Civilian Typhoon QFI anyone?
 

Just see that a certain Coningsby Sqn are advertising for civilian QFIs.

Surely we haven't reduced so far that we don't now hold sufficient SQEP to train our own people, esp those at the front end!!?

...not seen it but it could be the Sim?

On the face of it this is just the next straw to go....

Civilian Qualified Instructors are fairly endemic across the fleets now.

I guess someone somewhere deems it more economical to fund the individual with all through life employments costs, plus a healthy profit to the organisation he/she works for; rather than just properly man the services such that they are self sustaining.

It is a gradual further erosion of SQEP within the services as once civilianised the blue throughput constricts to suit ergo further lack of people in uniform and further reduction of SQEP; and just another civilian position with attractive renumeration and TOS that will further erode retention.

Deliverance, how does employing the civilian help with respite tours for his successors in uniform? Surely this will erode future retention due to front line fatigue that you allude to; when the post is no longer available for respite tours how do you retain the next person to need respite....?

One can only applaud this sensible (if highly regrettable) fix to the immediate issue of Typhoon force manning. Just wait until Kuwait and Qatar's Typhoon forces stand up. There are already a really significant number of ex-RAF pilots working for BAE in-Kingdom, the two new operators (especially Qatar) will need many more. I hope that someone brighter than me has put something in place to ensue that the expanding Typhoon force can be fully manned even in the face of what promises to be a bit of an outflow of blokes.

Simple.....generate an inflow of Bloke-esses!

Except the initial training system has already demonstrated significant delays, to the point where there's going to be a drastic reduction in the number of pilots being recruited...

For the last 55 years at least, it was happening when I was in the system

Recruitment I don't believe is the issue. It's pushing them through the flying training system once you've got them. 2 year holds just to start EFT after iot, let alone between courses. In house recruitment won't change that at all (and it does already happen).

Aged 61 and 3/4 own teeth, 2 QFI tours on Hawk have flown the Lightning (old one) also did a bit of trimming on the GR1, willing to consider position for the right money....

Oh and Tutor qualified for what it is worth with RAF Reserve kinda commission thingy..

BigPants, you and all yer old mates could save the day!

Great, that is the last thing I wanted to know. :(