joining university of london air squadron

i wanted to join this year but there were no spaces for ground branch peeps, just pilots. normally you can join as either and if you are ground, you have 'flying experience' rather than training. i was told to try again next sept when people may have left.

I've been thinking about joining ULAS next year, is anyone here in it? How serious do you need to be about flying to join? I don't really know much about the RAF but it looks like a good opportunity to get some skills and meet people. I'm not really interested in becoming a pilot; if I did join the RAF after uni it would probably be as an intelligence analyst (some kind of technical/strategy type job, rather than actual flying). Is it still suitable for me to join?
My roommate at uni is in the navy branch, and it just seems like a social club to me (comes back drunk every Tues night from his seminar).

I've been thinking about joining ULAS next year, is anyone here in it? How serious do you need to be about flying to join? I don't really know much about the RAF but it looks like a good opportunity to get some skills and meet people. I'm not really interested in becoming a pilot; if I did join the RAF after uni it would probably be as an intelligence analyst (some kind of technical/strategy type job, rather than actual flying). Is it still suitable for me to join?

I didn't see this at the ULU Freshers Fayre
Sounds interesting

Sorry mate, but in the current climate, as has been said, you have to be pretty enthusiastic about being an RAF pilot to join. If you're interested in a ground branch they'll give you some literature and wave you off. If you fancy a military intelligence job, let us know; but the only way to legally join a UAS as a bluntie nowadays is to be sponsored.

Thanks for the replies guys.



Do they have specific career paths for people who want to work in intelligence? I think MOD/GCHQ/MI6 intelligence work could be interesting.

Nope not that I have ever seen But if you are sincerly interested in the RAF join.

Do they have specific career paths for people who want to work in intelligence? I think MOD/GCHQ/MI6 intelligence work could be interesting.

Well, the idea of doing some public service for my country appeals to me. I may stick to civilian routes of doing that though.

do the UAS pay you anthing like the OTC and URNU do?

do the UAS pay you anthing like the OTC and URNU do?

I applied this year. I sat the interview in Knightsbridge and passed that so i went of to RAF Cranwell to do my aptitude tests and medical. This was the second time i have been to OASC Cranwell, i first went when i was 16 as i applied for a sponsorship, but i didnt get in becuase my aptitude scores wernt good enough. Anyway when i went this time I passed the medical and was told that i didnt have to sit the aptitude tests again becuase my scores from last time were good enough for the UAS but not for the RAF. I was told if i wanted to join the RAF after i left the UAS i would have to resit the tests then. So i left cranwell and received a letter a few weeks later saying i hadnt been sucessful, so i called up the UAS to get a debrief on how i could improve for next time, i was told my aptitude scores wernt high enough. You can image how annoyed i was at being told this, i questioned them on why they had told me i didnt have to sit them and they wernt having any of it.

But i will be applying next year and hopefully this time i will be sucessful.

By the way edders you have to be pretty serious about flying, they can pick out people with motivation in the interviews and if you dont have the motivation they will see right through you. Also becuase ULAS only offer entry for air branches they train you to be a pilot, this training is the same as pilots do when they join the RAF and so is an important stage in your learning. If you dont want to join the RAF do you think they will pay for your flying training, expeditions and wage if you dont want to join in the end.