Raf 2012

[Dropinstandards]

Spent most of last week in 'Town' and then Monday and Tuesday at Air and have heard about some pretty drastic changes planned for a new document 'RAF 2012'.

Some of you are may alraedy be aware but so as there are not too many shocks when it is announced next year (92 years after the formation of the RAF)

Here are the main points

1. EAW concept will be reinforced with more combination of assets which will mean a lot of movements for Sqns with the possibility of AT, rotary wing and possibility of Typhoon (as an eg) all being based at the same unit (Super Base) and then deploying as one unit, very similar to the Army garrison concept.
2. Smaller specialised units being amalgamated to reduce administration burden.
3. All BSW/PSF functions being taken on by civillians and Admin devolved to individual sections. Everyone will have a small admin cell and these will deploy with the section (EAW concept)
4. Loss of X- Factor for non deployable personnel but with the ability to opt out, so some trades will have the choice wheter they want to deply or not. To aid retention, however, the X factor will be based on RAFT, CCS etc and will be a much larger amount.
5. New pay spines for technical trades linked to competencies so if you are based on an EAW superbase and are Q'd to work on rotary and hercs then you will earn more than a technician just Q'd on rotary. Basic pay spine increase will be awarded on completion of Phase 2 Trg.
6. Leave compensation. If you have leave left over rather than lose it at the end of the year you can 'cash it in' aprrox £30/day for Jnr Ranks, £60 day SNCO's and £100 for Officers.
7. All gymnasiums taken over by 'Fitness First' and the PTI trade phased out
8. Downgraded individuals will do tours to other units to allow fit people to deploy and provide manning assistance (possibly Aeromed for people to cover slots in Cyprus and the Falklands)
9. No posts will be screened if you are fit to deploy you will deploy

These were the main points that I took notes on but there are many more that will be announced next year

 

[Ex-Bay]

By the sound of it, I'm glad I'm retired.
Centralised "super-base". Does that mean "all our eggs in one basket?"
ie., (with apologies to Tolkien)

"One Bomb to blast them all,
and in the darkness
beat them"

 

[Billy Whizz]

Some pretty radical thinking - best someone stamps on that PDQ!

Pay for qualifications will be a pretty contentious issue in my mind. Its not like you can guarantee where you work, what you work on and how often you get deployed.

As for superbases with Fighters/GA/AT and SH - where will these be? After all, in 2012 Lyneham will have upped sticks and moved to Brize to make one Super AT base! Just for someone else to decide that isn't the way forward!

DT_Xtremez_42:

 

[Stevienics]

PTI's. Never saw that coming.

Goes against the current rationale and emphasis on fitness to fight for all genera of human fauna. Who do they think is going to administer that now?

 

[billy bollox]

Some pretty radical thinking - best someone stamps on that PDQ!

Pay for qualifications will be a pretty contentious issue in my mind. Its not like you can guarantee where you work, what you work on and how often you get deployed.

As for superbases with Fighters/GA/AT and SH - where will these be? After all, in 2012 Lyneham will have upped sticks and moved to Brize to make one Super AT base! Just for someone else to decide that isn't the way forward!

DT_Xtremez_42:

This is just plain stupidity by the Higher's if they think this will work! How can you have the required experience on 2 different types of AC at the required depth to ensure that airframe is supported correctly. Like Billy said, how can you choose!! I have Tonka and Typh, does that mean I can effectively spread my self even thinner than I do now!!!

As for loss of X-factor,again how can you choose if youre deployable in your trade/post. I could be in a screened post like Trg through no fault of my own!!

Best this be rumour mongering or there will be a massive PVR rate

 

[Downsizer]

Aren't civvy engineers "Q'd" on more than one type? If they can manage....

 

[Rich_P]

I get the feeling that unless your trade and your involvement is frontline related (i.e. right up the front), then you're going to be civilianised to save costs. Did I get that right?

Maybe the RAF should get ready for its new slogan. "You don't need to be in the RAF to work in the RAF." DT_Xtremez_35:

 

[billy bollox]

Aren't civvy engineers "Q'd" on more than one type? If they can manage....

But they have been trained through the liscence route for 5 yrs before Type Rating is issued. (or 1 yr plus 4 yrs Military experience). Not just a 4 week sootie course at To$$ford and then your magically a split brain!!
They also have Unions and enough manpower!!

 

[Soon To Leave]

PTI's. Never saw that coming.

Goes against the current rationale and emphasis on fitness to fight for all genera of human fauna. Who do they think is going to administer that now?

PTLs of course!

 

[MrMasher]

A superbase with rotary, transport and jets?
Who thought that up?
It will have to be a massive base!
I bet air tragic can't wait for that amount of aircraft to clog up their screens!

This must be a trolling trip surely?

 

[monobrow]

This must be a trolling trip surely?

That's where my money is.

 

[Jim_P_Pulfrew]

This is purely and simply a softener to get you ready for 2018 when the hundred year experiment is done and you get swallowed back into the Army as the Royal Air Regiment.

Or

The bleating from the Army (which I heard on a daily basis when I was in) about the way we deploy our assets has become so loud at MOD that somebody has had to do something before it all gets a bits nasty.

EAW deployment en masse is essentially the same as a whole brigade of grunts deploying; the logistics are so much easier when you haven't got raggedy asres from all over the country being sent out to a proper unit in name only.

To match the Royal Facepainters deploying for 6 months to Smellystan picture this:

123 Wing is entirely self sufficient, based at Little Snoring and has a Sqn of GR21s or whatever. It will deploy to the sandpit in 2019 for six months. The whole wing, lock stock and barrel, will deploy, end of. None of this 'I was only out of area last year' whinging. Chuck a sicky or any other desert dodging excuse, you are posted and lose your X factor. Simple.

No extra persons will need to be DWR'd to assist as the whole mob are going and if they are capable of looking after themselves in the UK why not overseas.

So there is the first advantage; end of or at least a massive drawdown in the DWR system. The EAW rotation plot will be set in stone so you will know exactly when to book your holidays, do the OU course or whatever as you will know probably two years in advance when your next 6 monther will be.

The leave compensation is a sweetener, you will have to jump through hogsheads of real fire to get it. And with the scenario above you shouldn't need it.

PTIs going is no biggy except for the ones at Headley Court. The Fitness test will be run by one of the sport billies who are on every squadron and who have done the Q course. (And they get more pay as they hold a qualification)

I think you can see where I am going here without me writing a whole sixty page reply ............................. So 'Buckle up Toto we aint in Kansas anymore!'seems quite apt!

(Glad I am out of it all more than usual today, if this is going to happen)

Jimps

 

[JT 4 ever]

Leave compensation. If you have leave left over rather than lose it at the end of the year you can 'cash it in' aprrox £30/day for Jnr Ranks, £60 day SNCO's and £100 for Officers.

What a surprise!
And now I going to be told its harder for an Officer to get all his leave in...

 

[Billy Whizz]

What a surprise!
And now I going to be told its harder for an Officer to get all his leave in...

Probably not - its probably based around wages earnt per day.

 

[I Look Like Kevin Costner]

But they have been trained through the liscence route for 5 yrs before Type Rating is issued. (or 1 yr plus 4 yrs Military experience). Not just a 4 week sootie course at To$$ford and then your magically a split brain!!
They also have Unions and enough manpower!!

The basic licence is 5 years with the B1/B2 modules.. Type rating is a formal course and 4 months of OJT specifically on that type (thats a minimum time, but you would be pushed to find the jobs required, let alone do them in that time!). The civvy route compared to the RAF is passing your "Q" course and having to get the "X" annotation before you can oversign.. Then again, for Indies it used to be 6 months on type before you could scope them / do them etc..

Anybody can spanner an aircraft if they have the basic training.. That is what the AMM is for, however you would put a mix of experience in there cos THAT makes tasks progress faster and with less trouble!

BTW, I have worked on an Airbus, 737 and 727 as my last three aeroplanes.. If I wish to find out info?? AMM..

And not every MRO has unions or plenty of manpower.. These is a recession outside so hundreds of connies being called in to help out ain't happening..

 

[JT 4 ever]

Probably not - its probably based around wages earnt per day.

Actually thats a fair comment...

 

[Jim_P_Pulfrew]

If it was based on how much a Rupert earned per day it would be about 75p. If on the other hand it was based on how much his daily rate of pay was then he would get about £100 a day.

I never met a zob yet who earned a full days pay. Earning implies an amount of money in return for goods or services, not asking the Flt Sgt what time and how he should go wipe his backside!

Jimps

 

[penfold93]

If it was based on how much a Rupert earned per day it would be about 75p. If on the other hand it was based on how much his daily rate of pay was then he would get about £100 a day.

I never met a zob yet who earned a full days pay. Earning implies an amount of money in return for goods or services, not asking the Flt Sgt what time and how he should go wipe his backside!

Jimps

I'll remember that next time I'm working in the ED department in Bastion or giving up my weekends to help with trg or any of the other countless other tasks I have to perform all for my 75pDT_Xtremez_42:

 

[duffman]

That's where my money is.

Thought it was just me, not a bad effort either.

 

[Stevienics]

I never met a zob yet who earned a full days pay.
Jimps

..........it's not a closed shop, James, really. Feel free to have a go at the better life and more money (it is, and it is), unless........?