RAF ASOS (flight ops) trade training

Hi, i have my filter interview friday, i know everything there is to know about basic training at raf halton but im struggling to find the finer details about my trade training, the details on the raf website about it are very basic and i would like to know some of the finer details about it as i have got for the basic training, i have searched various fourms and websites too but have seen next to nothing about it, is there anyone who has gone through this training that can advise me on the training?

Take the information you have from the official sources.

If there's no additional information, that's what you tell them in the interview.

Hello mate, hopefully it went well. Anyway, I’m an Opsie after you’ve completed Phase 2 training at shawbury you are most likely to go to either Air Traffic Controller tower where you will carry out airfield drive duties which involves various tasks such as reporting and checking damages on the airfield, driving people around the airfield and doing “follow me” duties with other vehicles. Switchboard which is updating various computer systems with weather information and taking phone calls and dissemination of information to the correct people, you will also be the ATC assistant in the visual control room. This will involve being in charge of all vehicle movement on the airfield, liaison with the controllers updating computer systems with aircraft movement and the middle man with between phone calls between various sections around camp. The final role within ATC is usually only held for CPLs which is the ATC caravan which involves the last look checks on fast jet aircraft. This is sometimes given to SACs only if you’re really good. I was afforded this opportunity and it was a really good experience. Another posting is a Station Operations tour, I haven’t done one of these but from doing training and experiences within ATC they have a lot to do with the airfield movements and the day to day running of the airfield they generally have two position in which you can train in these are flight planning which you update maps and NOTAMs and in some camps you do some flight planning an various computer systems. The second position is the Ops assistant where you update computer systems and answer phone calls. After doing either 1/2 of these tours you will look to get a Squadron posting on either fast jet, rotary or multi each squadron is different and has different levels of responsibility many if not all of them deploy to various places throughout the world some require multiple Ops personnel and others require only 1 but nonetheless you will be required to do a lot of work and step up and go above and beyond and it is very rewarding. If you don’t go to a SQN There are multiple deployments which usually come every 4 years or so, these can be to the Falklands or to the Middle East. Hopefully you read this and get a lot from it. Try and get some phone numbers for ATC and station ops or a SQN if there is a base near you and I’m sure they’ll show you round and talk you through stuff, we used to have loads of people come round

How have you got on so far? I’m just awaiting my fitness & medical so it would be interesting to hear from someone currently undergoing it a few months ahead of me!

Hi, I got all the way to the fitness test but unfortunately had to drop out at least for now because of personal issues, the medical is very thorough but if your in good health you shouldn't have anything to worry about, sorry I can't give you more info and hope everything goes well👍