Questions about Fleet Air Arm, Royal Marines etc

[Tightman]

Folks,

Pardon the random miscellany enquired here, but I've a few questions I'd love answers to:

i) Does a Royam Marines fast jet pilot keep his RM rank or adopt a RN rank when joining the FAA?

ii) Are there any circumstances under which a RM FJ pilot would return to the Marines after completion, or "near-completion", of FJ training?

iii) Are there any circumstances under which a Navy FJ pilot would transfer to the Marines after completion, or "near-completion", of FJ training?

iv) Is there a point at which a FJ pilot retires from FJ duties - I know Sir Jock Stirrup is still serving at 60, but does he still have his FJ wings? Would there still be senior flyers in frontline operational squadrons?

Many thanks folks.

All will become clear when you see my guaranteed, soon-to-be bestselling prominently displayed on the shelves of your local bookstore - acknowledgments to PPRune, of course!

[Pontius Navigator]

Not a Troll :)

I have replied off board.

As an aside, one of our F4 nav instructors was a USMC Captain and he left the RAF F4 to become a foot slogger in Vietnam.

[Tightman]

Sorry Unchecked,

I ought to have specified those RM officers who train for FAA aircrew after training - roughly 5 per year or so I hear ...

[SammySu]

Unchecked

I know of 5 RM SHAR/GR Harrier pilots in recent years. There a 3 booties active on 800NAS right now.

Suggest you try a little harder with your research....

[ZoomBoot]

The RM have no FJ aircraft, therefore no FJ pilots !

Probably won't have any RW pilots soon, if the rumours surrounding SDSR are to be believed !

I feel that your book may not be hitting any bookstores anytime soon, unless you try a little harder with the research. I am a Royal Marines Harrier pilot actually.

Well until 1530L tomorrow at least...

[Old-Duffer]

It is not necessary for a Royal Marine to assume another rank/service just because he goes fast jet with either the RN or RAF. At some stage he might elect to transfer between services (David Morgan DSC post-Falklands: RAF 2 RN) but that's a separate issue.

There are opportunities for officers to 'exchange' between services in many specialities, not just FJ or even flying.

Jock Stirrup wears the 'RAF Flying Badge' because he is a qualified pilot. There is no 'fast jet' badge per se. One is entitled to wear flying badges awarded, even if not actually employed on flying duties, unless there is some reason to rescind the award eg does not complete all training for the retention of the badge.

When one stops active flying, one can elect to wear any of the aircrew badges for which one qualified (used to work with an RAF officer who wore the Glider Pilot badge awarded when the RAF sent him to fly Horsas across the Rhine in 1945 - looks v smart on a No: 1 as well).

As for flying fast jets, the services don't have an age limit (it used to be 47 for flying pay at one stage) but it depends on need, proficiency, medical fitness and a host of other criteria. The Jaguar force deployed a 54(?) year old FJ pilot to Gulf War One but in general terms there is a natural scaling back as the years' progress and relatively few pilots or navs are still on fast jets at chucking out time (generally 55) {there will now follow a series of posts about somebody's dad who was still at it at 97}

Hope this helps.

O-D

[david parry]

Tightman .....An aside i know, thought you might like to read a bit of history of some famous Booty Aircrew Flying Marines - Royal Marine pilots of the Royal Navy in WW2. Fleet Air Arm Archive 1939-1945 Contents Page (http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/RollofHonour/RoyalMarines.html)