The British National Audit Office has issued a scathing report on the shortage of military pilots in the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy. The problem is largely in the training system, which needed more than five years to bring a new pilot to operational status in 1997. This is just over four years currently, and is to be cut to the nominal three years by 2003. Training delays are caused by a shortage of instructor pilots (who are forced to fly operational missions when there are not enough pilots in the operational units), aircraft, fuel, and training airspace.--Stephen V Cole