Quarter of RAF trainee pilots to be sacked

[Jabba_TG12]

"There is said to be growing fury in the upper ranks of the RAF, with the Chief of the Air Staff in conflict with senior commanders over the scale of cuts. RAF command was a “crucible of ill-feeling and that starts at very, very senior levels”, a senior military figure said"

Well, if they feel that strongly about it, they know what they can do... but I bet a pound to a pinch of sh*t that none of them do.

Sympathy for the 38 WO's as well... but in the same way as the trainee pilots, these figures are being released as a political weapon through the press in order to try and discredit the decision makers/try and put one over on MOD/cause embarrassment, etc etc.

It wont have been done this way through incompetence. It would have been deliberately leaked in this manner to cause exactly the effect it has... for 24 hours until Joe Public has forgotten about it and moved back on to what happened in last night's EastEnders...

[andyy]

ZM

PS. The RN are still training Fighter Controllers because there is still a need to be able to control fighters in a maritime environment, believe it or not. Whether those fighters are provided by the RAF (operating with HNS or tanking) or Allies.

[Tourist]

Zulu.

The RN does still have fixed wing pilots and aircraft, and will for the forceable future.

[teeteringhead]

Hope there's a good supply of old pianos in the Vale of York, Linconshire and Anglesey...

.... and Shropshire too I trust.

[MrPVRd]

Utterly crazy and short-sighted. How much money has been urinated away training these guys? How much money will be wasted recruiting another tranche in five years time? RAF should restream or second them overseas (one way exchange?). They won't be to blame if they assemble en masse outside Stn gates at 1700hrs for a press conference...what more can the RAF or MoD do to them?

[Mr C Hinecap]

We were specifically briefed NOT to discuss numbers outside the room.

I was sent an Internal Briefing Note with figures on it - so one didn't need to be in any room. There is no caveat on the IBN either.

[airborne_artist]

RAF should restream or second them overseas (one way exchange?)

Re-stream them as what, exactly? The RAF is overmanned.

And which of the colonies is so short of pilots, do you think?

[glad rag]

Bad times, really bad times ......

And it's only February................

[Strobin Purple]

With the RN-RAF slaggin' about to start and a surprising amount of gleeful Schadenfreude on Arrse:

Grim day for the RAF - 25% of trainee pilots to be axed.

we, the services, really do deserve everything we get.

I can't really get over the responses of some so-called military aviators and their attitudes to those being made redundant today. It smacks of the society we are supposedly representing these days maybe? All about me, me, me (or my service, my service, my service)!

Imagine how we would be able to perform against the Treasury if all 3 services were simply mutually supportive of each other's capabilities and efforts and had a coherent view from all senior commanders?

.....I know, I know, I'll get me coat!

[MrPVRd]

It's the complete wrong end of the demographic spectrum. If the RAF is overmanned then those at the other end should be chopped. These baby pilots will have the airmanship experience to fit into a number of other branches, with lesser training time, with the prospect of giving productive flying service in later years. I would like to think that the RAF has looked at every possible option, rather than the easiest and most disloyal, but I somehow doubt it.

[sangiovese.]

Very saddened about all this but, if you have been made redundant today, balpa, oaa, bristol and several others are good ports of call for advice - perhaps they might even talk to crewrooms en masse. I hope they can help you all still join have a career in flying.

[camelspyyder]

MrPVRd

Do you not think that chopping the top of the pyramid would leave a massive void of experience and leadership?

It seems to me that the aim is to slice the side off the pyramid. Today a third of the trainees have gone - on 1 Mar 11 we may see a third of the first tourists out and a third of the old lags (although my trade is overmanned by more than a third so I'm expecting it to be worse)

The RAF has not disposed of all of its new pilots, just the 30% we have no seats for.

A sad day nonetheless

CS

[SATCOS WHIPPING BOY]

C130jBloke: Does anybody know what criteria is being used to make the decisions ? By this, I mean is it purely on training sorite assassment or is there some other method ?

I ask as I wonder if the senario will occur where a chopped FJ stude will some how crossover to a ME slot ( assumeing he was a nil training risk who in "normal" times would have been a dead cert for CR on a Harrier Sqn).

I hope I am making sense and my thoughts are with all of the students and staff today.

I don't think anyone yet knows the criteria that will be used for clearing the decks. We must assume though that some planning has gone into the task and that it has not been given to some disgruntled scribbly to pull names from a hat.

What you must hope though (and I do jest) is that it will not be based upon spelling ability but one cannot be certain

[Pontius Navigator]

C130J,

As I surmised earlier, I suspect OQs will feature where there is a number of studes with similar skill/training risk levels.

As for a FJ pilot in the bottom quartile passing across to ME I would suspect not.

[Track Coastal]

Good OQs blurs with yes men. Poor OQs with smart blokes who ask hard questions.

[On_Loan]

ZM - The RN trains FCs not just to control British aircraft; its a big wide world out there and as our forces continue to shrink it can be the case where in the majority of cases it is a coalition affair- jets still need controlling and if you are a part of a task group you need to be prepared to do that

[BEagle]

Ah yes, good old Ahhh Roger Waitout will no doubt continue to confuse aircraft wherever HM's little grey boats continue to bob up and down on the briny....

Will the FCs embarked on HMS Incapability, the RN's future aircraftless carrier, have much to do? Or, errm, just play with themselves pretending to be fighter and target?

Today must go down as one of the blackest days in the RAF's post-war history.

[Runaway Gun]

With the poor guys and girls being told to leave before they get their wings, exactly what will they qualify for in respect to civilian licences?

Also, despite airlines suggesting they have a need for ex-military pilots, they are unlikely to take any of these quality aviators due to their relative inexperience.

[randomrover]

ZULU

I was biting in turn at:

"Anyway by the same logic how overmanned does the RN fixed wing FAA look right now? No doubt they are next."

Today is a terrible day for the RAF and many individuals. I am absolutely gutted for many good friends who this will affect.

My point was that FAA Fixed Wing was hurting just as hard a few months ago. Fixed Wing Standards apart I'm not sure there is anything left to be "next".


"I bit at the previous comment about the RN dismantling their FW system and not crying about it. They haven't which is why they didn't."

It has and they are. We agree that today should be about those high calibre people who have been badly let down.

[A2QFI]

I think they will have no relevant qualifications from their RAF service. Strictly speaking they will be ex-RAF student pilots and that won't count for much either. Hard times all round I am afraid.