There is no upper age limit as a civilian instructor, although uniformed officers retire at 55.
This can’t be right can it? We have uniformed CFAV much older, and I understood the maximum age for commissioning was 60?
Anyone coming across this that’s considering going in to uniform could easily be put off from doing so.
Well out of date, although they do seem to be pushing people out as 70+
I know of a OC who is 72 and there has been no interest shown at the moment to remove them. I wonder if it is location based and if there is a succession plan in place??
Bound to be, I know a 72 year old Squadron Officer who is plodding on in one region and a 71 year old being forced to retire in another.
They also have to take it on merit. They could be the only person qualified to deliver something, or assess something… While we develop someone to replace their role.
For some, there just isn’t anyone to replace them…
I’m not at home to double check but pretty sure my appointment letter said my appointment was until my 65th birthday. May have been 60th
I believe it is 65, like you say - with annual renewals after that point.
We currently have a 74 year old OC in our Wing, btw.
This is what mine says.
It changed in light of the equality act I think and rightly so!
It was 55 (for all uniformed staff) until it was challenged under age discrimination, 10 or so years ago. The age at which people could join as uniformed staff was raised.
When it changed there was a lot of mumblings about “old people” running sqns who would be out of touch with the cadets. However there was the ongoing problem of younger staff being willing to take over.
On the point of older staff being out of touch the irony is I have noticed a few new cadets joining with older parents (the oldest so far was in the same year as my brother) who it seems have older children from a 1st marriage.
It changed to be inline with HM forces where the upper limit was raised from 55 to 65 many years ago. The RAFAC was slow to catch up. Now you can join before your 65th birthday. After 65 its extensions every year. I know of two WSO in my old wing are well into their 70s
I was pushed out of one Wing at 55 after having run a sqn for 15 years. I transferred to the non ageist Wing in another nearby as a Sqn Officer and not OC. That was in 2010 nearly twelve years ago. Im still a Sqn Officer and I attend a lot of activities and have specialities in Fieldcraft and Shooting, I also help other Wings. Funnily enough I was approached by my old Wing to come back and become an OC of one of their squadrons. The reply rhymed with drivel.
