....a missed opportunity?
 

I will offer the following observation (some might disagree with me, but there's nothing new there)...

I personally know of at least a handful of aircrew, non pilots, both Flt Lt and Sqn Ldr, who have spent the last 10+ years in cozy, out of the way jobs, going nowhere near the "front line" in UK, let alone anywhere overseas. When the criteria for tranche 1 were announced, i.e. OOA = safe, they put their hands up for OOA tours, and most seem to have succeeded in getting one. Having therefore survived tranche 1, it now appears that, with no aircrew in tranche 2, they are safe to continue in their "feathering their own nest" mode for the remainder of their careers - on the basis that a leopard doesn't change its spots.

In the meantime, some damn good individuals have been shown the door....


Feel free to disagree with me, it's what normally happens!

Biggus,

The ARE aircrew in T2, up to 20 NCA.

Sorry, didn't mean to imply NCA aren't aircrew...... You are correct of course, in that I should have said something along the lines of "..with no officer aircrew in tranche 2...".

However, it's a testimony to the quality of NCA is that all the work dodgers I know and was referring to are officers, and I do actually know quite a lot of NCA as well!!

:ok::ok::ok:

What a sad, sad list. It is truly sickening to read. I feel for all involved. :sad:

My former contract manager moved on to take the painting and finishing contract for the whole of the RAF. One comment at the time was that they had just painted the Cranwell Hawk!

220+ Trade Group 1 NCOs/SNCOs! Engineering supervision! Aircraft availability! Priceless! :ugh:

FAA
 

Anyone know anything about how if at all the aircrew of the FAA will be affected?

Biggus,

The military has always had it time servers and chisellers...nothing new. There are plenty outside as well. It was ever thus.

I would not lose too much sleep over it if I were you...nobody can change human nature, no matter how hard they would wish to.

PACU,

No current drivers or lookers. There are fields for Lt AV (up to 5) and a lot of places for handlers, controllers and phots. There are also fields for FAA 1 star and OF-5.

Regards,

Orca.

Pontius Navigator says PACU, lots I am told, IRO 88.

Orca says PACU,

No current drivers or lookers. There are fields for Lt AV (up to 5) and a lot of places for handlers, controllers and phots. There are also fields for FAA 1 star and OF-5.

Regards,

Orca.

Big variation there guys :confused:

I have the table open in front of me:

Small numbers of OF-5 (RN and RM) and Cdre FAA are in the pot with other specialisations.

Cdr FAA and Lt Cdr FAA aren't in any fields.

Lt FAA AV (not pilot/ observer) up to 5 required.

From the lads: Up to 50 handlers, 7 controllers and 25 phots.

The one trade that is going to be critical in years to come is the Chockheads. Whilst there will be skill srequired in aircraft control, flyco, SE, phot etc, the most challenging piece of the puzzle in getting it right on QE and POW, especially in cat and trap operations is in deck handling. Rather tan making these people redundant, they should be packing them off to the USN and FN and elsewhere to gain experience.

I am sure some chiseller will come on here saying that the RN has a plan to ensure retention of core skills but I don't by it. It takes years to develop skills and awareness on a flightdeck, to ensure the safe operation of aircraft. It is these young Naval Airmen (AH), who will be Leading Hand/Petty Office level and therefore supervising operations on the QE/POW, that need to be developed and nutured.

As did I yesterday at work and I concurred with you which why PN's post was so bloody confusing.

Sorry abt that but I was close to what the Torygraph now says - 80 - and I admit my source may have meant all personnel although I think aircrew were mentioned.

iglide.....yep, you're right the legacy EngTech A/P are those who have not cut across to A Tech M! Bit of a moot point really though as the A/P stands, as I'm sure you know, for Airframes Propulsion aka Mech by any other name! Appos were doing this multi-skilling malarkey years before it came fashionable with the bean counters.......the point is the Service loses yet more, highly capable, highly trained and experienced NCOs just at a time where eng supervision experience levels is tending towards being a joke!

The Eng Tech P individuals have no such excuse!

According to the Telegraph -

Well, not really, despite what the headline says the text goes on to say that one third of RAF redundancies will be officers.

I saw that too. Never let the facts get in the way, etc. ;)

So are we likely to see a PVR spike among officer aircrew now? How many have been holding on to see if a 9-month tax free lump sum was on offer before pulling the handle? I've honestly no idea - so maybe I should go work in Manning!

R L E,

Personally I can't see many (any?) non-pilot officer aircrew PVR'ing in the near future....


Quite what the RAF intends to be with ME JO WSOs in their 40s with no aircraft to fly I'm not sure!