Royal Air Force

Hi, I’m 16 and in sixth form and am looking to be a commercial pilot in the future.

The reason this chat is named RAF is because my family don’t have enough money to pay for my flight lesson so I don’t want to have to put that burden on them but I then found out that by joining the airforce as a pilot you can get paid and learn how to fly at the same time saving you a lot of money and time for the same end goal.

(If anyone has any information about the RAF please comment. )

Anyway I am planning to join the RAF as a reserve whilst I go to university or maybe full time and just skipped university as it’s pretty pointless in my career pathway. My question is how do I tell me ‘traditional’ parents I want to join the Royal Air Force as a pilot without them thinking I’m going to war and shooting missiles and also without crushing their dreams of me becoming either a lawyer dentist or doctor

Original post by Naym Rahman

Hi, I’m 16 and in sixth form and am looking to be a commercial pilot in the future.

The reason this chat is named RAF is because my family don’t have enough money to pay for my flight lesson so I don’t want to have to put that burden on them but I then found out that by joining the airforce as a pilot you can get paid and learn how to fly at the same time saving you a lot of money and time for the same end goal.

(If anyone has any information about the RAF please comment. )

Anyway I am planning to join the RAF as a reserve whilst I go to university or maybe full time and just skipped university as it’s pretty pointless in my career pathway. My question is how do I tell me ‘traditional’ parents I want to join the Royal Air Force as a pilot without them thinking I’m going to war and shooting missiles and also without crushing their dreams of me becoming either a lawyer dentist or doctor

i'm afraid this isn't really a practical plan. To join the RAF is highly competitive, probably more so than civil aviation, and you almost certainly will be going to war and quite possibly shooting missiles along the way. You need to do 12 years before you can leave, and you don't get your civilian licences automatically anyway. If you want to be a civil pilot, then try the various flying scholarship schemes and then look at civil flying academies etc.

Reply 2

Khal_6

2

Original post by Naym Rahman

Hi, I’m 16 and in sixth form and am looking to be a commercial pilot in the future.

The reason this chat is named RAF is because my family don’t have enough money to pay for my flight lesson so I don’t want to have to put that burden on them but I then found out that by joining the airforce as a pilot you can get paid and learn how to fly at the same time saving you a lot of money and time for the same end goal.

(If anyone has any information about the RAF please comment. )

Anyway I am planning to join the RAF as a reserve whilst I go to university or maybe full time and just skipped university as it’s pretty pointless in my career pathway. My question is how do I tell me ‘traditional’ parents I want to join the Royal Air Force as a pilot without them thinking I’m going to war and shooting missiles and also without crushing their dreams of me becoming either a lawyer dentist or doctor

Hey, this was my exact plan too. Although as I learned more about the RAF, and the pilot branch specifically I really did become interested in fulfilling a career as a pilot in the RAF - not just to learn how to fly so I can be a commercial pilot. I suggest that you do a lot of research into it - at the end of the day, you are there to do the jobs that the RAF need you to do, raf isn't here to help you become a commercial pilot - plus I understand that their flying qualifications mean nothing in civilian flying (although there are programs that fast-track military pilots over to commercial).

But yea as I said, make sure you would be genuinely interested in flying for the RAF and its the right role for you - you could fly sorties in a warzone.

To answer your question: Do the research, learn as much as you can about the role - then sit down with your parents and talk to them about it. They will ask questions, they may object against it. At the end of the day you must respect your parents thoughts/opinions and take their advice - but it is your life, not theirs. Talk to some pilots too, try reach out to bases and ask if you can visit. Hope this helps

Reply 3

Drewski

19

Original post by JakeMini

Imagine being this negative and stupid

You have no idea how hilariously bad your post is, and on so many levels.

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 4

Drewski

19

Original post by Khal_6

Hey, this was my exact plan too. Although as I learned more about the RAF, and the pilot branch specifically I really did become interested in fulfilling a career as a pilot in the RAF - not just to learn how to fly so I can be a commercial pilot. I suggest that you do a lot of research into it - at the end of the day, you are there to do the jobs that the RAF need you to do, raf isn't here to help you become a commercial pilot - plus I understand that their flying qualifications mean nothing in civilian flying (although there are programs that fast-track military pilots over to commercial).

But yea as I said, make sure you would be genuinely interested in flying for the RAF and its the right role for you - you could fly sorties in a warzone.

To answer your question: Do the research, learn as much as you can about the role - then sit down with your parents and talk to them about it. They will ask questions, they may object against it. At the end of the day you must respect your parents thoughts/opinions and take their advice - but it is your life, not theirs. Talk to some pilots too, try reach out to bases and ask if you can visit. Hope this helps