The future for flying training in the RAF (and other services) does indeed look rather bleak. With MFTS presumably intending to employ mostly ex-mil instructors but the RAF not training so many once it no longer has need where will Ascent find its people in the future? If the RAF is going to bolster MFTS with its own QFIs where is the saving from contractorization going to come when Ascent will be utilising our airfields? Paying a third party to lease ac on our behalf cannot be cheaper than leasing them ourselves once profit margin is taken into account.
I'm left with the feeling that the sole purpose of MFTS is to provide SOs with employment once they retire.
When I joined up we prided ourselves that although our equipment might not be as good as the Spams ('all the gear, no idea') our training system & our crews were first class. Whether that was ever true is open to debate but we certainly cannot claim that our training is the best nor will it be under MFTS. I'm not convinced it will even be value for money & once we can no longer provide our own training .....? Perhaps the expectation is that it will all be RPAS by then so we needn't worry but the Duncan Sandys' School of Prophecy has been wrong before.