To round off a busy couple of days I was pleased to receive
an invitation from the Honourable Company of Air Pilots to attend their annual
Cobham Lecture at the RAF Club on Piccadilly. As a bit of an armchair aviation
enthusiast I was very much looking forward to going along.
A welcome cup of tea on arrival was kindly offered before
the Master, Malcolm White introduced the guest speaker for the evening. Wing
Commander Rob Caine MBE, MA, RAF, is Officer Commanding IV(R) Squadron, RAF
Valley and his topic was ‘Cognitive Fighter Pilot Training for the Next
Generation’. It is a fascinating subject and he is a first-class speaker so had
a very interesting story to tell.
In essence the demands placed on fast-jet fighter pilots are
now so enormous that the more traditional methods of training is no longer fit
for purpose. Wing Commander Caine took
us through the various stages of the design of the new training programmes and
their execution, all against a backdrop of ever-increasing technological
advancement and continued cost reduction initiatives. He was extremely bullish
about the quality of pilots this new programme delivers and places an RAF pilot
as still being one of the best in the world. Very impressive stuff and the
audience were fully engaged.
Questions from the floor were ably dealt with and some good
lines of discussion were explored. The overriding message seemed to be that we
are still in very safe hand with ‘the Boys in Blue’ and the nation owes them a
debt of gratitude for keeping us safe and secure.
A quick drinks reception then followed and Wing Commander
Caine was kept fully occupied with further questions.
A fascinating evening and thank you to the Wing Commander
and the Honourable Company for organising it.
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