Navy+RAF Engineer / Helicopter Pilot?

Hi,
Currently studying a degree around electronical engineering (computer system engineering) and i'm looking to go into the forces (navy or raf) after my degree.
Was wondering if anyone here has any experience with the engineering roles since a quick glance around and it seems everyone is applying to pilot or gunnery!
I am also very keen on working around helicopters, or acutally becoming a helicopter pilot. Do i go through the same OASC etc in the RAF if i want to be a helicopter pilot than someone wanting to be a jet pilot? Since ive read only 40 of the 1000000000s who apply get in.

Thanks,
Tom.

Reply 1

dayle_124

Hi Tom,

Can only answer the last half of your question in that you will have to go through OASC if you want to be a pilot, whichever type. The reason for this is that you are streamed into one of the three types of aircraft after your basic flying training. Fast-jet, Multi-engine and Rotary are the options, however you cannot choose which one as the RAF will stream you according to service needs and your particular flying strengths and weaknesses. You will have very little, if any, control over which of the three types of aircraft you will fly if you are accepted as pilot.

Hope this helps

Reply 2

ProStacker

Tomo - welcome. The best you can do is get stuck into reading the RAF website and start working your way through some of the posts on here - they should be able to answer 99% of your questions - the rest we can do something with!
Pilot is very heavily contested - so you'll really need to want that and put a lot of effort into it - and you don't get the choice as the RAF knows best.

Reply 3

tissue

Woooooaaaaaaaaaaah! Slow down you RAF types, the guy said he was interested in the Navy as well, so here's our two pennth worth!

Just as with RAF if you apply to become a naval engineering officer (which i pressume is the case) you will have to go off to AIB, which is the naval equivelant of OASC. Similarly if you apply for naval pilot you will do the FAT's which is done alongside the RAF and AAC. From here you will go on to AIB like all other naval officers, this is all done regardless of whether you go fixed wing or rotary-the only difference will be the specialist training you receive.

As for engineering, hopefully our favourite wafu djmm will see this and answer any questions you have on this area, if he doesnt might be worth tracking him down and sending him a message! Any other information should be available through the RN website or your local AFCO.

Mr T

Reply 4

Tomo8281

Thanks for the replys guys!
I do know a lot about getting into the RAF as i researched it heavily a few months ago when i was thinking about what i'm going to be doing after university. I know pilot is very hard to get into, so im proberly going to avoid it. I still would love to fly rotor though, say i go into the RAF as an Engineer officer. Is there any chance i can progress to flying the helicopters at all?

Also the navy said they are very short on engineers and pilots. Even offering graduates a £12000 golden hello if you join as a weapons engineer. That makes it very tempting as coming out of university im in a lot of debt :biggrin:

! Is the Navy pilot school as hard to get into as the RAF?

Reply 5

threeportdrift

Careers Forum Helper

Tomo8281

I do know a lot about getting into the RAF as i researched it heavily a few months ago when i was thinking about what i'm going to be doing after university. I know pilot is very hard to get into, so im proberly going to avoid it. I still would love to fly rotor though, say i go into the RAF as an Engineer officer. Is there any chance i can progress to flying the helicopters at all?

You didn't learn much if you didn't find out that the person that flies a helicopter is called a pilot! No, if you join as an engineering officer you will not be a pilot so you will not be able to fly helicopters.

Tomo8281

Is the Navy pilot school as hard to get into as the RAF?

It's largely the same 'school', and if anything RN flying training is probably harder to get in to because they can be more selective. It's certainly not significantly easier to get in to.

Reply 6

tissue

The standards in passing selection will be more or less identical, with OASC/AIB being the only difference in the selection process, the competition on passing selection is not something i can really comment on, however what i will say landing on a piece of runway thats not moving up and down from side to side has got to be alot easier than one that is moving with the sea, if your looking for that kind of daily challenge then the RN is the way forward!

Mr T

Reply 7

djmm

I'm within engineering, aircraft wise, what you want to know? Feel free to PM if it's personal.

Possible you can change over from engineering to flying duties, but unlikely (which is to say it's been done, but it's not recommended). As to whether you go RW or FW (or indeed ME if you're RAF) is entirely upto the service fulfilling it's needs; though you do have a preference card and can swap drafts should you get something someone else wants and vice-versa.

They say they that, but they're not - they reach their targets every year, and will continue to do so; the probelm is with SRs who are leaving with not enough people to take their place. Hence, they have accelerated promotion from baby-engineering courses to SR-level, though none of this means anything to you as you're interested in engineering officer. Unfortunately, as you may well be aware, this country has a problem with the term "engineer" as it's thrown around to everyone and anyone, including plumbers - so when they refer to engineers (unfortunately it's not exclusive to civvies) it's not quite what you may know an engineer to be (acreditted as such).

The golden hello is there for anyone joining as an engineering officer, not just WEO. WEO's see subs, MEO's see the horizon, AEO's see aircraft (potentially helis!), so I'd definitely steer clear of WEO if you're atall interested in seeing sunlight. The golden hello has conditions, however, you must fulfill a full RoS in order to keep it; otherwise you have to return it, after you've already bought a nice new car (just as they do with peoples on bursars (guess how much bursars going through DTUS get per years over 3 years before they join as engineering officers...))

Reply 8

LukeThomas

Hey Tomo, Welcome to TSR

Ever thought of getting a pilots license in the civvy street? Or is it something you wish to make a career out of?

If you just to fly helicopters for fun then maybe getting a civvy license would be better, then you can apply as an Engineer in either force.

Just my 2 cents :smile:

Reply 9

Tomo8281

LukeThomas

Ever thought of getting a pilots license in the civvy street? Or is it something you wish to make a career out of?

Yes, i've thought of that. Considering im leaning over to the Royal Navy side of things i don't think i'd have that much time to really make use of it :smile:

! Maybe when i retire eh?

Leaning towards the Royal Navy rather then the RAF i've decided to head towards a Air Engineer Officer role! Everything about it i love and it seems like a kick ass job! And the pay ain't that bad either :wink:

Reply 10

ProStacker

Why Air Eng Officer in the RN over the RAF? You'd do much teh same job in the same environments mostly.

Reply 11

Tomo8281

ProStacker

Why Air Eng Officer in the RN over the RAF? You'd do much teh same job in the same environments mostly.

The thing is, i don't mind wherever i join the RN or RAF. I have a passion for both of them!

RN: Pilot, Air Eng Officer
RAF: Pilot, Weapon Systems Officer, Eng Officer

Is it possible to apply to the RN and RAF at the same time? Since i'd prefer to be a pilot in the RAF then the RN. But i know the RAF Pilot is extremely oversubscribed and hardly anyone get in! While the RN has far less competition so you have more chance to get selected (not saying its not as hard! Just less competition!). I just want to fly in the forces :smile:

Reply 12

ProStacker

Tomo8281

While the RN has far less competition so you have more chance to get selected (not saying its not as hard! Just less competition!). I just want to fly in the forces :smile:

Nope - just as hard - and you are only competing with yourself. You do the tests, you are looked at and nothing you can do impacts upon the others - so it is you competing against you.

Reply 13

Tomo8281

ProStacker

Nope - just as hard - and you are only competing with yourself. You do the tests, you are looked at and nothing you can do impacts upon the others - so it is you competing against you.

I guess

Thanks.

Im just very indecisive and want the best for me, even though i don't know what it is hah! The RN are throwing money and Engineer graduates and working on ships seems cool, but i prefer the RAF :|!

Going to phone up my contacts in the RN + RAF tomorrow. Is it ok to say that im not specificly looking only in that force? Can i go through the interview process for the RN and RAF at the same time?