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Ok, so I was planning on joining Air Cadets before I apply to the RAF, which will probably be about June.

Thing is, I'm 17 - too old to join.

So I was wondering if there were any other organisations you could recommend? I though maybe St Johns?

Cheers

I'm sure you can join the ATC as a 17 year old.

http://www.aircadets.org/

Or perhaps you could try the Explorer Scouts:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explorer_Scouts

You can join the air cadets at 17 and still do lots of things that would help your application to the RAF before you become too old. As far as I'm aware, you can stay in until you're 18 and then you're kicked out unless you're a Sergeant in which case you can stay on until 20.

I hope this helps.

P.S. the whole age when you get kicked out changed a while back so it would be worthwhile checking it out just in case I'm wrong.

My cousin stayed in the c@#t he was 20, as a Flight Sergant (he is still there, but now just as staff). He says if you are a promising individual, you can stay as CPL untill your 19th birthday, but within that you should get SGT easy if you want it. It's a good move to get to know the RAF, can't go wrong if you want to sign up

Kaelin

Not to burst peoples bubble but there was one guy from my TG course who was in the ATC and he just got told to forget everything they taught you at the ATC. I saw why when I went to see a friend at my local ATC and they looked pure awful. Theres nothing that prepares you to the real thing.

Well maybe for the Blue side it could be good but bring on regiment all the way

To echo Keates, when I went to AFCO to do the AST last week, we were also told as former cadets, to forget anything ATC taught you.

Some of the things you learn in cadets can come in handy - uniform, rank structure, aircraft.

Then again, some things can be a disadvantage!