I meant, why do people post on this thread instead of starting new ones??

I'm glad that people want to join the RAF, I'd be proud to serve in the RAF if my eyesight was within requirements. I'm not bashing the RAF or the people in it, I'm just wondering why people continue this ancient thread instead of posting new.

[edit]OK, then I'll edit this post instead of writing a new one and disrupting the thread! Sorry for the intrusion![/edit]

Reply 1584

Nikki J S

Dr_Death

I meant, why do people post on this thread instead of starting new ones??

I'm glad that people want to join the RAF, I'd be proud to serve in the RAF if my eyesight was within requirements. I'm not bashing the RAF or the people in it, I'm just wondering why people continue this ancient thread instead of posting new.

Why start a new one; all this valuable info/advice would be lost?? :frown:

Besides, I like this one! :smile:

Reply 1585

Tommy Boy

Keeps the board nice and tidy- afterall this a careers forum not an RAF one!

Reply 1586

steve_nels

cranwell for me in two days :eek:

Go on the sat morning come back on the sunday (for UAS) Looking forward to it, should be fun. Is it just aptitude and medicals yeh? Any last minute suggestions or help that wud b of any use/

Cheers
Steve

Reply 1587

Arch-Angel

REME-Bod

So where is the Typhoon OCU? Coningsby?

It is, 17(R) Sqn is the OEU and 29(R) Sqn is (or will be!) the OCU. As I understand it, the OCU will really form up at Conningby in 2005, however, it does essentially exist now.

For the record the first three Typhoons Sqns will be 3(F) Sqn (2006), XI(F) Sqn (2007) and 6 Sqn has just been named as the third

Reply 1588

Scorg

9

Nikki J S

How come you're waiting before starting your application? :smile:

My reason for stalling really is down to what happened when I visited the AFCO a few months back. Basicly the Corperal wasnt to happy with me.
Wasnt happy about me being involved with IT (which was the career I had pursued since I was 17) and that I wasnt involved in anything at the time besides the gym.
Also when I spoke to a careers officer at the lauchers airshow he was saying a big list of things to do, a checklist as such as he put it, of which im trying to do myself, where he was looking for alot of sport, single and group based, discussion groups, clubs and also what is definetly expected, current affairs and raf/nato.

Ive been known to rush into things in the past and left disapointed by what has happened(be it nothing anywhere near as important as a career though).

Reply 1589

maverick_87

Right im getting close to a time when im goin to have to make a big decision on how im going to enter the RAF. Im at 6th form doing A levels in Physics ICT and English combined. Ive contacted the ATC, and as they have told me im not too old im going to go along and see if what its like, so i may be a member soon.

My main concern though is whether to apply to go to university or not after my A levels though. I was pretty sure i was going to apply for pilot, and therefore, officer without going uni, just my A levels. Im not so sure now. just how much of an advantage does someone applying with a degree have? Obviously having a degree does not make your hand-eye coordination any better, so would going uni be a waste of time,as if your good enough you should get in anyway? Lets say there are 2 candidates if they both applied for pilot. How much more would someone without a degree have to score over someone with a degree, to stand a chance of selection? Or have i just got that totally wrong... (Im not really sure about how the UAS students enter so it may be...)

What im trying to get at is that is it worth going to uni and all the hassle that goes with it? If i was to go to uni, to do the degree id like, id have to take a vocational A level in maths next year, which would be a major headache, as id have to go to an entirely different college or something. I only really want to go if it will give me a major advantage over those who did not go to uni.

Obviously i know you cant answer this question for definite, but im completely at a loss for this, I dont have a clue what to do, so just some advice or opinions would be really helpful.

Cheers again, Jamie

Reply 1590

maverick_87

Oh as for the height issue raised by Maclean, I know other people on here disagreed with the info, but when i went for an ititial info meeting at my local Peterborough AFCO, he told a girl who was also there wanting to be a pilot that she was certainly going to be too tall, and that the maximum height was 5. 11. Thats what i was told. He said i was alrite though, im 5.7 lol :cool:

Reply 1591

Scorg

9

The one thing about a degree is, once youve got it, its yours, can never be taken away from you, and its also very useful to have for the future whatever that may hold.
Also if I remember correctly if you have a degree and once youve passed out you start as a flight Lieutenant (feel free to correct if im wrong on this).
dont let that be the reason to sway you. Do it because you want to.
This didnt play a part on me going to uni, at the time the raf wasnt even being considered, I was still wanting to do IT.
The experence of Uni is unique, Although hard work is involved it can also be a fun time and a good way in making new friends while learning about things more then just education related.

Reply 1592

hayelz81

Hello Engineer Officer,

I have got my first round interview for Supply Officer. Anything you can throw at me to help prepare please?

Many thanks,

Hayley

Reply 1593

REME-Bod

1

Scorg

Also if I remember correctly if you have a degree and once youve passed out you start as a flight Lieutenant (feel free to correct if im wrong on this).

I don't know if this is correct for all branches, as I was advised that with a degree (and assuming successful selection/training etc) I would start my first posting as Fg Off for about a year before picking up Flt Lt.

Maybe Wzz can shed a little light on the matter. :confused:

Reply 1594

maverick_87

Is it true that nearly all the FJ aircrew hold degrees?

Reply 1595

Wzz

11

REME-Bod

So where is the Typhoon OCU? Coningsby?

It's working out of Warton right now; now that Case White (the training of RAF pilots by contractors) is done, once they've trained up some of their own instructors they'll move to Coningsby. Don't ask any Typhoon pilots when though.....

Looks like maybe October?

REME-Bod

I guess it's not very macho to take a cushion to sit on so you can see out :tongue:

Ah, a technical reason actually :wink:

A cushion would compress under ejection and leave the seat to hit my thighs at several hundred miles per hour, breaking them both :smile:

The seat you sit on is exceptionally hard and nearly incompressible to transmit the force to your legs rather than accelerate up to meet them, if you know what I mean.

Reply 1596

Wzz

11

steve_nels

cranwell for me in two days :eek:

Go on the sat morning come back on the sunday (for UAS) Looking forward to it, should be fun. Is it just aptitude and medicals yeh? Any last minute suggestions or help that wud b of any use/

Yeah, don't go to Flicks.

Reply 1597

Wzz

11

Jamie_JAGGERS

Lets say there are 2 candidates if they both applied for pilot. How much more would someone without a degree have to score over someone with a degree, to stand a chance of selection? Or have i just got that totally wrong... (Im not really sure about how the UAS students enter so it may be...)

With a degree you'll be more mature, have more life experience, a UAS background, already have EFT done, etc etc.... you stand a much better chance.

Plus, if you fail selection twice (say) when not at uni, you've totally wasted 2 years of your life; and if you get in on year 3, and don't have a degree, then you're starting out on a long run of time in some very low ranks with low pay.

If you were at uni, getting in on your third attempt would mean you have the advantage of starting as a graduate.

Plus, at the end of it all, if the RAF turn to you aged 38 and tell you to leave, they don't want you anymore, then you have a degree to help bolster your CV as well as everything else. What's going to look better to an employer; 12 years of service and a degree, or 15 years of service?

Reply 1598

Wzz

11

Jamie_JAGGERS

Oh as for the height issue raised by Maclean, I know other people on here disagreed with the info, but when i went for an ititial info meeting at my local Peterborough AFCO, he told a girl who was also there wanting to be a pilot that she was certainly going to be too tall, and that the maximum height was 5. 11. Thats what i was told. He said i was alrite though, im 5.7 lol :cool:

Utter, utter balls. I know several pilots who are over 5'11"; and I mean dozens.

Its your body composition that matters, not height. Your buttock-knee and sitting height, along with buttock-knee and functional reach are the lengths that matter.

On my squadron right now there's probably.... 50% of the pilots between 5'10 and 6'2? Whoever told you that has no idea. I hope to hell the girl carried on with her application!!

Reply 1599

Arch-Angel

REME-Bod

I don't know if this is correct for all branches, as I was advised that with a degree (and assuming successful selection/training etc) I would start my first posting as Fg Off for about a year before picking up Flt Lt.

Maybe Wzz can shed a little light on the matter. :confused:

There seems to be a lot of info on this - info that I don't unformtunately have to hand at present. What I do know is that, the time from Pt Off through to Flt Lt does vary depending on if you're a graduate or not and if you have been commissioned from the ranks.

From what I recall, people from the ranks leave IOT as a Fg Off, regardless of qualifications. The time it takes to get promoted to Flt Lt depends on your non-commissioned rank - for me it seems to mean that after I've completed my first tour as a Fg Off I would be promoted to Flt Lt on promotion - around 2 1/2 years after IOT.

I don't recall seeing anything that says that you can be an instant Flt Lt on graduation - I suppose it would be possible if you were back coursed often enough to lengthen your stay at RAFC.

For "civvies"? Depends on the qualifications you have, ranging from bare minimum (graduate as an Acting Pt Off) through to graduate (graduate as Fg Off with around 18 months until Flt Lt).

This is all from memory, so apologies for any mis-information.

HTH

RAF : Officer / Pilot Entry

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