Originally Posted by
athonite
While it's always sad when a pilot loses his/her life, there are previous posts flagging up the pilot's RAF experience, while the press claim the pilot as ex RAF, ace, etc.. I'm not sure you can describe someone as an ex-RAF pilot, or RAF trained if he didn't gain his wings and complete OCU, that is a bit disrespectful to those you gained their wings and flew on operational squadrons with the RAF, RN and Army.
As to display authorisation, I would have though it is not wise, even to consider someone for DA, unless he has completed OCU and a tour with the RAF or RN, on a similar category of aircraft, it simply impossible that someone gain the experience that someone gains through a career in the military. You simply can not purchase military experience. My suggestion would be 1500 on fast jets in a military environment before DA is consider.
Having looked at the experience of the six Gnat display pilots the breakdown is as follows:
2 pilot's with military career background and one a very experienced test pilot, really no problems here.
1 Pilot, RAF (1998-2001), UAS, IOT and some flying on Tocano's and Hawks, but didn't progress onto OCU, question previously asked why?
3 Pilots, only military experience is UAS or AEF (Chipmunks, Gliders, Bulldog), with PPL, CPL, or ATPL civil qualifications background.
It Just started to make me wonder if this a rather exclusive gentlemen's flying club, and in terms of it's charitable status and the tax benefits, whether this group is or was more for the pilots benefits than a public benefit.
It's a bit harsh isn't it? Maybe he didn't finish because he felt his future lay elsewhere for all kinds of other reasons that have nothing to do with his ability to fly.
I know very many good pilots from UAS that chose other careers a few years ago simply because they didn't think they would actually go flying. Budget cuts etc tend to do that.
The last paragraph is distasteful - firstly even the very best pilots with
Mil backgrounds can crash and it serves nobody to make lists here but come on. In the end the process around getting a DA is well established and if there has been any "err" I think I'd rather put it down to people being human than being motivated by a tax benefit... One thing I'm pretty sure won't be mentioned in the AAIB report