A British Home Guard??

[rotormad]

Just a quickie..

Does anyone out there think that the Governement (MOD) should follow the Yanks and start a programme to utilise the experienced commercial pilots out there to military ends??

I appreciate the complication in training limitations and so forth, but this is mearly a hypothetical question!!

Rotormad

[flickoff]

What a bostin' idea! Not just commercial pilots either; the aeroclub to which I belong, formed in some pre war era, has as one of its aim, "to provide a body of men skill in aviation in time of crisis" Let's get the airbourne Home Guard up and running, I cannot wait for my check ride in a Eurofighter!

[tony draper]

Yeh, Good plan, Drapes still gorris Martini Henry with the four foot anti zulu bayonet, don't fly those airyplane thingies, but Can guard the garages yer keeps em in.
They don't like it up em. :rolleyes:

[Woff1965]

The UK used to have reserve squadrons until the mid to late 50's (?) who flew frontline fighter and strike aircraft but they were shut down.

The US has both air national guard and airforce reserve squadrons all of which have good reputations in combat (excluding the occasional examples of negligent gung-ho bomb dropping).

I have never understood why the RAF (and the RN for that matter) don't insist that all pilots leaving the service should have to serve a period in the reserves flying operationally. The US manages it and as a result they have large numbers of operational units at a somewhat reduced cost providing an ability to surge the front line strength when required.

I suspect that with our politicians what would happen is that any such reserve units would actually be used instead of the regular RAF rather than as an addition to them in times of crisis.

[BlueWolf]

Good call! Someone will doubtless correct me as to the exact wording, but the 2nd Ammendment to the US Constitution says something like, "A well-regulated miltia being essential to the preservation of a Free State, the right of the People to bear arms shall not be infringed".

This could be updated, to include "nor their right to hang bangy things off aeroplanes, nor their right to stick four-foot bayonets up bad people in times of crisis. Oi!!":ok:

[MadsDad]

Only a civilian, but.......

I recall reading in the papers a few years ago (2-3) that the RAF was trying to get a flying reserve and had a reserve pilot for the first time since the 50s, maintaining currency over weekends during the year (on Fins as I recall but all types/dates are subject to the depredations of time and Exmoor Ale).

Anyway there doesn't seem to have been any mention of this lately and that, combined with the comments above, seems to indicate the scheme was dropped.

Anyone know if I'm correct?

[opso]

The full time reserve service and reservist schemes are still both running. Not just on fins and, indeed, the take up rate on ME has been higher.

FTRS seems to be going fairly seamlessly in most places, but the reservist scheme does have some complications that have given it some negative press in-house. For example, owing to their outside-job, a reservist has a limited window of availability, but still needs to maintain currency. If you're an AT driver, that means getting in a route on the one weekend that you are available - if there isn't a daytrip on then, you lose currency and the sqn then has to send you on a screened trip when you are next available. This happens a lot and so a high percentage of reservist flying is done screened. This is not the fault of the individual reservist, but having a regular service screen on board does kind of defeat the ideal of having a reservist in the first place!

[SPIT]

I do not see why they have not , after all the Army have a section called the Home Defence Unit (I think this is the name) They are attached to TA units and are strictly part timers and for Home Defence being too old for the TA or Reg's.:eek: :eek: