In 1949, knowing I was due to be called up for National Service and having read in "Flight" or some such that NS pilots were being trained I went into the recruiting office at Haven Green, Ealing and expressed my desire to aviate. A couple of months later I pitched up at Padgate to be told "wait over there" and was amazed to find that they knew about me. (And I didn't even have a number at that point!) But I am sorry to say that from then on the RAF seems to have gradually deteriorated, certainly judging from comments in PPrune.