Fancy rejoining....
Absolutely no way. The RAF I joined in 1980 was different to the RAF I left in 2015 and it is the younger generation who will carry the baton onwards. Those who join now will say the same thing, but substitute 1980 for 2018 and 2015 for 2053. Those year numbers are scary! Times change, but fellowship does not. There is a time to let the equivalent of our generation carry on, and drag us 'old unz' behind them. There may be fewer, but that means quality will increase. Gentlemen of the future RAF, I salute you.
I left in 2011 as I could see the RAF about to lean itself into a huge capability and experience gap (the fun had already gone several years earlier); lo and behold, 7 years on they want people back because they have a capability and experience gap.....
Apart from the huge paycut, taking a chainsaw to my quality of life and commuting from Australia, I cant imagine I'd be much use, as I'd spend all my time laughing and saying 'told you so'....
Apart from the huge paycut, taking a chainsaw to my quality of life and commuting from Australia, I cant imagine I'd be much use, as I'd spend all my time laughing and saying 'told you so'....
Quite a lot of negativity on this thread, which frankly is hardly surprising.
Apart from pilots seduced by airline pay, a lot of people probably left the RAF when their bucket of poo became larger than their bucket of fun.
Not many people were asked why they'd PVR'd and what the RAF could do to persuade them to change their minds. So anyone even contemplating rejoining the mob should do a spot of navel gazing and ask themselves why they left in the first place - and whether the cause(s) have now been mitigated.
Apart from pilots seduced by airline pay, a lot of people probably left the RAF when their bucket of poo became larger than their bucket of fun.
Not many people were asked why they'd PVR'd and what the RAF could do to persuade them to change their minds. So anyone even contemplating rejoining the mob should do a spot of navel gazing and ask themselves why they left in the first place - and whether the cause(s) have now been mitigated.
PN
Your Post No15.
I took my 8 year option at the end of '73 and the big redundancy clear out happened after that in 75/76. Lots of my mates, who either didn't have 8/12 options, or if they did had not exercised them, bailed out then.
Certainly the demise of the Comet, Brit, Belfast and Andover meant the RAF was overburdened with aircrew. Interestingly I was only aware of two of my old Nav' mates leaving, both of whom ended up as ATCOs with CAA. One of them had been Sword of Honour winner on his Cranditz course.
Bob Viking
I always enjoy your take on things - any input?
I took my 8 year option at the end of '73 and the big redundancy clear out happened after that in 75/76. Lots of my mates, who either didn't have 8/12 options, or if they did had not exercised them, bailed out then.
Certainly the demise of the Comet, Brit, Belfast and Andover meant the RAF was overburdened with aircrew. Interestingly I was only aware of two of my old Nav' mates leaving, both of whom ended up as ATCOs with CAA. One of them had been Sword of Honour winner on his Cranditz course.
Bob Viking
I always enjoy your take on things - any input?
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I know of a few guys who left early due to the demise of the Mighty Hunter. Some of them are happy to rejoin, given they didn't really want to leave in the first place.
Quite a lot of negativity on this thread, which frankly is hardly surprising.
Apart from pilots seduced by airline pay, a lot of people probably left the RAF when their bucket of poo became larger than their bucket of fun.
Not many people were asked why they'd PVR'd and what the RAF could do to persuade them to change their minds. So anyone even contemplating rejoining the mob should do a spot of navel gazing and ask themselves why they left in the first place - and whether the cause(s) have now been mitigated.
Apart from pilots seduced by airline pay, a lot of people probably left the RAF when their bucket of poo became larger than their bucket of fun.
Not many people were asked why they'd PVR'd and what the RAF could do to persuade them to change their minds. So anyone even contemplating rejoining the mob should do a spot of navel gazing and ask themselves why they left in the first place - and whether the cause(s) have now been mitigated.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Brian, did they go in 75/76 or was the redundancy then?
IIRC 72/73 had people serving for 3 more years. Very kind not kicking them out on the street - unkind not letting them go if they had a job.
There was a Nimrod Sqn Ldr on 120 who played the game. Took the money, bought a catamaran, and self-taught his children as they cruised around the Med. Once they reached secondary school age he rejoined, couldn't repay his gratuity as a lump sum and got BSA. Win-win.
IIRC 72/73 had people serving for 3 more years. Very kind not kicking them out on the street - unkind not letting them go if they had a job.
There was a Nimrod Sqn Ldr on 120 who played the game. Took the money, bought a catamaran, and self-taught his children as they cruised around the Med. Once they reached secondary school age he rejoined, couldn't repay his gratuity as a lump sum and got BSA. Win-win.
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In June 1956 I was due to join the RAF on National Service, but I was transferred from Glasgow to Derby by Rolls-Royce, to work as an aircraft engine designer on the Conway, then theoretically a military engine. I was told by the Personnel Officer at Hillington as I turned to leave his office - 'by the way you are now permanently deferred from NS'. And so I was, I never got called up.
I was not best pleased, as I had a chit from GUAS (which had no slot for me after I passed all the tests to join) saying to the recruiting people that I was to be sent straight to Cranwell when my call up came. I wanted to be a pilot. I finished my career as a Chief Engineer in an electro-optics company instead. I did become a glider pilot eventually.
"Mildly" Eccentric Stardriver
Ref the redundancy programme in the seventies. It all happened in early '75 for applications, with them having to be in by about June. The actual names were released in about October, at which point all were grounded. We were allowed to specify a date to go, and I had asked for 31 Dec 76. That meant being grounded for 14 months. Despite various objections I managed to fly for an AEF and get a few Chippie hours in.
I did virtually join a few years ago when I worked for a large contractor in a Norfolk base. I'd left the Raf in 99 and started working in the same location as the RAF approx 10 years later, kidding myself that it would be something akin to really good...I couldn't even speak the same language.
The jargon was completely different to that which I'd left and 99% god-damned american phraseology ruled.
I bit my tongue quite a lot and managed to last 4 years - but that was more than enough to remind me why I left in the 1st place!
The jargon was completely different to that which I'd left and 99% god-damned american phraseology ruled.
I bit my tongue quite a lot and managed to last 4 years - but that was more than enough to remind me why I left in the 1st place!
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It will be an interesting exercise trying to merge old style thinking with modern style ways, I feel they have a rocky road ahead, looking at some of the vacancies one is for an RAF plod, come head kennel bod, come shift manager, come corporal.... I am surprised they cannot fill such a basic position by promoting from within their own ranks.... Are they that strapped for experience?
According to this PQ there have been quite a few 'takers' for the Kipper fleet:
http://www.parliament.uk/business/pu...-01-16/123089/
>>Ministry of Defence Air Force: Re-employment
123089
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Minister for the Armed Forces of 15 January 2018, Official Report, column 605, how many former pilots who had left the RAF have applied to re-join since the announcement that his Department would purchase nine P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft in July 2016.
Answered by: Mark Lancaster
Answered on: 24 January 2018
At 17 January 2018, 38 former RAF pilots have applied to re-join the RAF since July 2016<<
Presumably these are Nimrod fugitives as opposed to airline fugitives with B737 experience?
http://www.parliament.uk/business/pu...-01-16/123089/
>>Ministry of Defence Air Force: Re-employment
123089
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Minister for the Armed Forces of 15 January 2018, Official Report, column 605, how many former pilots who had left the RAF have applied to re-join since the announcement that his Department would purchase nine P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft in July 2016.
Answered by: Mark Lancaster
Answered on: 24 January 2018
At 17 January 2018, 38 former RAF pilots have applied to re-join the RAF since July 2016<<
Presumably these are Nimrod fugitives as opposed to airline fugitives with B737 experience?
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I wonder if they approached all of the guys who were just completing their courses when they got chopped, wasn't there a bunch of chinook folks doing there type course when made redundant?
Brian48Nav
Thank you for the compliment. Since you asked, here are my musings.
Firstly I find myself, unusually, agreeing (albeit partially) with what BEagle said. Anyone wishing to rejoin must obviously consider why they first left.
I would add though that they should also consider what they enjoyed about it and what positives still exist.
You will know by now that I am something of an optimist and like to see positives rather than negatives. I am 18.5 years in and still loving it. For reasons I won’t go into on here (B48 check PMs) the overall package for me personally stacks up very well indeed.
A few quick examples include pension (still bloody good if you put the time in), overseas job opportunities (there are plenty if you’re willing to look for them) and adventurous training (I’ve had three, week long FREE ski trips, and several mountain bike expeds during my time and the only reason I haven’t done more is because I have young kids and couldn’t justify going away for ‘fun’).
Some will look at my quick list and say ‘so what’ I can earn more elsewhere, pay for my own ski trips and work on a second pension.
It would be hard to argue but this is just my take on it.
I am PAS and have a job until I’m 60 if I want it. I have no plans to leave the RAF but if I did it wouldn’t be because I hate it. It would be for a better opportunity.
If it made sense to rejoin several years later (all the reasons discussed on previous posts would be taken into account) I would do it in a heart beat.
I know I’m potentially in a minority (I also freely acknowledge that I am a long term training world REMF who does not have to repeatedly deploy overseas) but this forum usually focuses on negatives rather than positives. Maybe there are lots more like me but they just don’t feel the need to post.
At the end of the day, we all have our own reasons but we need to respect others reasons for making their decisions. I see and hear too many people scoffing at those who remain in the forces because ‘it’s not what it once was’ or ‘you can earn twice as much outside’. Maybe that’s true. Or maybe you should trust that everyone is a grown up and they have made their own decision.
Enough from me for now.
BV
Firstly I find myself, unusually, agreeing (albeit partially) with what BEagle said. Anyone wishing to rejoin must obviously consider why they first left.
I would add though that they should also consider what they enjoyed about it and what positives still exist.
You will know by now that I am something of an optimist and like to see positives rather than negatives. I am 18.5 years in and still loving it. For reasons I won’t go into on here (B48 check PMs) the overall package for me personally stacks up very well indeed.
A few quick examples include pension (still bloody good if you put the time in), overseas job opportunities (there are plenty if you’re willing to look for them) and adventurous training (I’ve had three, week long FREE ski trips, and several mountain bike expeds during my time and the only reason I haven’t done more is because I have young kids and couldn’t justify going away for ‘fun’).
Some will look at my quick list and say ‘so what’ I can earn more elsewhere, pay for my own ski trips and work on a second pension.
It would be hard to argue but this is just my take on it.
I am PAS and have a job until I’m 60 if I want it. I have no plans to leave the RAF but if I did it wouldn’t be because I hate it. It would be for a better opportunity.
If it made sense to rejoin several years later (all the reasons discussed on previous posts would be taken into account) I would do it in a heart beat.
I know I’m potentially in a minority (I also freely acknowledge that I am a long term training world REMF who does not have to repeatedly deploy overseas) but this forum usually focuses on negatives rather than positives. Maybe there are lots more like me but they just don’t feel the need to post.
At the end of the day, we all have our own reasons but we need to respect others reasons for making their decisions. I see and hear too many people scoffing at those who remain in the forces because ‘it’s not what it once was’ or ‘you can earn twice as much outside’. Maybe that’s true. Or maybe you should trust that everyone is a grown up and they have made their own decision.
Enough from me for now.
BV
BV, how is it that are you able to guarantee that you won't be posted back to front line, deployable operations? Or posted to El Adem-with-grass to fly the F-35B, for example?