PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Quarter of RAF trainee pilots to be sacked
Old 14th Feb 2011, 15:55
  #58 (permalink)  
Madbob
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Bury St. Edmunds
Age: 64
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Nurse

I would say it's time that the Bank of England applied some "quantative easing" for the benefit of the RAF/FAA/AAC.

I joined the RAF as a baby pilot in 1979 and well remember the threatened cuts (in 1981) of the RAF being about to lose its Shacks, Canberras, Vulcans and at least a squadron of Hercs. It was not a time to be streamed into Group 2!

The Falkland War came in 1982 and Maggie found suddenly that she (and the country) needed us. When the war was over, she even did her best to plug the holes left by assets being deployed down south and we even bought 15 F4J's to replace 23 sqn. Gawdon B didn't even order replacements for the combat losses in either Iraq or Afg, let alone allow for the increased rate of fatigue being consumed thus shortening the planned in-service lifetimes of C-130's (and other platforms).

The legacy of these cuts I fear will be it will forever deter people to ever aspire to join the armed forces - I have two sons at university and I am ever so glad that they are NOT in the armed forces and trying to follow my footsteps! Mind you, when I was thinking about joining the literature dished out by the Careers Info Offices was that we had 385 MRCA's or order, plus 200 Jaguars coming into service and that was in addition to the Phantoms, Harriers and Buccs!!

The dedication, commitment and serious application required to endure 4 years of training (possibly more with holding ) makes things even worse. I wonder where the governmant thinks it is going to get its future pilots from, not just for the frontline, but even contract providers for SAR(H) and MFTS will I expect be relying on a certain pool of ex-service aircrew, QFI's/QHI's etc. and at this rate that source may not be enough!

No prospective pilot will ever believe the recruitment officers again with expansive plans of cockpits waiting to be filled.

So short-sighted......my sympathies go to those who put so much in and now get so little out.

MB
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