Recruitment onto the 74/78 has been more due to a f**k up in the numbers and to make the training system cope better rather than any logical reason!! As most of the flight managers sorting it out are ex RAF, you won't be surprised to learn it all trundles along in the same disjointed way......
There are no bases other than LHR and LGW and under the current regime, probably won't be any others (except perhaps a Madrid low cost base - cynic? Moi?).