Sounds like they were only searching for ways toget around those pension payments.
In my day (1966-73) I signed on for twelve years including a 2-year apprenticeship ending at age 30. Then they would give you the magnificent sum of £300 once off! IF you could get signed on for 22 years that got you a pension at age 40. The max age was 55 and a few made it that far as did my father.
I left after 7 years and had to apply to 'buy myself out'. This cost £200 and was supposed to pay them back for the training.
I believe that they now give a pension after 12 years service. If that had been true then I might have stayed on. The strange thing about servicing aircraft is that as time goes on the job becomes LESS skilled as nowadays they don't fix anything - they just change components. The famous apprenticeship schools like Halton have all been shut down.
As the RAF only has about three aircraft anyway they don't need many personnel! In fact I don't think the service will see its centenary in 2018.
