Military short of 800 pilots?
I still wouldn't swap my current job to drive a bus. It's not always about the money.
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: over the rainbow
Age: 75
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Roving,
"The justification for scrapping the RAF Aux Air Squadrons in 1957 was that with the Hunter replacing the Vampire and Meteor, it would be too difficult to convert reservists to swept wing advanced jets."
A commonly held but inaccurate view. The RAuxAF flying squadrons, and the RNVR Air branch, were disbanded for two main reasons, one that they were simply running out of aircrew and with the doing away of National Service pilots they would not be able to field even one complete squadron with aircrew! The second was that the 1957 White paper was about to reduce Fighter Command massively in an ill guided rush to missiles, and an accurate recognition that the main Soviet threat to the UK was in intermediate range ballistic missiles, which all the Hunters and Javelins in the world could do nothing to protect against, so another 20 Auxiliary squadrons which would have to be re-equipped and some method of manning them found, was an obvious target. On top of that there was the Conservative mandate to reduce defence expenditure at the same time as spending an absolute fortune developing the thermonuclear weapon.
"The justification for scrapping the RAF Aux Air Squadrons in 1957 was that with the Hunter replacing the Vampire and Meteor, it would be too difficult to convert reservists to swept wing advanced jets."
A commonly held but inaccurate view. The RAuxAF flying squadrons, and the RNVR Air branch, were disbanded for two main reasons, one that they were simply running out of aircrew and with the doing away of National Service pilots they would not be able to field even one complete squadron with aircrew! The second was that the 1957 White paper was about to reduce Fighter Command massively in an ill guided rush to missiles, and an accurate recognition that the main Soviet threat to the UK was in intermediate range ballistic missiles, which all the Hunters and Javelins in the world could do nothing to protect against, so another 20 Auxiliary squadrons which would have to be re-equipped and some method of manning them found, was an obvious target. On top of that there was the Conservative mandate to reduce defence expenditure at the same time as spending an absolute fortune developing the thermonuclear weapon.
From 1938 until 1957, the RNVR provided aircrew personnel in the form of their own Air Branch. In 1947, their contribution was cut to anti-submarine and fighter squadrons only. By 1957, it was considered by the UK government that the training required to operate modern equipment was beyond that expected of reservists and the Air Branch squadrons were disbanded. The US government took a different view, and the US Navy and Marine reserve squadrons today still operate front-line types alongside the regular units. The Air Branch was reformed at RNAS Yeovilton in 1980, though it is only open to service leavers.
You can't join the USNR as an ab initio and expect to be trained up.
Changing Vectors in the Navy Reserve
Because of the long and costly training pipeline, there are no direct accessions for Navy Reserve pilots. They have to come from the fleet, and their skills are incredibly perishable.
Join Date: Jan 2004
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Jam tomorrow
I think there have been some wise words on here, clearly written and concisely presented. The phrase 'jam tomorrow' was a recurrent theme through my service.
Ascoteer 👍those are almost carbon copies of my reasons for leaving. I was rotary and I have achieved my Flt Lt salary in my first FW job. Best estimate is that I'll move LHS in 5 years. That is far better pay and conditions progression than anything the RAF would have considered offering me.
The Senior Leadership team need to address this tranche of concerns as people are voting with their feet. This can only be made worse as BA have started recruiting non-TR. The BA recruitment 'ripple' will undoubtedly pull through the system, creating openings for more of the rotary and FW pilots looking for their first civilian pay check. Fresh opportunities, and friends seeing old Sqn pals enjoying themselves 'outside' will have a compound negative effect on retention. I feel for the Sqn bosses putting huge efforts in, with a dwindling workforce who struggle for experience... it's those guys and gals that suffer huge stress trying to 'guide' their team to stay with 'jam tomorrow' and instilled fear of job failures. [every single RAF pilot passed rigorous selection... it's very likely that other employers will recognise quality candidates]
Lastly - almost all the current pilots have had huge operational experience. I feel there is a point once combat flying has been tasted, the 'need' to repeatedly doesn't exist for the majority.
I love the RAF and thoroughly enjoyed my time, but it was time to go and it appears many others pilots are the same. Let's hope enough of the good guys & gals stay to keep the standards and ethos high. Happy 100th
SIA
- A real terms 12% pay cut since 2008
- Reduction and removal of allowances (IA, reductions in mileage allowance, 20% reduction in most subsistence allowance)
- Enforced pension change from AFPS75 to AFPS15. Although the pension is still good, this change in itself costs upward of £100k. Not to mention the RPI to CPI change!
- Housing issues. Housing works if you're married, or you're single. If you want to live with your partner and not be married, it's of little consequence to the package, especially when you are South East based. 'FAM' is unknown and not likely to be better.
The people above adding an arbitrary 51% to the RAF salary to compensate for the pension are living a fallacy. There are very few of us outside that would salary sacrifice 51% to their pension pot; most of the young 'uns are still striving to buy ever-inflating property, which the invisible RAF pension does not help.
...
After leaving I'm on a comfortable 6 figures (not adding pension or allowances or bonuses), work up to 14 days a month, live in the same area, don't go into work if I'm not flying and don't have to deal with the day-to-day Service annoyances (JPA, Imprests, CCS, SDO, JOD, GPCs, IRT, RSOI).
Sure, I miss seeing my RAF buddies daily, but most realise that the grass IS greener, unless you are one of the few where the RAF really fits (children in private school, married quarter, PA etc, or you've escaped the frontline and work mon-fri). I had an awesome time, met awesome people, but glad I didn't listen to those who have never actually experienced life 'outside', and seem determined to convince people that ever-reducing Ts & Cs and ever-increasing workload is normal (although I'm sure that may be the case for some airlines as well!).
- Reduction and removal of allowances (IA, reductions in mileage allowance, 20% reduction in most subsistence allowance)
- Enforced pension change from AFPS75 to AFPS15. Although the pension is still good, this change in itself costs upward of £100k. Not to mention the RPI to CPI change!
- Housing issues. Housing works if you're married, or you're single. If you want to live with your partner and not be married, it's of little consequence to the package, especially when you are South East based. 'FAM' is unknown and not likely to be better.
The people above adding an arbitrary 51% to the RAF salary to compensate for the pension are living a fallacy. There are very few of us outside that would salary sacrifice 51% to their pension pot; most of the young 'uns are still striving to buy ever-inflating property, which the invisible RAF pension does not help.
...
After leaving I'm on a comfortable 6 figures (not adding pension or allowances or bonuses), work up to 14 days a month, live in the same area, don't go into work if I'm not flying and don't have to deal with the day-to-day Service annoyances (JPA, Imprests, CCS, SDO, JOD, GPCs, IRT, RSOI).
Sure, I miss seeing my RAF buddies daily, but most realise that the grass IS greener, unless you are one of the few where the RAF really fits (children in private school, married quarter, PA etc, or you've escaped the frontline and work mon-fri). I had an awesome time, met awesome people, but glad I didn't listen to those who have never actually experienced life 'outside', and seem determined to convince people that ever-reducing Ts & Cs and ever-increasing workload is normal (although I'm sure that may be the case for some airlines as well!).
The Senior Leadership team need to address this tranche of concerns as people are voting with their feet. This can only be made worse as BA have started recruiting non-TR. The BA recruitment 'ripple' will undoubtedly pull through the system, creating openings for more of the rotary and FW pilots looking for their first civilian pay check. Fresh opportunities, and friends seeing old Sqn pals enjoying themselves 'outside' will have a compound negative effect on retention. I feel for the Sqn bosses putting huge efforts in, with a dwindling workforce who struggle for experience... it's those guys and gals that suffer huge stress trying to 'guide' their team to stay with 'jam tomorrow' and instilled fear of job failures. [every single RAF pilot passed rigorous selection... it's very likely that other employers will recognise quality candidates]
Lastly - almost all the current pilots have had huge operational experience. I feel there is a point once combat flying has been tasted, the 'need' to repeatedly doesn't exist for the majority.
I love the RAF and thoroughly enjoyed my time, but it was time to go and it appears many others pilots are the same. Let's hope enough of the good guys & gals stay to keep the standards and ethos high. Happy 100th
SIA
Someone mentioned:
BA did exactly that, and also adversely altered the retired Staff Travel rules.
They were a great outfit to work for but you can still be stuffed by the best of civvies.
I finally retired from a small company when the fictional roster clearly became a waste of time, ink and paper.
Not to mention the RPI to CPI change!
They were a great outfit to work for but you can still be stuffed by the best of civvies.
I finally retired from a small company when the fictional roster clearly became a waste of time, ink and paper.
