UK Military Flying Training System
When reports emerged earlier this year that the RAF was sending 100 pilots to be trained at a private flying academy, questions began to be asked about whether the service was getting value for money from its current aircrew training pipeline. Tim Ripley assesses the status of the UK’s Military Flying Training System project
The Royal Air Force rightly prides itself on its charity work and community projects. Airmen routinely win plaudits for helping schoolchildren on trips to RAF stations, participating in charity fundraising events or organising air displays. This work is generally assigned to the most junior officer on the squadrons as part of their military education. In RAF jargon, these young officers are often ‘holding’ pilots or aircrew, signifying that their progress through the service’s aircrew training system or pipeline has been put on hold until a slot in the next stage of their training becomes available.
