Hmmm ... I might disagree with some aspects of that, Danny.
1. Many of the young ladies I trained with and worked with were less than stunning! Chunky or twig-thin seemed the norm
2. Some did indeed depart the fix early into the arms/beds of aircrew, but they tended to amortise their training [as indeed they still did when I left the system]. Others had full careers, at least to the 38/16 point and in some cases beyond. Although my
gorgeous OCTU (Feltwell) girlfriend from Junior Blue Sqn [I was on Yellow] apparently lasted less than 6 months into productive service - ISTR she was Admin (Sec).
3. "Good A-levels would suffice" ... so my 6 O-levels, acquired over 2 years of apathetic interest in Skool must have made me a miracle!! All we needed then was 5 O-levels for DE(SSC) commissions. I recall vividly the tension at my interview with AOC MATO about getting a Permanent Commission [to 38/16]. Mercifully, subsequent promotion to sqn ldr assured the cash-flow to 55
4. I believe the upper age limit for entry into ATC training was eventually made 34. After that, it was deemed [from CATCS stats] that the success rate [one never says 'failure'] dropped off markedly. I know from front-line OJT training, never having done CATCS as an Instructor, that the older ab inito ATCOs were much slower and harder to train. They just didn't have the mental agility, or speed of thought/action, that was needed at the busy Units [Terminal and Area] that I was working/training on.
I had the unpleasant task of 'sacking' 2 sqn ldrs at Eastern Radar, posted in their later years [45+ ?]straight off the Area Course as potential Supervisors - they had no chance of coping, despite our best efforts. But the policy then was that all ATC sqn ldrs should have an Area ticket ... regardless of age/ability. A sad period in my career, as OC Training Sqn and Local Examining Officer [LEO].
5. However ...
my generation was schooled by
yours, and we were rapidly show/taught/told which end was up. As a baby plt off in 65, my mentors were all WW2 aircrew with little tolerance for anything other than 100% professionalism in dress*, behaviour and [of course] controlling. I was abused and whacked with a Nav ruler on a few occasions by bemedalled MAcr, WO and flt lts
* At CATCS in 65, our Instructor (Flt Lt Nat Tr***er, long departed) used to inspect us A/Plt Offs in the morning to ensure our [detachable] collars were clean and buttons shiny. If not, we were sternly advised too speak to our Batman about
his performance
Nat and I subsequently worked together at ERD on the shop floor