All RAAF FCs to get a Brevet and Flying Pay

[round&round]

Have heard a rumour that the RAAF is to make it's entire FC branch a flying trade. To do this they will award all personnel a brevet and give them Flying Pay on the basis that they will do the Wedgetail OCU at some point. They will get WSO terms of service and keep FP for their careers.

If true, this will undoubtedly hit RAF retention in a branch that is already acknowledged as having severe manning difficulties and has already had several cross overs down under. Can any RAAF pruners confirm?

[antipodean alligator]

http://www.defence.gov.au/news/raafnews/editions/4821/topstories/story04.htm:ok:

[Faithless]

Frick me all this about flying pay here and there. I have just been moved to a desk job. I would love to fly again be it RAF,ARMY or NAVY nevermind about going to the other side of the world.....LET ME FLY...please:{

[Surditas]

The big parade is on at Willytown on Monday. They're going to hand out brevets to fighter controllers en masse.
No-one seems happy about it: the (former) two-winged master race sees it as a disturbance of the right order of things, the Navs are all pissed off at being mistaken for AIRDEFENDOs and the AIRDEFENDOs are all waiting for their jet to turn up.

A mate of mine predicts dire things when our AIRDEFENDOs finally get airborne. He said, what with most of them never having flown before and now suddenly told they are mission commanders it will be like taking the Orderley Room flying and having them command the mission.

[BellEndBob]

Here we go. Sitting in the back of an airliner can only be done by 'proper aircrew' who have done the 'proper survival course' and have a 'proper brevet'...blah blah blah.

There is only one brevet worth having and that is a pilots one. However, carrying out your professional duties as a trained professional is not just the god given right of aircrew.

It would take a darn sight more than a few bob to get me to willytown anyway. Been there twice and it is a dump.

[StopStart]

I don't really see a problem with it. I'm sure it's a pretty tricky course in the first place and I'm sure the FCs all do the required survival and aviation med courses - maybe giving them a brevet is recognition of all that and gives people a bit of pride and helps em "stand out in crowd".

Giving them a dedicated brevet and crew pay will only enhance that trade's reputation (albeit a little superficially) and will do nothing to detract from other brevets that are out there (unless the holders are particularly insecure).

PS. willytown's ok - I lived there for 3 years. I was 7 at the time though.....

[Whizzwheel]

[QUOTE=
No-one seems happy about it: the (former) two-winged master race sees it as a disturbance of the right order of things, the Navs are all pissed off at being mistaken for AIRDEFENDOs and the AIRDEFENDOs are all waiting for their jet to turn up.]

Here's an idea: why don't we go with a unique brevet with an 'FC' in the middle for Fighter Controllers or 'N' in the middle for Navs? Then people could feel great about their own mustering and individual talents. Just a thought...