple of weeks back saying that they're forecasting a monumental shortage in the next couple of years due to the ab initio cost of an ATPL sitting right up towards the £100k mark. The RAF will always offer 'free' training...the only variables are the length of service and amount of sh!t you have to put up with along the way.