Maiximum age limit/length of career?
 

Reading Vulcan 607 presently, the mention of the then ACM being a decorated "WWII Lancaster pilot" caught me off guard. End of WWII, 1945, FI, 1982....nearly 40 years in uniform?

I am asking out of curiousity, not an attempt to insult, how long can one serve in the RAF in each of the different enlisted/officer ranks?

If there's a better website for this kind of information, I'd appreciate a point out. Didn't find it on the RAF site.


Edited to add: Just did a check on a our JCS Chairman, he was commissioned in 1968, nearly 40 years on as well, so sorry, got caught out by that.

It always used to be a retirement age of 55 for up to Group Captain, and 58 for Air Commodore and above, though with the possibility of extension in exceptional circumstances, especially for Specialist Aircrew.

My father joined in '42 (aged 19) and flew ops in WWII, and retired in '78. There must have been some wartime blokes in until at least 1983.

The last wartime Spit pilot in a flying job was a Pole, who flew Devons from Northolt in the late 70s/early 80s.

Thanks!




obligatory spaces....

There was a Flt Lt nav in ops at Waddington while I was in who was 58. He'd been extended - presumably no one else wanted the job and he did -and was a v happy chap.

Bill Parry, Air Eng (crewman) on 33 was 107 or thereabouts. Flew Lancs, but not on ops, and had about 12 logbooks. This was in 1983.

CG

I seem to remember a Master Pilot on Whirlwinds before they were phased out, it wasn't worth training anybody on an aircraft that was going out so he was asked to extend until about age 60.

LXXIV joined the Royal Air Force 9th September 1947, two days before eighteenth birthday and retired 11th September 1989 aged sixty, after forty two years and two days service. There were quite a few others, mainly Spec aircrew who did similar service. Other people, apart from aircrew did extended service; from memory, there was a Sqn Ldr in MOD, in a very specialised post who continued until he was well into his seventies.
LXXIV (KOS)

Written sincerely:

"Present.......arms!"



Hand salute to you for your service! :)

How Old!??
 

I stopped being aircrew at the age of 57. Then joined the Oggies.and finally left aged 64. One splendid chap retired from the Oggies as a squadron boss at 68!
The (increasingly) Ancient Mariner

One of the Canberra PR.Mk 9 pilots was fairly ancient.

At 61, Terry Cairns was still flying ops over Afghanistan..... and so was his 61 year old CO, Nav Wing Commander Clive Mitchell.

As a holding bod back in 2000-ish I was given the chance to go off to Gioa with 39 for a month as they did their thing over the Balkans. As well as Terry, we had Brian Cole with us and IIRC, he was coming up to 40 years in the RAF whilst we were out there. He had been in the RAF longer than I had been alive!!!

The cummulative age of Terry, Brian and the aircraft was staggering, but they loved what they did and knew they would be around as long as the aircraft was flying even thought they were already at and likely to go on well past the retirement age. They were an absolute delight to be away with. Both consumate professionals, and increasingly rare in this climate - perfect gentlemen.

Old Aircrew
 

"Shedboy" Mitchell would be most amused to find that he is 61! (Mid 40's at the most).
What has happened to "the POD" now that the Canberra has been retired?

The last Boy Entrant in regular service has just left. Joined at 15, left at 60. That is some service.
If you thought some of the old fellas you knew could spin a yarn!

"POD" is moving to the SFSO job at Marham to replace another old ex-PR9 driver - Eddie Craig.

Old Pilots
 

A colleague of mine in the Harrier sim was UTP at Wittering and flew Harriers until he was 62; then he moved into the sim and got a back seat ride on his 70th birthday. Old and Bold!

Ken White was the S Ops O at Coningsby circa 1987-88 and has been a wartime nav albeit very young.

o2thief

When I was at Marham towards the middle of last year, one of the pods was being readied for display at a museum, and the other was being returned to its original owners.

I am guessing that Jacko must never have actually met Mitchell. It would be difficult to mistake him for a 61-year-old.

Copied directly from the MoD press release, I'm afraid.

Then kudos to whoever wrote the press release!

POD
 

Ewan, the POD I was referring to was the very famous, legend in his own happy hour, the "Prince of Darkness" an ex Canberra/Nav School instructor/F4 nav of some repute. He is a great mate of D*c* A*t**n. Once met never forgotten and certainly not a happy POD if confined in a museum!:ok:

O2 (now threeputt)