Pilot shortage?
House of Commons
Oral Evidence
Taken Before The Public Accounts Committee
Ministry of Defence: Typhoon
Wednesday 9 March 2011
Ursula Brennan, Air Vice Marshal Simon Bollom and Air Vice Marshal Stephen Hillier.
Stephen Hillier: Could I just come back? We have 48 pilots who are trained for the tasks that we require them to do. Eight of them are required to be trained for the multi-role task, and we have eight trained in that role. We have 48 pilots overall.
Corrected Evidence - 860-i
TJ
Oral Evidence
Taken Before The Public Accounts Committee
Ministry of Defence: Typhoon
Wednesday 9 March 2011
Ursula Brennan, Air Vice Marshal Simon Bollom and Air Vice Marshal Stephen Hillier.
Stephen Hillier: Could I just come back? We have 48 pilots who are trained for the tasks that we require them to do. Eight of them are required to be trained for the multi-role task, and we have eight trained in that role. We have 48 pilots overall.
Corrected Evidence - 860-i
TJ
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Really Annoyed - Alas I am an ex-Stacker so those duties fall on others now.
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Having read about half of that transcript, it amazes me that the 'interrogees' kept their cool with such seemingly unqualified questioning, and at times, inane wording!
Bulls*** baffles brains, but bulls*** for brains beats heads against a brick wall
Bulls*** baffles brains, but bulls*** for brains beats heads against a brick wall
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Having read about half of that transcript, it amazes me that the 'interrogees' kept their cool with such seemingly unqualified questioning, and at times, inane wording!
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Sure enough the Bearded Bulls**tter is right in there on the Telegraph letters page with an SOP dig at the RAF over this-he's now sporting a double barrelled moniker. All rather rich considering that the FAA NEVER had enough fixed wing pilots since the introduction of the FRS1. They have now though.
Well, to an outsider it would obviously seem rather odd that the RAF has recently canned a whole bunch of trainee pilots and technically must also now have a few surplus Nimrod, Harrier and F3 aircrew - yet there is an alleged 'shortage' of pilots despite a manpower strength of 40000?
Pilots discarded in RAF cuts are needed to carry out missions in Libya - Telegraph
Amazing - no mention of the SH-word in Ward, sorry, MacCartan-Ward's letter. He's slipping!
Pilots discarded in RAF cuts are needed to carry out missions in Libya - Telegraph
Amazing - no mention of the SH-word in Ward, sorry, MacCartan-Ward's letter. He's slipping!
30 odd thousand in the RN and they are constantly telling us they couldnt manage another Falklands Taskforce!
What do they all do?
Writing letters to the Torygraph it seems.....
What do they all do?
Writing letters to the Torygraph it seems.....
Typhoon Display - Suspension
We very much regret that it will not be possible for the Typhoon Display Team to display at some of its planned air shows in the immediate future. We sympathise with the publics’ disappointment but operational requirements must remain our priority.
It is the aim to reinstate the 2011 display season at the earliest opportunity as soon as operational circumstances allow.
Although the Typhoon aircraft will not be present members of the Typhoon Display team are planning to be in attendance at the 16 planned air show venues in the UK and Netherlands, where they will be able to provide information and answer questions.
RAF Typhoon Display Team - News
TJ
We very much regret that it will not be possible for the Typhoon Display Team to display at some of its planned air shows in the immediate future. We sympathise with the publics’ disappointment but operational requirements must remain our priority.
It is the aim to reinstate the 2011 display season at the earliest opportunity as soon as operational circumstances allow.
Although the Typhoon aircraft will not be present members of the Typhoon Display team are planning to be in attendance at the 16 planned air show venues in the UK and Netherlands, where they will be able to provide information and answer questions.
RAF Typhoon Display Team - News
TJ
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This is really a non story!. All elements of the armed forces are short of "suitable/experienced" aircrew.
The only question is: "at what point do we openly accept a crash because our experience levels are so so low?"
Regards
Ralphmalph
The only question is: "at what point do we openly accept a crash because our experience levels are so so low?"
Regards
Ralphmalph
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That "fewer airshow displays" PR release from the RAF is a pretty shrewd move.
It seems Joe Public rarely gives two hoots about defence unless it means that they might not get an opputunity to see something fast make a lot of noise at their local airshow.
Perhaps as a futher move, obviously to make best use of experienced crews, would be to ground the Red Arrows for the time being so that their highly-experienced crews can be transfered into the Typhoon training pipeline?
It seems Joe Public rarely gives two hoots about defence unless it means that they might not get an opputunity to see something fast make a lot of noise at their local airshow.
Perhaps as a futher move, obviously to make best use of experienced crews, would be to ground the Red Arrows for the time being so that their highly-experienced crews can be transfered into the Typhoon training pipeline?
With a 6-month (?) OCU and the OCU closed anyway, I don't think that would work. 
How can these idiots keep getting Typhoon and Tornado mixed up? We're just canning 2 x GR4 sqns, so what doesn't Mr Ward get about 30 available pilots. Anyway, the original report said shortage of Typhoon pilots, Tornado wasn't even mentioned.
How can these idiots keep getting Typhoon and Tornado mixed up? We're just canning 2 x GR4 sqns, so what doesn't Mr Ward get about 30 available pilots. Anyway, the original report said shortage of Typhoon pilots, Tornado wasn't even mentioned.
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just another jockey - I'm aware of pipelines times etc, but Joe Public isn't.
Perhaps the spectre of not seeing 9 red Hawks doing their thing during the summer will be the 'lightbulb going on' moment for the great unwashed and as such the only means by which a message regarding the wholesale destruction of this country's military capability can be put across.
'We' know it'd be a token gesture but does the average 'The Sun' reader?
Perhaps the spectre of not seeing 9 red Hawks doing their thing during the summer will be the 'lightbulb going on' moment for the great unwashed and as such the only means by which a message regarding the wholesale destruction of this country's military capability can be put across.
'We' know it'd be a token gesture but does the average 'The Sun' reader?