100 RAF Trainees told "Sorry, but it's just not working out"

[nukon]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12461211

Army job loss e-mails: Soldiers get apology

Excerpt:

"Meanwhile, up to 100 RAF trainee pilots - a quarter of the total - are expected to be told on Tuesday they have to leave.

Up to 20 fast jet pilots, 30 helicopter pilots and 50 transport aircraft pilots are said to be facing the axe because of defence cuts.

Plans are to reduce RAF personnel by about 5,000 to a total of about 33,000 by 2015."

Damn.. I can't imagine actually making it all the way to flight school only to get booted like that. Heartless Britons.

 

[Pugs]

Had numerous USNR officers both in fight school and coming off their first fleet tour told that in 91. I've lost track of the people that were told no orders for you, plan on being a civilian in 6 weeks and you'll get maybe $3K in severence pay.

 

[Flash]

The father of a pilot in my Prowler squadron was going through flight school in '68/69 when he and his fellow jet studs were called in for an AOM. They each got an envelope, for the 80% or so that got a pink sheet that was the end of their naval career.

To echo what Pugs said, our XO told us that in that timeframe a pair of USNR Intruder pilots in his squadron were just a few months short of 6 years when they were told they would be civilians in a month or two. Why was 6 years important? Apparently you don't qualify for involuntary separation pay (severance) pay since until you hit 6 years.

 

[A4sForever]

The father of a pilot in my Prowler squadron was going through flight school in '68/69 when he and his fellow jet studs were called in for an AOM. They each got an envelope, for the 80% or so that got a pink sheet that was the end of their naval career ...

Remember that day well ... it was announced that 'no one will know what the result is for the others' ... 'cept all the guys who got shit-canned had 'buff' colored envelopes, the guys who stayed got 'white'. Perhaps it was a test of aerial 'recognition' ??? The shit-canned probably numbered more like 50% -- all bases and all the way from Primary to Advanced, jet & prop. Some of the guys later got back -- very few, however.

GREAT Navy personnel planning strikes again !!! First you hire 'em ... then you train 'em ... then you shit-can 'em ... then you re-hire some ... and retrain 'em again !!! That's your tax dollars at work, if I ever did see it !!! At least it confuses the enemy as to our true capacities and capabilities.

And this was in the middle of a Mutha-Luvin'-Naval Air war !!!!

And you wonder why so many of us drink ... ???

 

[statesman]

Hard to believe that it was only 75 years ago that the RN ruled the sea and the RAF ruled the sky... I'm sure Churchill is spinning violently in his grave right now.

 

[bunk22]

Was it Black Tuesday in 91 or 92 where the bottom 30% or so in flight school were given the bye-bye wave. If you were winged, you got to go to another job and re-apply later on. A recent COD skipper was one of those, supposed to have been an EA-6B bubba but was sent to SWO land, later coming back to the COD community.

 

[exhelodrvr]

Those make for some incredibly competitive pilot selection boards for USNR squadrons.

 

[Skirmisher]

I sure hope it's nothing remotely like this, or the post-gulf war drawdowns, when the Marine Corps starts downsizing in 2014.

 

[nukon]

I sure hope it's nothing remotely like this, or the post-gulf war drawdowns, when the Marine Corps starts downsizing in 2014.

If you're a wanna-be like myself, only thing we can really do is try and be top of our class, so if the axe comes it may just graze us.. but even then there wouldn't be any guarantees. Meh.

 

[Swanee]

I sure hope it's nothing remotely like this, or the post-gulf war drawdowns, when the Marine Corps starts downsizing in 2014.

Marine Air is growing, we have *new* squadrons standing up. there is going to be a need to fill cockpits.

 

[phrogpilot73]

Marine Air is growing, we have *new* squadrons standing up. there is going to be a need to fill cockpits.

Don't kid yourself. Going from 202,000+ to the 186,000 that the Commandant said is the new number is going to equal less accessions and some RIFs.

 

[MasterBates]

The DOD in general and the USN/USMC in particular are NOT good at manpower management.

5-7 years ago, we were force converting people to MAs to fill a need, and now I am losing good sailors who were force converted to HYT, since none can make 1st class.

Hell, even on the O side, we are going through some pains right now. They are slashing accessions to the point where I think there is a new T-notch group coming up in the YG10-14 range.

I am an oddball, and my FOS was not that much of a surprise, with the lower screen rates. What IS a surprise, is friends who are on "the path", who have good paper, etc, being in the same boat. It's only going to get worse for a few years.

 

[Treetop Flyer]

I don't see how this will affect pilots. There's the same demand for harrier pilots in a couple years as there was a couple years ago. Hueys and cobras are the only platform they actually bought more of right?

 

[KBayDog]

Marine Air is growing, we have *new* squadrons standing up. there is going to be a need to fill cockpits.

:icon_lol: Thanks, man - I needed that laugh!

 

[KBayDog]

What IS a surprise, is friends who are on "the path", who have good paper, etc, being in the same boat. It's only going to get worse for a few years.

Truth.

The "need" for pilots lasts until you hit the fleet...at which time all bets for flying are suddenly off. The fact of the matter is that you'll go wherever, and do whatever, "they" tell you to do.