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Actually they wont have to Loic,
which I keep saying....
Germany had a reserve of 1600 trained pilots before BoF. They came from the 800+ decommisioned bombers. They were to be transfered to Ju-88's and He-111's as they came of the production lines but the production numbers were not their to get them in the field in time for the BoF and wont be in FFO either.

Also, the repatriated pilots you keep talking about, the records I've gone through suggest that only 25% actually participated in the BoB. About half never were cleared for flight. Though records suggest that many of those that weren't suddenly were in 1944 when pilots were needed more desperately. Most of those not cleared for flight made up the ground officers, prison camp commanders and bureaucrats that bloated the RLM in 1941.

Lastly, at the rate the teacher/instructors were being drawn from the German flying schools in otl, the entire transport and bomber instructors ( they taught both on JU-52's ) would have been in the battle and over half the fighter instructors for FFO. The 1939 planned new pilot training program would have had to be started in July 1940 to compensate for that. This also give a venue for pilots that cannot fly under combat conditions. If it was not and other suggestions were ignored, such as converting the oil powered bombers just decommisioned to gas for instructional use thus freeing up JU-52 production, the entire RLM system would have collapsed by late 1940. Milch, Goering and the other high ranking RLM officers could not have let that happen. Hitler would have had them all shot.

Not from what I found. Most came back and went on convalesence leave. Those that came back from that either went back to their units, onto a desk job or were discharged on medical grounds. As for the 1600 pilots, many were veterans of Spain and Poland and had as much experience as any pilot who had multiple hours in an aircraft. You forget that for a British pilot at this time, unless they were part of the BEF, they had less training than an average RLM pilot. This early in the war training hours were on the side of the German's. To meet the demands you point out that they have to meet over the next while, they have no choice but to go through with there planned Training program. It wont be cut in the heat of the moment in June 1940 in FFO and when construction starts in July 1940, German past actions suggest it will be implemented. Thus a series of training establishments will be built that will be able to pump out pilots and other RLM trainees similar to the Commonwealth program. An action re-action issue and driver.
Meanwhile none of what you said suggests why the numbers are so low compared to otl.

BTW how do you think France's airforce recovered in FFO?

Hi Loic,

Hitler was already planning for Barbarossa before the fall of France.

There's evidence that Hitler was planning Barbarosa back in the late 30's. Also considering the RLM had been lying to Hitler for most of 1939 and 1940 about whether they could do the 20000 airplane force he wanted and their real status, condition of the "New" planes etc. etc. the only thing they had to do was make sure they brought the planes he requested, when he request to the battle.

Just after that, GB was still in the war, with no guarantee to accept the peace. It seems strange to have curtailed the training program in these conditions.

It is what Milch said in his book, the worst mistake he ever did. At the time it was cancelled along with a whole slew of orders as the German's though the war was over. Hitler thought the British would sue for Peace and Goering believed Hitler so he told Milch to cancel as many orders as he could while he got on his train and went around France collecting art. As the Construction hadn't started, the training program got scrapped. As the program wasn't going to be needed as much as thought, the plan to convert the 800 + old Bombers for training thus freeing up the Ju-52's ( which sucked as trainers btw as they still had the old stearing wheel controls ) was also scrapped. Britain didn't sue for peace, Battle of Britain happened, Hitler anounce his private plans for invasion of Russia in 1941, The Balkan campaign and the North African campaign suddenly happened and the RLM had to limp along on its old pre-war training program.

Also, from the FFO point of view, putting France out of her homeland will seem a victory as important as having the Armistice and would probably lead to the same conclusions : France is not in the game anymore. Or we have to choose to have Germany trying to land in North Africa after the BoF, but the story didn't went in that direction. Remember also that Hitler thought of invading North Africa when rumors came that the French there could join GB (this was somewhere between 1940 and 1941). But no planning was ever made.

Oh it will seem like a victory but at the cost it will take on the RLM, tactically, strategically, the force will have no choice but to implement the program, Training will become a priority to keep the RLM in the game. The construction will keep the Aircraft plants happy as they will have more storage for aircraft with propper revetments and better defences ( the fields and training areas were to be linked with the dispersal of the aircraft plants ordered in 1939). Also we have Britain, who will have been nipping at Germany's side and flank all the while they chased the French forces south. That will force a defensive/offensive posture with far less materials/aircraft/pilots in the Northern France region. Then we have the big one, the RLM will have to cover not only the Lowlands and northern France and Bay of Biscay as they did in otl but they will also have to cover central and southern France. That may require an entire new Luft to be created with aircraft and infastructure. If it does not, it will require the expansion and redeplyment of one or both of the two Lufts that did cover France with the increase in aircraft and personel that would be required to do that.

As for the RAF, they wont have the respite they had while Germany pursued peace. Also they wont have the time to upgrade and retrofit there aircraft with armour and self sealing tanks. That will have to be done on the fly with many more pilots lost because of this. Bomber command will be butchered trying to degrade supply movements to the south of France and the lack of training and pilot programs in England will actually become more accute I fear until the Commonwealth program comes online in 1941. Also if the BoB does happen, as I've said before, it will be one of containment and no more than Stage 1 and 2 of the orginal Battle of Britain. That will bleed Britain dry of Pilots as most of the battles will be over the Channel. It will most likely happen that the RAF will have to refuse some battles at some point to remain viable till more pilots are available. The lack of pilots in Germany will Help with this as they will not be able to press the issue. Surprisingly both training programs would come online at the same time.

As for Hitler pursuing France, don't see it happening. Hitler will take the stand that France had its Back Broken. How many countries have survived with its homeland lost? With no capacity to follow I do see a push for some long range bombers ( especially with all of the strategic sites in England out of range of the current RLM bombers ). The He-177 may get more resources because of this ( especially as it has a range similar to the B-17 and they have time to fix her Fire problems in her engines ). This could also led to a long range attack capability that was not there for Barbarosa. I also see Goering not blocking the He-274 and He-277 because of this.

As said Franck, it wasn't until 1942 that the Germans started to really plan for a long war. In FFO, 1941 is overall more quiet for Germany. Of course Italy is in a bad mood, but the Allies are unable to land back in Europe and Germany is still at peace with Soviet Union.

Well yes and no on the planning. The infastructure for a long war was there, how it was used was not. Many articles point to he capacity built in the massive build-up in 1939 and 1940. Pulling troops back to the factories and construction units in the fall of 1940 suggests that there was at least a semblance of a plan for some duration ( most likely the year Hitler planned at the most for Russia before turning back to England ). This pre-build is why some people say Speer's was not the miracle worker of Germany like he was made out to be. The 1943 increases were already in the system, they just needed to come online. In FFO the German's have to many issues. They have England, they have the French, who after they sweep Italy from North Africa will come on there radar again. They have to rebuild there forces and oh, Hitler says he wants them at this level by Next Spring ( 1941 ). Can't cut programs to do that, in fact increasing them in some areas will be needed. Then we have all these other annoyances, Corsica, Sardina, Balkan's, Greece....they all cut into Germany's bottom line for building forces up for invading Russia but at the same time it makes sure there's fuel from Russia for training. If they built up there purchases like in otl, the surplus they put in storage will be able to cover them till 1943 ( USSBS records ). With the delay in FFO of Barbarosa, they will have those purchases and I can't see them stopping the purchases at that same level till they attack. Same deal, Russia wont stop sending as they want the finished goods and machine tools ( this causes other issues as well ). Thus the surplus will be even larger, lessening the impact that attacks on the Romanian fields might have had. Fuel will be present for training pilots and only logistics will prevent them from being deployed. Can only support so many aircraft in certain areas based on transport of supplies, fuel and available airfields. This was found out by the RLM in Barbarosa btw, they could support about 2500 aircraft and 3000 in a pinch, any more and the aircraft languished as they did not have the supplies or personel to get them in the air reliably. In FFO with most of the battles in Russia still within the range of the pre-attack bases, they will actually have more capacity for awhile due tothe pre-build up of supplies btw. If they leave that area things will degrade as they did in otl. Means that the RLM will look more powerful than they are. If the Training scheme is in place, that will become even more so as they can rotate pilots or whole squadrons out for rest and repair.

In FFO, I would see them slowly restarting things after the costly Corsica/Sardinia affair and gaining tempo after Yougoslavia/Greece. Germany is on the offensive there, so their pilots will not frequently be recovered because over ennemy-controller territory (or over the sea).

I see that only in the Greece campaign, in the other it will be as in otl as the forces were moving forward. Also we have the issue of kill ratio's again, both France, British and Allied pilots will have to be suffering from lack of training more so as there pilots will be even harder to recover. USSBS records ( Chart No 10 ) clearly show that even with the Commonwealth program that pilot training hours for Britain and her Allies ( US not included ) did not increase above Germany's until mid 1942 ( this was even before fuel issues in Germany ). This is not reflected in FFO nor is the Kill ratios Germany succeeded in getting during that time period. As for the fighting over the greek islands, That I agree will take its toll on German pilots and butcher their Transport command. Its also why I think at some point that the RLM will decided to mine the approaches to the island by planes outside the defensive fighter area of the islands. Done with the non sweepable bottom mines , it will make resupply of the islands extremely hard. Doing the same thing to the Greek ports the Allies are using to make Rommel's life hard and the allies are in trouble. Again I think this is not an option FFO has looked at but both German and US officers I have asked all came up with this idea without prompting by me....

That's all for now...