HC Deb 22 May 1991 vol 191 cc526-7W
Mr. Rogers

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what differences exist between the first stage of training for a Royal Air Force fast jet pilot and the first stage of training for a civil pilot.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

There is no single, standard route for training for either civil or RAF fast jet pilots. However, a typical civil trainee may expect to be awarded his commercial pilot's licence after approximately 170 to 200 hours of flying training, normally on a light piston engined aircraft. An RAF fast jet trainee will carry out around 147 hours of basic flying training on the Tucano before going on to the Hawk. During this training, both will have carried out general flying, including circuit work, stalling, instrument flying and navigation. However, the civil training will have concentrated on instrument flying and navigation in airways, whereas the RAF pilot, although carrying out some airways training, will have concentrated on low-level navigation. It would also be very rare for a civil trainee to do aerobatics or formation flying, whereas these disciplines form very major elements of RAF training.

Mr. Rogers

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will provide a declassified summary of the programme of training for(a) fast jet pilots, (b) helicopter pilots and (c) transport aircraft pilots.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

Due to the different flying backgrounds of personnel entering the RAF for training, it is not possible to give a single definitive programme. Some pilot recruits will have no previous flying experience whereas some may have received flying training at one of the university air squadrons, or may have considerable previous civilian experience, including commercial licences. Their training pattern will depend to some extent on this previous experience. For an entrant holding a private pilot's licence, his training up to the award of wings, and following completion of initial officer training, for the three specialisations mentioned would typically be:

  1. a. Fast jet
    • 147 hours on the Tucano, taking 46 weeks.
    • 75 hours on the Hawk, taking 22 weeks.
  2. b. Helicopter
    • 64 hours on the Tucano, taking 26 weeks.
    • 80 hours on the Gazelle, taking 18 weeks.
    • 63 hours on the Wessex, taking 14 weeks.
  3. c.Multi-engine
    • 140 hours on the Tucano, taking 40 weeks.
    • 50 hours on the Jetstream, taking 20 weeks.

After award of wings, pilots will go on to complete specialised training for the specific type of aircraft they will fly operationally, which in the longest case will be a further 40 weeks. During the whole of this period, their flying training will be integrated with ground instruction in specialist and general service training.