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USN Blue Angels to Convert to Super Hornets

Silly me....I thought that's where the supply of retreaded Flight Lieutenants came from, to fly the Grobs and give cadets a tour of the parish or operate the UAS aircraft.

UAS QFIs and AEF pilots come from a variety of backgrounds.

Most Flt Lt UAS QFIs (if not all, I believe) are ex-QSP (Qualified Service Pilot) FTRS Limited Commitment posts. As I understand it, the only full-time officer on a UAS now will be the Sqn Ldr OC.

AEF pilots are either the self-same UAS QFIs, retired VSOs, the odd FL pilot who is bored at weekends, and the occasional pilot in a ground tour. It's not mandatory at all for aircrew posted to ground tours to fly anything at all during that tour - in fact it's very much the exception rather than the rule.

As an aside, contrary to popular belief there are no 'hours-that-must-be-flown-per-year' to retain RRP (Flying), previously known as Flying Pay. Once awarded, RRP (Flying) is continually paid unless the recipient loses their med cat or re-branches for reasons various. I believe that 'non-traditional aircrew' (eg E3 back-end mission crew / airborne techs, and shiny AT fleet cabin crew) have bespoke pay spines to reflect the variations in their airborne / ground borne roles. Magic Mushroom may know more about this latter than I.
 
I thought they gave you desk jockeys a go in a jet once a year to keep the wings up.

Err, nope.

Maintaining currency (let alone competency) is just a tad more complex than that.

@Magic_Mushroom not even some sim time?...

Still nope.

Silly me....I thought that's where the supply of retreaded Flight Lieutenants came from, to fly the Grobs and give cadets a tour of the parish or operate the UAS aircraft.

Nope again!

...Once awarded, RRP (Flying) is continually paid unless the recipient loses their med cat or re-branches for reasons various...

Not quite correct. RRP(F) is reduced over several years and then removed if an individual refuses a return to flying or flying related posts.

...I believe that 'non-traditional aircrew' (eg E3 back-end mission crew / airborne techs, and shiny AT fleet cabin crew) have bespoke pay spines to reflect the variations in their airborne / ground borne roles. Magic Mushroom may know more about this latter than I.

Most ‘non-traditional’ aircrew (E-3D ABMs/ATs, ATs on RJ and IAs on Sentinel) receive normal RRP(F) while on flying tours but lose it immediately they’re posted.

Stewards receive only crew pay, again only while on a flying tour.

RPAS(P) get no RRP(F) although I suspect that this will change soon.

Regards,
MM
 
So, for example, would you be able to maintain your Instrument Rating or even an SEP rating, as a most basic level?

No. But what purpose would it serve for a staff officer - whose original type may no longer even be in service - to take valuable flying hours from front line aircrew?

Regards,
MM
 
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Err, nope.

Still nope.

Nope again!

Not quite correct.

Regards,
MM

@Magic_Mushroom behind his desk these days.

$_86.JPG
 
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