When did the RAF stop recruiting sergeants as pilots?
As I understand it they basically began to fizzle out after the end of WW2. During the war there was a need for large numbers of pilots who were just that, pilots and not officers with a career path. Commissioned officers would have to go on to various command and leadership posts, often flying a desk at various times. Hence the Sergeant pilots were very often employed on flying duties with no need for them to be anything else. Once these “flying only” pilots were no longer required the service began to shrink back and revert to officer-only pilots. EDIT: I am sure to realise that, Nick, I am also aware that many valiant Sergeant pilots did not wish to continue a service career and declined a commission either during the war or afterwards. They were content to do their wartime duty and leave the service afterwards.
