I know a Flt Lt getting FP who has not been in the air for 18 months and has no potential for getting off the ground as aircrew ever again.
If he was medically grounded, he would not be in reciept of flying pay. I ask again, how are you going to get peeps with the required experience to go into a 2 1/2 year desk tour unless they get to keep flying pay?
The only other way is promotion. In which case, the MOD will get to pay increased pensions when they come to leave.
Those that seem to think we have a darth of aircrew today are correct. Unfortunately for the RAF, the airline industry is about to pick up globally, and when it does, all those people that nearly defaulted on their mortgages due to a 12K top rate flying pay cut with their desk tour arent going to stick around I would suggest.
We are 18 months off a pretty serious decrease in aircrew numbers, due to the suck from the civil industry. When we have an RAF that has no experience due to the most senior and experienced walking, (because it will be those sorts that WILL leave) I suggest we will have problems. If people are discounting this, do some sniffing. A good place to start would be the number of first tourist pilots currently sitting their ATPL Groundschool exams.