Flying allowance, flight duties review

By Andrew Stackpool

Pilot FLTLT Matthew Nunn (above) and Loadmaster WOFF Mick O’Brien (below) both from No. 36 Squadron, are among personnel whose views are sought on flying and flight duties allowances. A working group is visiting bases over the next few weeks to brief personnel about a review of the allowances and to seek their views.

Photos by AB Phillip Cullinan

CONSULTATION with personnel about the flying allowance and flight duties allowance begins on April 4.

A tri-Service working group will visit bases until April 22, and personnel can provide comments through People Central or via email.

Defence Force Remuneration Tribunal members will also visit bases during May and June to see the type of work done and the operating environment.

The tribunal is reviewing the flying allowance – the first full review since 1997. Flight duties allowance is also part of the review because of its link to the disability component of flying allowance.

The Director-General Personnel - Air Force, Air Commodore Ken Birrer, said of interest was personnel’s comments and observations about the flying allowance structure to answer questions such as:

• what is good about the allowance’s structure?
• what could be changed or improved and why?
• does flying allowance influence or impact on decisions made about careers?
• does flying allowance fully recognise qualifications and skills at the appropriate times?
• is the time-based progression relation structure still relevant?
• should flying allowance be structured to encourage people to serve as a squadron leader or wing commander?

Personnel’s comments can canvass any idea about the allowances.

AIRCDRE Birrer said the Tribunal’s decision to conduct the review, and the need to link with Defence’s remuneration reform project, presented a unique opportunity to set in place a pay structure that would support the future Air Force.

He said the structure of the allowance would enable the Air Force to better manage attraction and retention issues.

A tri-Service working group was established in January this year to investigate and develop options for restructuring the flying allowance.

This will enable it to be subsumed into the remuneration reform project graded officer pay structure when approved.

A case is expected to be presented to the Tribunal in August and the review is expected to be finished by December.

First review since 1997

THE last full review of the flying allowance occurred in 1997. The Nunn Review led to a restructure of the qualification and skill element of the allowance.

A structure based on years of experience post the award of wings replaced a rank-based structure.

Increases in the disability and the qualification and skill elements were also awarded in recognition of the increased hazards and stresses associated with military flying, the extra work value of qualified members and the need for the ADF to address aircrew shortages by restoring the effectiveness of the allowance in attracting and retaining sufficient aircrew.

The Nunn Review also resulted in a remuneration reform project in 2002. The project aims to tackle the issue of officer pay and the large environmental allowances.

Two key initiatives of the project so far are developing a flexible salary structure for officers and making the extant qualification and skill elements of flying, submarine service, special action forces and specialist operations allowances supernumberable.

Click here for "Consultation"

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