A Quarter of the RAF's Trainee Pilots-some just a few hours from qualifying are to be Sacked in the latest Government Defence Cuts. The MoD will write off the £300million pounds spent on their Training.
I am lucky if I remember to turn the camera on and remove the lens cap!!!!, but I have a go.
Thats so pathetic. I pity those guys.. It wud have been a dream come tru fro them if they got their wings.
After all the media reports about this pending action facing 100 students earlier this week, has there actually been any official confirmation that trainee pilots have been sacked?
All I can find on Hansard is the following comment from Liam Fox:
"The fact that people found out through the publication of inaccurate details in a national newspaper will, I am sure, be deprecated on both sides of the House, and can only cause the individuals concerned undue distress." He adds: "They are being briefed individually and collectively on the specific proposals that affect them."
While I didn't go into specifics on student numbers, my MFTS feature this week outlines the challenges faced when 40% of your fixed-wing training requirement vanishes: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/02/14/353131/uk-mfts-programme-gears-to-train-first-students.html
Saw this report on BBC yesterday stating 170 from Cranwell, Linton and Shawbury would be made redundant.
Thanks Dragon Lady. This is pretty devastating for the future of UK military aviation - who on earth is going to want to join up now as air crew?
Mind you, we'll probable all be members of the "Big Society" in a couple of years, the way things are going.
I guess when the F35 will cost $120 Million+ a copy and an estimated 40% more per flying hour to operate than a Harrier or F16 .We will only need very few pilots to fly them , because we won't be able to afford more than a couple of dozen. On top of that it can only carry a couple of bombs and two missiles !. Criminal . Still don't worry the mandarins at the MOD will ensure we get value when spending our tax money
Who was it who came up with the description of our post-SDSR force structure as "Belgium with nukes"? Genius. Still, at least we'll have loads of Chinooks wokka-ing around if the follow-on order gets signed.
In the MoD's defence, they did stage a public consultation process in the run up to the SDSR which drew a frankly pathetic number of contributions. Put against wider job cuts, rising fuel prices, education, health etc defence is a bit of an inconvenience to most people. But actions like axeing the Nimrod MRA4 will surely come back to bite us over the years.