Military Shortages In Many Key Areas
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Military Shortages In Many Key Areas
An interesting article recently published highlights the extent that the UKAF has skill shortages in 102 critical areas with one of these areas being "pilot shortages'. According to the House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts the UK has (In Jan 2018) a pilot shortfall of 23%.
No solutions offered but at least the Government are aware of the state of the UKAF and presumably focussing on addressing any such problems.
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No solutions offered but at least the Government are aware of the state of the UKAF and presumably focussing on addressing any such problems.
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Lightweight article but the underlying sentiment is very true - and it isn’t going to get better in the next 12 months.
More pilots needed? Ramp up the pipeline...oh...not on the present contract. Reapers crews anyone?
More int ans needed? They don’t grow on trees and 26% is a mighty big defecit.
So...the present will pick up the extra work to cover the shortfall and we descend into the Perfect Storm that has been coming for a few years.
And it is not only light blue.
More pilots needed? Ramp up the pipeline...oh...not on the present contract. Reapers crews anyone?
More int ans needed? They don’t grow on trees and 26% is a mighty big defecit.
So...the present will pick up the extra work to cover the shortfall and we descend into the Perfect Storm that has been coming for a few years.
And it is not only light blue.
Joe: Don't know if you get the same advertisements as me but, before logging-in, directly beneath your last words was a big heading "Britain is Doomed," almost as if you'd planned it!
With cut after cut, the creeping cancer of contractorisation, employment of 'sponsored reservists' and 'FTRS' and the lack of variety in flying station opportunities or aircraft types, it's hardly surprising that pilot recruitment is suffering....
As I said ages ago, the capability for any surge requirement for training more pilots is now less than zero - not enough instructors, aircraft or flying stations. But "it's not in the MFTS contract", so that's OK then...
As I said ages ago, the capability for any surge requirement for training more pilots is now less than zero - not enough instructors, aircraft or flying stations. But "it's not in the MFTS contract", so that's OK then...
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(Can't find a Scottish accent emoji)
...but it is do more with less, and less next year, 'cos we shagged it up the year before last.
What is "the UKAF"? Would the gentlemen of the Press gallery please make a note of that question...
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I dread to mention that the general attitude to Service life was also different in my day.
Apologies to those who resent old crusty blokes daring to comment about 'the old days'.
Apologies to those who resent old crusty blokes daring to comment about 'the old days'.
MPN11,
I have to agree that things were different in your (my) days! I would not wish to change that as I had a great time! Whether things should/have changed now is another matter. I live close to a large RAF base and have the privilege to attend many functions. I have to say that the majority of the Service personnel that I meet are , in many ways, very similar to those that I remember from many years ago! Both commissioned or not they seem to have the same attitude that I remember - what has changed, of course, is the very large number of contract personnel. Many are great but there is a divide, like it or not! I guess that this is progress!
Bill
I have to agree that things were different in your (my) days! I would not wish to change that as I had a great time! Whether things should/have changed now is another matter. I live close to a large RAF base and have the privilege to attend many functions. I have to say that the majority of the Service personnel that I meet are , in many ways, very similar to those that I remember from many years ago! Both commissioned or not they seem to have the same attitude that I remember - what has changed, of course, is the very large number of contract personnel. Many are great but there is a divide, like it or not! I guess that this is progress!
Bill
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Cheers, Bill Macgillavray ... glad to hear that amidst all the grief and woe some of it seem to still have the 'buzz' that we enjoyed.
Hmmm ... Oxford. I wonder which Station that might be?
My late MiL was a killer on the One Armed Bandit in the days when my BiL was there as an ATCO!
I've been 'abroad' for the last 13 years or so,, and thus have lost pretty much all personal connection with the RAF ... apart from assorted e-mails, such as the 'Do' by 20 Sqn to say another farewell to Peter Squire. Gawd, the names on the attendance list are like my life in the late 60's being replayed, but it's just too much of a PITA [and cost] to join in.
Hmmm ... Oxford. I wonder which Station that might be?
My late MiL was a killer on the One Armed Bandit in the days when my BiL was there as an ATCO!
I've been 'abroad' for the last 13 years or so,, and thus have lost pretty much all personal connection with the RAF ... apart from assorted e-mails, such as the 'Do' by 20 Sqn to say another farewell to Peter Squire. Gawd, the names on the attendance list are like my life in the late 60's being replayed, but it's just too much of a PITA [and cost] to join in.
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There are lies, damn lies and statistics
20-odd percent short of pilots - yes across all ranks. But then again we are in surplus of WSOs. So when you look at the WSOs covering the pilot staff jobs then it isn’t quite so bleak. However the WSOs are getting older so the training system needs to step up to the plate to train the shortfall to replace the ageing WSOs that have come from Tornado, C130, VC10 and probably E3D if the press is to be believed.
There is no issue in recruiting new pilots - training the young darlings in the UK Mighty Fxxked-up Training System is another matter altogether. Exit rates are about the same as it ever has been, it’s just that the training rate for a system designed for SDSR 2010 is only just keeping up with that exit rate.
So the elephant in the room is MFTS and until that fires on all cylinders and some, then things will continue to stagnate.
Finally, we really need to get out of the mindset that everyone will stay until 60. They never stayed to 55, so why would they do better for another 5 years? If we keep 10% to age 60 we are doing really well.
CPL Clott
20-odd percent short of pilots - yes across all ranks. But then again we are in surplus of WSOs. So when you look at the WSOs covering the pilot staff jobs then it isn’t quite so bleak. However the WSOs are getting older so the training system needs to step up to the plate to train the shortfall to replace the ageing WSOs that have come from Tornado, C130, VC10 and probably E3D if the press is to be believed.
There is no issue in recruiting new pilots - training the young darlings in the UK Mighty Fxxked-up Training System is another matter altogether. Exit rates are about the same as it ever has been, it’s just that the training rate for a system designed for SDSR 2010 is only just keeping up with that exit rate.
So the elephant in the room is MFTS and until that fires on all cylinders and some, then things will continue to stagnate.
Finally, we really need to get out of the mindset that everyone will stay until 60. They never stayed to 55, so why would they do better for another 5 years? If we keep 10% to age 60 we are doing really well.
CPL Clott
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But, and it’s a huge but, it’s a dangerous game to play and whilst the excitement might get people in the door your warfighting experience is significantly degraded. What happens when you lose your senior flt lts after years of thrashings and previous recruiting gaps end up synching with the same demographic hole? Whilst the raw total numbers look just about ok you can’t do anything about the gaps because most of your people are now 1st/2nd tourists and are you really going to bring back sqn ldrs to do gapped flt lt posts? Then what???
...but MFTS can only cure one little portion of the whole shortage problem