Farewell Nimrod QFIs
Farewell Nimrod QFIs
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Sure Sid, no panic.
Heard that the only QFI left on Stn will be the guy that recently transferred from Tonkas. A few months on the deployable squadrons, then off to 42perhaps??
Enjoy the north Sid.....did you sell the house?
Heard that the only QFI left on Stn will be the guy that recently transferred from Tonkas. A few months on the deployable squadrons, then off to 42perhaps??
Enjoy the north Sid.....did you sell the house?
Avoid imitations
Join Date: Nov 2000
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A year is actually plenty of time for replacement pilots to have their brains removed. The QFI course is only 4 months, unless things have changed over recent years.
Surely there must be some Nimrod QFIs at the UASs...
Ah, no. The beancounters have virtually killed off the UASs, so forget that one.
BFTS? Errm, no. It's BJ FTS or something silly nowadays. Can't afford to train non-FJ streamed pilots on basic trainers these days, which means that there are probably no ME QFIs on the Tucano. So forget that idea.
The days of "We're getting six volunteer pilots from Coastal Command, and from the Fleet Air Arm, sir. Five from each of the Fairy Battle squadrons and three from Army co-operation, sir." to make up critical shortages are long since gone...
Jock, me old B squadron RAFC chum, in case you hadn't noticed, the RAF's corporate control column is coming back and its rudder pedals are going to full extreme.
And you solution to all this is..........??
"Could an experienced, non-QFI, pilot do the job as an FI?" How? Who will guide him/her as to the requirements? And don't forget that ME pilots receive a fraction of the pre-OCU training they once did, so the concept of inexperienced 'FIs' teaching very inexperienced ab-initios to fly the Mighty Muncher would seem fraught with risk to me.
Ah, no. The beancounters have virtually killed off the UASs, so forget that one.
BFTS? Errm, no. It's BJ FTS or something silly nowadays. Can't afford to train non-FJ streamed pilots on basic trainers these days, which means that there are probably no ME QFIs on the Tucano. So forget that idea.
The days of "We're getting six volunteer pilots from Coastal Command, and from the Fleet Air Arm, sir. Five from each of the Fairy Battle squadrons and three from Army co-operation, sir." to make up critical shortages are long since gone...
Jock, me old B squadron RAFC chum, in case you hadn't noticed, the RAF's corporate control column is coming back and its rudder pedals are going to full extreme.
And you solution to all this is..........??
"Could an experienced, non-QFI, pilot do the job as an FI?" How? Who will guide him/her as to the requirements? And don't forget that ME pilots receive a fraction of the pre-OCU training they once did, so the concept of inexperienced 'FIs' teaching very inexperienced ab-initios to fly the Mighty Muncher would seem fraught with risk to me.
Beags,
Hate to tell you it but something like 75% of the QFIs at linton these days are ME pilots.... (although IIRC there is a requirement for them to have at least flown the tin-can in the past but I'm not sure on that!)
Hate to tell you it but something like 75% of the QFIs at linton these days are ME pilots.... (although IIRC there is a requirement for them to have at least flown the tin-can in the past but I'm not sure on that!)
And if the FIs are leaving too ........?
Perhaps somebody should ask the question why the 42 Sqn QFIs are all leaving? I presume they aren't spending as much (any?) time away as frontline pilots? In theory they have a more regular 9 to 5 existance? What is the PVR rate for experienced frontline Nimrod pilots? All questions worth asking as part of the big picture.
The attention grabing news is that the OCU QFIs are all (allegedly) leaving, but how many are we talking about, 6, more, less. What is the loss rate in terms of experienced pilots from the frontline?
Perhaps somebody should ask the question why the 42 Sqn QFIs are all leaving? I presume they aren't spending as much (any?) time away as frontline pilots? In theory they have a more regular 9 to 5 existance? What is the PVR rate for experienced frontline Nimrod pilots? All questions worth asking as part of the big picture.
The attention grabing news is that the OCU QFIs are all (allegedly) leaving, but how many are we talking about, 6, more, less. What is the loss rate in terms of experienced pilots from the frontline?
Last edited by Biggus; 24th Feb 2007 at 16:55.
I'll rephrase it then.....
The concept of pilots with no real QFI experience teaching very inexperienced ab-initios to fly the Mighty Muncher would seem fraught with risk to me.
Back in the days when the country could still afford an air force, QFIs would normally do at least 3 years of ab-initio instructing at a UAS or BFTS and have gained their A2 category before being released to instruct at OCUs.
But I guess some staff officer will come up with a cheap 'patch over the cracks' idea to appease the Airships.......yet again.
The concept of pilots with no real QFI experience teaching very inexperienced ab-initios to fly the Mighty Muncher would seem fraught with risk to me.
Back in the days when the country could still afford an air force, QFIs would normally do at least 3 years of ab-initio instructing at a UAS or BFTS and have gained their A2 category before being released to instruct at OCUs.
But I guess some staff officer will come up with a cheap 'patch over the cracks' idea to appease the Airships.......yet again.
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Originally Posted by pba_target
Hate to tell you it but something like 75% of the QFIs at linton these days are ME pilots.... (although IIRC there is a requirement for them to have at least flown the tin-can in the past but I'm not sure on that!)
A guess at numbers actually puts it at something like 50% FJ, 10% RW, 25% ME, and 15% Creamies. Can't think of many from the Nimrod.
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Dunc,
Him aside, there's only 2 I know of; one off soon, and one leaving soon! Admittedly I don't know where everyone came from, but I can't think of any other Nimrod guys off hand.
Him aside, there's only 2 I know of; one off soon, and one leaving soon! Admittedly I don't know where everyone came from, but I can't think of any other Nimrod guys off hand.
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Hope the QFIs on 42 Sqn enjoy their final jolly to ?? the weekend after next. Never mind that there are people on the front-line that have never been overseas anywhere other than the sandpit. I'm sure going to unfamiliar airfield overseas will be of far more use to them and NetJets than it would be to future Nimrod Captains/1st Navs etc