Air Force Training: Delaying Pilot Training Could Avert Unnecessary Costs
(Letter Report, 11/03/93, GAO/NSIAD-94-38).

Although it has reduced the rate at which new pilots are produced, the
Air Force is training more pilots than it needs and is incurring costs
unnecessarily.  More pilots are graduating from pilot training than
there are cockpit assignments available.  As a result, about half of the
pilots completing the program are being temporarily assigned to
nonflying positions--for up to three years--while waiting for cockpit
assignments to open up.  The Air Force incurs unnecessary costs because
the pilots (1) take requalification training before they advance to
weapon system training and (2) receive aviation career incentive pay
while in their nonflying positions.  In addition, the pilots' careers
are shortened by about one-third, reducing the usefulness of the Air
Force's investment in pilot training.  GAO found that the Air Force will
spend about $311 million on 757 pilots who it could have delayed from
entering the training program but chose not to.  GAO notes that the Air
Force could incur another $195 million in such costs for about 500
pilots who are expected to enter the training program after July 1993
and subsequently be assigned temporarily to nonflying positions.  GAO
recommends that the Air Force reinstate delayed entry into the pilot
training program until enough cockpit assignments become available to
absorb these candidates.

--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------

 REPORTNUM:  NSIAD-94-38
     TITLE:  Air Force Training: Delaying Pilot Training Could Avert 
             Unnecessary Costs
      DATE:  11/03/93
   SUBJECT:  Air Force personnel
             Aircraft pilots
             Human resources training
             Cost effectiveness analysis
             Reductions in force
             Military pay
             Personnel management
             Military aircraft
             Defense contingency planning
             Military cost control
IDENTIFIER:  DOD Undergraduate Pilot Training Program
             F-15 Aircraft
             F-16 Aircraft
             C-141 Aircraft
             Persian Gulf War
             
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