Essentially, getting on the promotion ladder for an RAF pilot (I guess ES from here onward) is like investing in a pyramid scheme. Statistically you may realise a profit over the long run, but unless you're very smart/lucky, the odds suggest you are most likely to take a financial bath compared to what you might have earned in that second career you could have had with the airlines.
I'd be interested to see the comparative remuneration (including pension) between leaving at 38 and going to a major airline versus staying in and seeing how far up the greasy pole you could climb. At a rough guess you must need to get to Gp Capt as a minimum to realise the same sort of money?
Anyone done this calculation?