I'm not saying military pilots are better than civilians but I don't know one UK military pilot who wouldn't have dealt correctly with the Air France 447 crash for example.
With the greatest of respect again - and not wishing to take this thread off on a tangent - the Airbus is a special machine. It's Fly By Wire for a kick off. Have you flown FBW? That coupled with a very heavy aircraft, a very dark night, over the sea, tiredness magnifying the startle factor and more computers than PC world screaming at you that you're
ed makes me think you couldn't possibly say that you'd all handle it. Only as a result of these poor peoples deaths and their mistakes have my colleagues and I had detailed training on it. Now, in hindsight, if it happened to me, I too am very confident I'd have handled it safely. AP off, ATHR off, 2.5 degrees pitch and 82.5% N1 at typical cruise weights. I'd be extremely gentle with the side stick too. I know because of these poor peoples mistakes. A chinook, a Lynx, A Tornado, A VC10 or an Herc don't perform, handle or react like a fly by wire Airbus. Many pilots who have flown all of the above have confirmed this for me. So don't be so sure!
Anyway. This industry - the industry I have tailored my life towards and one that I probably have the most experience in of all the industries I've been in has to be the most unfair, unreasonable, unmeritocratic pile of **** I've ever had the misfortune to experience. By the very nature of it's seniority driven promotion for a start. The job is a pleasure however. One really does just have to get lucky - and once lady fortuna has cleared the way keep your mouth shut - which is why it's nice to come on here and vent! If you were a military pilot you'll have seen the sign 'Winners never quit and quitters never win'. It has rung in my head from the moment I begun flight training.