Quarter of trainee pilots may face sack under military cuts

Up to 100 student pilots will be told the news today that they have no future in the service. They are said to include some who are just a few flying hours hours away from qualifying as pilots.

According to the paper up to 20 fast jet pilots, 30 helicopter pilots and 50 transport aircraft pilots are to go.

Air Vice Marshal Mark Green, the head of RAF training, was said to be preparing to visit the three training schools to inform them of their fate.

The cuts will mean that the Ministry of Defence will effectively have to write off the £300m spent on their training, which can cost up to £4m a man, the paper said.

Some trainees were said to have made last-ditch appeals for a year’s sabbatical while others were said to have offered to take a pay cut to stay on and complete their qualification.

One said: “It’s a real kick in the teeth and I would be devastated if I was chosen for redundancy as this is something I have worked for my entire life, through school, air cadets and university.”

The MoD would not comment directly on the report although it pointed out that all three services were facing cuts following the Strategic Defence and Security Review.

“The SDSR has already made clear there will be a reduction in the number of assets and airframes across all three services, and that the RAF would be reduced by around 5,000 personnel to a total of about 33,000 by 2015,” a spokesman said.

Asked about reports of cuts in the armed forces, Prime Minister David Cameron’s official spokesman said: “Dealing with the deficit and the economic problems the country faces is fundamental to ensuring that in future we will be able to protect our national security effectively.”

Virgin Atlantic said it was modifying its training programmes to enable wider recruitment of pilots from the military, including the RAF, who may be considering their career options at this time.