I've just come to this thread having been on the road for a few days, so will chuck in a couple of comments.
Agree with O-D that it's in many ways a return to the old GL/SL route which we used to have - perhaps we should bring back the B exam and get 38 yo Fg Offs again.
The "fast runner" system which was used when I was a desky was purely age-on-promotion based, with no sign of an
eminence grise retired AVM. IIRC if you were a Sqn Ldr before 30, Wg Cdr before 35 and/or Gp Capt before 40 you were a "fast runner" - which means if nothing else you had the
time to make 2-star.
So you could get on or off the list by being promoted or not at a given age. people could (and did) fall off it and climb back on again. In practice it meant that postings had to be approved one rank higher than normal. I used to post sqn ldrs, whose posting was normally approved by the DD (a gp capt). For a fast runner it had to get the one-star tick. I believe that
mutatis mutandis this system (2 ranks up for normal, 3 ranks up for "FR") continued up the system, so a fast running wg cdr would have his posting approved by Air Sec and an FR gp capt by AMP.
And another thing O-D, on your mention of reservists various! There are some RAFR (CC) remaining -
- but the branch is no longer recruited to, so will in due course wither on the vine......
...and finally ...
dctyke
The desk officer will not be interested at all, after all.............. he will be a mong
... checked the C-in-C's CV lately .....?