Training Pipeline Clogged
 

I've heard a rather distressing rumour that as the training pipeline is so full of baby aircrew, there is a massive excess of training pilots to slots at the end of the pipeline, and so about 100 ab-initios are going to be chopped from various stages of training.

Any truth to this?

Planning a type change or re muster, if not then what's your concern??

I'm going to go with - he doesn't want to be one of the hundred!

Student pilots at IOT, Shawbury and other trg locations being offered re-branching, NCA or P45.

It has happened before. In the mid '60s there were cutbacks, and an edict went out to the FTSs. Any students who had taken more that 'n' Flex hours (not sure how many) were to be chopped, unless their Flight Commander could guarantee that they would graduate 'above average.'

As a result, one of my old friends was scrubbed from his Jet Provost course. Ironically, it might have saved his life. He became a Fighter Controller and collapsed one night over his radar screen. The Docs discovered that he had Type 1 Diabetes.

pipeline clogged?

A blockage of some sort, like a sewer? Full of sh1te?

And offered NCA as in there is a shortage of NCA?

If you have the skills and aptitude for pilot and the OQs to match, but not slot, the answer seems obvious. Go somewhere that you can use your skills. Sticking around in some other branch or trade as a frustrated pilot is not going to cut the mustard.

With the demise of the MRA4 I thought there was a surplus of NCA, not a shortage.....



I also thought there was now a surplus of WSOs, for whom "re-branching" was one of the possible options under consideration...

Biggus, I agree. I think it is a rumour sloshing around that blocked pipe and not in the real world.

Pontious,

not the preferred side of the z-shed this morning? All true but give the chaps (and chapes's these days I understand) some slack, especially as they've had the rug pulled out from under them in the cruellest way.

The re-branching to NCA was offered to the senior Shawbury cse only - NCA or out.

40 pilots on IOT took the P45.

IPS for ME Pilot trg 11/12 = 28!

Crikey! The front line have been asking "PTC" to slow down the delivery of new pilots since at least 2007; no-one listened and now it sounds like a big knee-jerk is in progress... anyone want to bet on there being a mid-90s-style swing to a sudden shortage in a couple of years?!

Which cse was offered this, only interested as I'm at strawberry now and haven't seen anything of the sort as of yet!! Rumor mill going into over drive, doesn't really help anyone- does it!!

GTAT

This is a RUMOUR NETWORK!!!!

I'm pretty confident the re-branch to NCA rumour is a total red herring... (especially the "senior cse at Shawbs" bit)

The rest though sounds pretty true!

A lot of people are asserting that some radical (indeed unprecedented) developments have taken place, but without stating their sources. E.g. commissioned pilot to NCA? This sounds weird. Has this ever happened before??

I know this is a rumour network, but could you guys help us all separate fact and fiction by saying how you heard what you write? E.g. "I heard down the pub that..." and "I was on the course that..."

I don't think you'd get great odds on that! I was one of the beneficiaries of that last sudden shortage - just missed out being in the backlog generation through sheer good fortune, and made it through training with minimal delays. I wonder if the Backlog Newsletter will make a re-appearance...

I recently read on a website that :}

I don't know about any cuts but we have considerably more holding officers and NCA at my location some of them doing jobs that are definetely not in their primary job discription. When chatting to the ones I have, the story is all the same, big backlog (2-6months) until there are slots availiable for them in phase 2 training. Some have done 55 Sqn and are waiting type/class courses some are straight from cranditz. None of them have mentioned people being chopped, other than the normal tales of woe.

I have spoken to a pal at cranditz and they have formulated training/outward bounds/personal development courses for those with long holds, so at least they are getting something out of it.

I know of one (failed pilot) but he went straight to commissioned Airman Aircrew (as it was then) as he already had a commission.

There is a rumour floating round that 55 Sqn is about to close and that will be the end of Commissioned WSO training as we know it... all NCA WSO training to be taken over by 45 Sqn...

I admit it seems unlikely but...

On the commissioned chaps becoming NCA... I've know a few people who've done it, but it was because they got chopped through flying training, and decided to re-branch. They all lost their commissions when they did it.