Defence Update — RAAF Pilot Attrition

There also is mounting evidence this year that the RAAF will lose a considerable number — nearly four times the normal annual “wastage” or attrition rate — of qualified air traffic controllers, mainly to the Civil Aviation Authority, but also to overseas interests. In approximate figures the expected loss rate will be nearly 50 as against about 200 qualified and partly qualified military air traffic controllers posted at a range of bases around Australia. To counter this the Air Force is recruiting 45 personnel for ATC training this year. (The RAAF, through its School of Air Traffic Control at East Sale, also trains the Army’s ATCs, and provides controllers for the Naval Air Station at Nowra on the NSW south coast).

So to tackle these key manpower problems, the Air Force has put in place measures to increase the intakes in both pilot and ATC categories and thus the graduate numbers. The RAAF has stepped up pilot recruiting programmes to offset the increased civil airline recruiting, and also to the redress pilot deficiencies it has had in a number of squadrons for some time. In the late 1980s, the Air Force lost a considerable number of highly qualified pilots to the airlines, especially to Cathay Pacific and other international airlines, but also to Qantas and Ansett. Historically many of those who leave military flying careers, which naturally include unattractive stints flying desks as part of the career structure, are aged from their late 20s to their early 40s. Many too are qualified F/A-18 fighter or F-111C strike/reconnaissance frontline jet pilots. There are though many RAAF aircrew to whom military flying is the ultimate in life, and all the extra money in the world wouldn’t entice them to leave. They like the challenge and the military ethos.

The RAAF currently has about 380 pilots flying at any one time. Other qualified pilots rotate through staff and other appointments from time to time. As highly trained officers their flying experience is used in other areas including as project officers, or in tactical development or in policy formulation. The RAAF pilots basically come through two streams. Both streams are open on merit to both males and females. Previous flying experience is not a necessity. One stream, which produces the majority of pilots, is through the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) which offers university (it is part of the University of New South Wales) degree courses in arts and science (both of three years duration) and engineering (four years). The best students also may take an extra year to do their Masters. From there the graduates go to No 2 Flying Training School at Pearce, north of Perth, WA, where they have to achieve 187 hours on the PC-9 advanced trainers before graduating with their “wings”.

The other stream for pilot entry, and this mainly applies also for aspiring air traffic controllers, is by Direct Entry. If civilians are interested in a military flying career, they may be recruited by the Air Force for pilot training provided they meet health and education standards. The first “test” is to check their aptitude not just for flying but for becoming an officer. After the initial selection procedures, they are put through a 15 hour basic flight screening process at the British Aerospace/Ansett owned Flying College at Tamworth. Then if selected to proceed to the No 2 Flying Training School, they first tackle the Officers’ Training Course at Point Cook, Victoria.

The annual “separation” rate for the Australian Defence Force’s air traffic controllers has been 12. This has been handled in the past by recruiting about 18 new ATCs a year to undertake the School of Air Traffic Control course at East Sale of 23 weeks. Prior to that those selected go through a 16 weeks Officer Training Course at Point Cook. The ATC course comprises elements like tower and surface movements control, approach coordination, aspects of radar control, and flight planning, together with additional officer development training. Graduates from the school usually pass out with the rank of Pilot Officer, and are posted to various air bases around Australia. They undergo specific training there which can take up to six months. After two or three years at their first air base, the ATCs return to East Sale for advanced radar training. Then they are re-posted. They also undergo officer progression training at various stages of their careers.

The validation requirements for ATCs apply equally to military and civilian controllers, hence their attractiveness to a body like the CAA, which not long ago went through several years of retrenchments to lower staff numbers. With the new civil air traffic control system due to come into operation in the next couple of years, the demand for civilian controllers is high. The CAA also is said to be able to offer a bonus from between $10,000 and $30,000 for qualified RAAF ATCs. It’s obviously a temptation some are not refusing.