Having worked in both civilian and military aviation I think I am able to comment on the continuing moves to making the RAF into a militia. Both systems have their strengths and weaknesses. The civil system is far more flexible than the military. Fewer people are in the decision making progress, and you have to be a current maintenance engineer to make important decisions. The military have lots of highly qualified people at certain ranks, but their practical maintenance experience is either nil or close to nil. The actual engineer who is doing or supervising a task has very little say in the ultimate decisions. That is why the military will spend weeks gazing at their navels, whilst a civilian organisation will make a decision and have an aircraft flying in a few days. What the military get from their own engineers is someone who can fix aircraft, a firefighter, a half decent first- aider, someone who can fire a rifle reasonably straight ( although the RAF Regiment will laugh their tits off at that statement), and lastly, someone who is prepared to pay the ultimate price if need be. I suppose the current decisions to civilianise the military will only be borne out when we face an adversary who not only fights back but is determined to destroy us. Then, those who made the decisions can say "We may have been beaten, but look how much we saved".