The Canadian government has played a delaying game on defense modernization for a significant period of time.
No service has suffered more from the inability to make a decision and properly fund air force modernization.
While Ministers debate, the folks who make the force work are heading for the exit.
In an article by Bruce Campion Smith published on November 24, 2018, this dynamic was highlighted.
The oft-delayed purchase of new fighter jets is contributing to a flight of pilots out of the Air Force to the civilian sector, causing a critical shortage of skilled aviators to fly Canada’s aging fleet of CF-18s, insiders say.
Flying a 30-year-old jet holds less appeal for pilots who are no longer prepared to sacrifice quality of life and are instead quitting for airline careers, where demand for experienced personnel is sky-high.
The rush out the door has left the Royal Canadian Air Force coping with less experienced pilots flying increasingly outdated jets, former fighter pilots tell the Star.
“It’s not a winning proposition,” one veteran former pilot told the Star.
The featured photo:
Frustration over the oft-delayed purchase of new fighter jets is contributing to a flight of pilots out of the Air Force to the civilian sector, causing a critical shortage of skilled aviators to fly Canada’s aging fleet of CF-18s, insiders say.
(ANDREW VAUGHAN / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILE PHOTO)
Also, see the following article:
Royal Canadian Air Force Faces Challenge of Fighter Pilot Shortage