Quarter of RAF trainee pilots to be sacked
Today In Parliament
An Opposition Day Motion:
MILITARY COVENANT
Edward Miliband
]Mr Jim Murphy
Mr Douglas Alexander
John Healey
Ms Rosie Winterton
That this House supports establishing in law the definition of the Military Covenant, in so doing fulfilling the Prime Minister’s pledge of 25 June 2010 to have ‘a new Military Covenant that’s written into the law of the land’; believes that this commitment should not be diluted or sidestepped; and further supports service charities’ and families’ calls for a legally-binding Military Covenant which defines the principles that should guide Government action on all aspects of defence policy.
The selection of the matters to be debated this day has been made by the Leader of the Opposition (Standing Order No. 14(2)).
Debate may continue until 7.00 pm
The motion was defeated.
MILITARY COVENANT
Edward Miliband
]Mr Jim Murphy
Mr Douglas Alexander
John Healey
Ms Rosie Winterton
That this House supports establishing in law the definition of the Military Covenant, in so doing fulfilling the Prime Minister’s pledge of 25 June 2010 to have ‘a new Military Covenant that’s written into the law of the land’; believes that this commitment should not be diluted or sidestepped; and further supports service charities’ and families’ calls for a legally-binding Military Covenant which defines the principles that should guide Government action on all aspects of defence policy.
The selection of the matters to be debated this day has been made by the Leader of the Opposition (Standing Order No. 14(2)).
Debate may continue until 7.00 pm
The motion was defeated.
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Caz,
yes, I never imagined otherwise - equally the redundancy terms from the RAF will originate with government also. That it is HMG driving the cut in aircraft numbers is also a given, although it is arguable that mismanagement of funds has occurred within the services as well as within HMG and CS, ultimately leading to the requirement for the pain we now experience.
My main complaint re-Cameron is that the SDSR was hurried and botched, we should have looked at what was essential to our national defence, then decided what to keep and what to axe - and I don't think for one moment this is what actually happened.
Xenolith - given the opposition did nothing when they had the chance, I regard this as poltical points scoring on a topic that should be above party politics, therefore nobody emerges from the lack of debate with a shred of honour intact.
Politicians have never been trustworthy, it's about time we had some sort of national testing for common sense and coopted the top 100 scorers into parliament... 100 would be plenty, why the hell we have over 600 of the weasels is beyond my understanding.
Dave
yes, I never imagined otherwise - equally the redundancy terms from the RAF will originate with government also. That it is HMG driving the cut in aircraft numbers is also a given, although it is arguable that mismanagement of funds has occurred within the services as well as within HMG and CS, ultimately leading to the requirement for the pain we now experience.
My main complaint re-Cameron is that the SDSR was hurried and botched, we should have looked at what was essential to our national defence, then decided what to keep and what to axe - and I don't think for one moment this is what actually happened.
Xenolith - given the opposition did nothing when they had the chance, I regard this as poltical points scoring on a topic that should be above party politics, therefore nobody emerges from the lack of debate with a shred of honour intact.
Politicians have never been trustworthy, it's about time we had some sort of national testing for common sense and coopted the top 100 scorers into parliament... 100 would be plenty, why the hell we have over 600 of the weasels is beyond my understanding.
Dave
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Not as off thread as some might first think, but can someone explain to me why all government programmes except foreign aid were cut?
What is it about foreign aid that makes it the exception?
What is it about foreign aid that makes it the exception?
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Just a thought, those told they will be made redundant will leave in Sep 12, and the RAF are not recruiting again until 2013. If the guy was in the age bracket what would stop him leaving and then walking straight back into the careers office a few months later? "look at me", quick refresher on whatever and hes / shes back in the game. Provided said person really wanted to join such an organisation as disappointing as ours having just been shafted by them. Difficult choice i guess.
If the guy was in the age bracket what would stop him leaving and then walking straight back into the careers office a few months later? "look at me", quick refresher on whatever and hes / shes back in the game.
The answer is the only thing that might stop that is age limits. I hope someone tries it, succeeds and gets their pay backdated.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
I said this earlier. It could certainly apply to your 19 year old direct entrant. Two years out, if they still wanted in, would be of benefit. They might also return on re-entrant terms with a minimal IOT but they will need to keep their uniforms as they won't get a new issue 
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As I stood in my garden this afternoon, in the sun, under a lovely blue sky I watched a Tucano, doing what they do, and wondered what exactly the motivation for the presumably student pilot was, as he awaited his fate, chop or not chop.
So sad.
Once this country was run by Lions.
So sad.
Once this country was run by Lions.
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Phew............are you lot still discussing this? I think some of you need to move away from your monitor and take a breather. Its sad and all that for those concerned but it doesn't even affect 99% of you so why bother going over and over and over the same ground. Let it go until there is some firm news.
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It'll be just like the film Independence Day.
when an emergency comes, they'll ask for drunken crop-sprayers with Falklands Experience and allocate them an F35 or F22 that they'll fly brilliantly.
How hard can that be?
when an emergency comes, they'll ask for drunken crop-sprayers with Falklands Experience and allocate them an F35 or F22 that they'll fly brilliantly.
How hard can that be?
Gentleman Aviator
drunken crop-sprayers with Falklands Experience
Back to facts again......
Has anyone seen or generated a set of charts for each platform showing the current number of pilots currently qualified, and then the number qualifying added on a year by year basis?
This would allow people to compare how many pilots there are today, next year, the year after etc etc, assuming pass/fail rates remained consistent and allowing for the loss of irreplaceable aircraft, and for retiring pilots.
It seems to me that this kind of data is necessary to have a sensible discussion ...
If for example, current (graduating) training rates allowing for the current rate of retirement, and allowing for the occasional aircraft being u/s, results in a glut of pilots in 2 years time such that the number exceeds the available seats in the aircraft by 100% then there would be less argument if the difference were 1%.
Does anyone actually know the numbers involved on a timeline base ?
Or is everyone assuming the numbers don't look so obviously out of whack that something had to be done ?
Has anyone seen or generated a set of charts for each platform showing the current number of pilots currently qualified, and then the number qualifying added on a year by year basis?
This would allow people to compare how many pilots there are today, next year, the year after etc etc, assuming pass/fail rates remained consistent and allowing for the loss of irreplaceable aircraft, and for retiring pilots.
It seems to me that this kind of data is necessary to have a sensible discussion ...
If for example, current (graduating) training rates allowing for the current rate of retirement, and allowing for the occasional aircraft being u/s, results in a glut of pilots in 2 years time such that the number exceeds the available seats in the aircraft by 100% then there would be less argument if the difference were 1%.
Does anyone actually know the numbers involved on a timeline base ?
Or is everyone assuming the numbers don't look so obviously out of whack that something had to be done ?
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Not quite the full details you're asking for but I can tell you that there are exactly 200 students in pools 1 & 2. So that's all the pilots currently on IOT (including those on E Sqn) or in the early stages of EFT.
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what hope our children
How do I explain to my son who wants so desperately to follow in his fathers footsteps that hes wasting his time . He has no other desire than to serve his country and be the best godammmn fighter pilot in the world
Consequently he is now researching how to obtain American Citizenship and join USAF to fly F18s off carriers and who can blame him !
Consequently he is now researching how to obtain American Citizenship and join USAF to fly F18s off carriers and who can blame him !
