RAF career questions

[richard_jn]

Hi there,
I'm interested in an RAF career, but I need to clear a few things up that I cant seem to find the answer to.
First of all, I want to join the RAF as a pilot (and probably like most people, would love to get selected as a fast jet pilot). I'm currently in the process of doing the private pilots licence. Would this in anyway, the fact Ive got flying experience give me a head start, especially for getting streamed for fast jet training?

Secondly, Im going to university in the autumn. When the RAF say that a graduate will have more success as a pilot than a non graduate, does this mean a graduate of any subject, or does it mean the people who have degrees in subjects such is maths, physics etc.

How many years does it take for a pilot to become fully trained?

And finally, something which I was curious about, once fully trained and posted to a base, what is the day to day job of a pilot, as presumably most of their time wont be spent actually flying?

Thanks alot to any one who can answer these questions.

[TJD]

Hi there,
I'm interested in an RAF career, but I need to clear a few things up that I cant seem to find the answer to.
First of all, I want to join the RAF as a pilot (and probably like most people, would love to get selected as a fast jet pilot). I'm currently in the process of doing the private pilots licence. Would this in anyway, the fact Ive got flying experience give me a head start, especially for getting streamed for fast jet training?

Secondly, Im going to university in the autumn. When the RAF say that a graduate will have more success as a pilot than a non graduate, does this mean a graduate of any subject, or does it mean the people who have degrees in subjects such is maths, physics etc.

How many years does it take for a pilot to become fully trained?

And finally, something which I was curious about, once fully trained and posted to a base, what is the day to day job of a pilot, as presumably most of their time wont be spent actually flying?

Thanks alot to any one who can answer these questions.

Having a PPL will help in terms of your application and also at OASC as it demonstrates some aptitude for flying. It won't give you much of a head start though. Your streaming is based upon performance on the military flying aspects when/if you grad from Cranwell.

Generally a graduate has a greater chance of success than a non-graduate. However, the type of degree will not be a major factor. Accepted that some degrees are more pertinent than others but generally a degree is just that and is a marker that you have studied at a higher level. Caveat this with the joke degrees that quite a few students take. My advice is try and go for a main line degree course, but balance this with what you would enjoy studying.

3 - 5 years on average

Day to day job of a pilot - flying obviously, when not doing that he/she generally moans about not flying, whines about his poor pay, pontificates about how great he/she is, drinks tea/coffee, eats plenty of food (especially if a multi engine pilot), fails at any paperwork tasks given to them, oh and moans some more!!!! Joking apart they are either flying, planning for flying, carrying out a multitude of associate tasks or secondary duties or on standown.

Your best bet is to get on TSR (ThestudentRoom.co.uk) as there are a couple of experienced pilots on there and they should be more qualified to answer your questions.

[richard_jn]

Thanks alot mate, this really helps alot.

[TJD]

No probs - get on www.thestudentroom.co.uk - look under careers and then Armed Forces - more personnel in your situation there

[rawli]

And in the helicopter world the pilots just sit and stare at high flying airliners, wishing that they had done worse at EFT and gone multis and would be earning shed loads in the near future!

[Sky]

Hey guys, unlike most of the new guys I used the search button first, and decided I would be better off posting in this topic rather than starting a new one, as I have a question relating to pilot qualifications.
The RAF website states that your minimum qualifications need to be 5 Cs in your gcses and 2 a levels. This being the bare minimum, I guess its fairly safe to assume that you won't have a chance of getting in with these grades, and you'd need solid gcses, maybe 3 or 4 a levels and possibly a degree in university before the RAF starts looking at you as a pilot. My problem is that in my last years of gcses I suffered from depression and had a few deaths in the family all at once and didn't take it too well, and thoroughly messed up all my exams. So my question is if I were to go back to college and start all over, what sort of qualifications would I be looking to get to be in with a chance? Would 5 As be enough? or would i have to get 11 A*s to even be in with a chance?
If anybody can help me I'd appreciate it. Thanks,
Brendan

[richard_jn]

Hi,
I would suggest the best qualifications you could get would be maths, and physics, plus any other science/maths based subjects. If you look at the kind of qualifications you would need to get sponsorship for a commercial pilot, then I would think that is similar to what the RAF are really looking for.

GCSE and A level grade A-C in maths/science is the most important. A degree would obviously help, but not essential providing you can prove yourself in other areas (leadership skill, higher A level grades etc).

Hope this helps in some way.
Richard.

[wannabe_rock]

Hi Sky,

Take a trip to the AFCO and speak to them. My girlfriends sister is at Cranwell on IOT now, she did university and has spent the last 3 years waiting for a job to come up. Anyway, drifting slightly off the point, she has got in as aircrew and on her course or gettin kit issued prior to IOT starting, can't remember which one, she met 2 people who have both been accepted for pilot. One was 18 one was 19. It all depends on how you perform on selection I think. Obviously your education counts; but even if you have the minimum 5GCSEs 2Alevels, you have the ticket to get on the bus. I dont know your individual circumstances, but for example you could do your degree solely to get a job in the RAF, get a 1st class honours go to OASC and not have the aptitude for aircrew.

What I mean is don't rely on education to get the job for you. If you have the character, personality, aptitude and qualities they are looking for there is no reason why the minimum required isn't enough. If they were looking for people specifically with degrees they would say.

[rawli]

At the end of the day academic qualifications can't teach you to fly an aircraft. I have 10 GCSEs and 2 A-Levels in History and Politics. I hate maths, physics and anything like that, and although I struggled on groundschool a bit because of it it dosn't really matter.

Just do the best you can and although you may stuggle on the academics at IOT (as I did) I was much better at field leadership than a lot of people so its all swings and roundabouts and you end up helping each other out.

[Hyperlithe]

I would suggest having a back up plan as well. Doesn't matter how much you want it, or what qualifications you have; if you're not up to either the aptitude or the medical you will not be accepted. On my OASC all the guys who left at the end of phase 1 were wannabe pilots. Look at all your options and put about 3 choices down. You can always try and change to pilot once you have your commission. (Especially if you get accepted as WSO, but I didn't say that, right!!)

[rawli]

Haha, of course not! Would the fact that you want want a crossover be anything to do with the fact that a pilot can do everything a WSO can do as well as fly the aircraft?!

[Hyperlithe]

First, I'm not a WSO, second, I don't want a crossover! I got my first choice at OASC and I'm sticking with it.
I know of some people who have done it that's all.

(No offence taken by the way!)

[rawli]

Yeah I know two loadies, one of whom is now training to be a WSO and the other a pilot.

[rawli]

Yeah I know two loadies, one of whom is now training to be a WSO and the other a pilot.

[rawli]

Yeah I know two loadies, one of whom is now training to be a WSO and the other a pilot.