The Command Development Programme was very very unevenly applied, depending on which base you were in.
Some walked straight into a PCLA. Some spent up to a year doing it, only to get told to come back in 6 months.
As Camel said: Don't expect to be at home much if you're in one of the bigger bases. It's not the lifestyle that it was when I first joined. It isn't a bad place though by any stretch of the imagination. As with everywhere, there's always going to be things that get under your skin. The CDO to avoid the Scheduling Agreement is a big one, especially if you're nightstopping all the time, in which case 2 days at home is a flattener before going back to another really early start.
But it is good fun, the crew are superb, the routes are varied and the direction that the company is moving in is both very refreshing to see, and also something that we have wanted for a long time. When the new joiners get online, I'm sure roster disruption and the regular phone calls on days off will slow down a bit too. But on balance, it isn't what I joined, but there are many worse places out there.