Defence Update — Pilot & ATC Attrition

Perhaps even more alarming is the fact that the expected resignation rate of qualified RAAF air traffic controllers is now treble the long term average of 14 a year or 6%. Air Vice Marshal Bob Richardson, the Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Personnel) told Australian Aviation that the Air Force has forecast that it could lose about 70 pilots in 1995/96, which equates to an attrition rate of about 10%. This is attributed mainly to active recruiting by the Australian national carriers, Qantas and Ansett, and Hong Kong based Cathay Pacific.

Further with the new Government owned AirServices Australia (formerly a part of the Civil Aviation Authority) undertaking a major recruiting drive to seek about another 400 qualified civilian air traffic controllers, including its own trainees, by the year 2000, the RAAF is also hurting in this area. Against the 10 year average wastage rate of 14 a year or 6%, the Air Force lost 27 air traffic controllers in 1994/95, or nearly double the long term average. But it seems that worse is to follow. The forecast is for 45 controllers to resign in 1995/96 which equates to 18% of their numbers.

In response to these concerns, AVM Richardson said the RAAF has increased the intakes of pilot trainees to 55 a year, 10 more than in 1994/95. He acknowledges this will not alleviate the shortages in a hurry. Perhaps somewhat ironically not all the RAAF’s Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) officer graduates from 1994 who were chosen to undertake pilot training at Pearce, WA, had actually started the 15 month course by early in the new financial year. The last of them began flying training in October.

AVM Richardson said because of the size of the total pilot intake from the Academy, the pilot training courses were staggered through much of the calendar year. For example those who did not start the course until October 1994 were expected to graduate with their Wings in December 1996.

As one of the measures to step up flying training activities, a training lane is being constructed at Pearce to enable trainees under instruction to practice touch and go’s without needing to interrupt main runway activities. An unusually wet winter in Western Australia also has had some effect on pilot training at Pearce.

Pilot and other Air Force category wastage rates, of course, do not simply cover those who wish to resign early. There are a range of other factors which can come into play, including family and health. Only a small proportion of pilots these days — mostly those who attain senior ranks — serve through to final retirement age. It is more common for categories like pilots to serve say 20 years and thus qualify for superannuation entitlements and then resign to take on other pursuits. However a basic reason for the current increasing separation rates is that the airlines, notably Qantas, Ansett and Cathay Pacific are running active recruiting campaigns.

Another player on the scene is British Aerospace, which for years has had a big contract in Saudi Arabia to train pilots, initially on PC-9s. BAe is reported to be active in seeking experienced pilots from Australia and elsewhere, particularly experienced military flying instructors. The pay, including tax concessions and other conditions is considered most attractive. One offsetting longer term factor is that while the RAAF loses out in that area, the pilots who return eventually often join the RAAF Active Reserve.

The 10 year average in pilot separation rate from the RAAF is 56 or 7.9%. In 1994/95 the rate was 8.0% or 58 pilots leaving. The worst rate experienced in recent decades was in 1987/88 when 119 pilots resigned. This was equal to 15.5%. It seemed to take a recessionary economy after that to get things back to normal or below normal. The forecast pilot wastage rate for 1995/96 is about 70 or 10%.

Apart from pilots and the air traffic controllers, the other category being closely watched is that of engineers, especially in the electronic sphere. The current wastage rate is forecast to be a little higher than the 10 year average of 34 a year.