Thinking about joining the RAF or the RN as a pilot HELP

[Undecided.]

OK so i have been thinking about joining the RAF or the Royal Navy as a helicopter pilot, i have all the requirements i have 20/20 vision i'm very fit and i'm doing my IGCSE's and then A levels. I'm doing IGCSE's because i'm home educated.

I'm 15
What i want to know is if i am a helicopter pilot what would i do in the event of War. Would i have to fly helicopter gun ships or would i fly troops in and out of the battle field. Is it optional ?? do i HAVE to go to war or could i do other jobs involving flying I would rather be a search and search and rescue pilot but they only accept former military pilots.

Which should i join, i would like to join the royal navy because i would be on a boat traveling and that sounds great.

What i want to know is should i join the RN or the RAF, do i have to go to war, is flying gun ships or transport helicopters optional and any other information would be really great.

[sportbilly42]

OK so i have been thinking about joining the RAF or the Royal Navy as a helicopter pilot, i have all the requirements i have 20/20 vision i'm very fit and i'm doing my IGCSE's and then A levels. I'm doing IGCSE's because i'm home educated.

Firstly you don't have to be very fit to be a chopper pilot... Prince Andrew was one ffs and he'd never seen the inside of the gym at Windsor Castle... (He was a qualified chopper though...)

Would i have to fly helicopter gun ships or would i fly troops in and out of the battle field. Is it optional ??

There's normally a board in the flying room with the helicopter keys on. You just take your pick. If you feel like 'laying down some lead' you grab the Apache keys. It's normally a bit of a rush after breakfast at the hotel then you get driven to the airport. If the pilots all arrive at the same time they normally do 'Rock, Scissors, Stone' to see who gets to ferry Generals around to cocktail parties in the Gazelle.........

What i want to know is should i join the RN or the RAF

RAF over the Rum, Bum and Baccy boys every time. RAF get to live in some great 5* hotels whenever there's a war....

...... any other information would be really great.

Try searching the internet... Google is your friend........
http://www.raf.mod.uk/careers/jobs/pilot.cfm

[timex]

I'd suggest you do some research before you do anything else as your knowledge of military Rotary work is scant, look at the RAF and RN websites (also the Army).

Couple of points, the Military are an armed force so expect to go to the "sharp end" its what we do, your chances of becoming a Mil Pilot are very slim for a couple of reasons they are:

The selection process is very difficult, and you will also need the apptitude to fly as being a Mil Pilot is a lot different from the civvy world.

Choice of job, you will be very very lucky to go to either RAF or RN SAR force as these are "usually" filled by guys from the frontline on a rest. (The Mil still provide most of the UK SAR).

Flying Gunships will be an Army option as the RAF and RN fly Support Helo's and smaller Utility A/C (which can be armed).


If you dont want to go to War don't join, you will be a burden to all concerned.

[Undecided.]

Thanks for the Info guys, i have checked out the RN and the RAF website i kinda wanted a little info from a human being you know maybe someone who had or is currently training to be a pilot.

There is a fitness test, i'm pretty sure of it, you have to become a officer then a pilot or so i have been told. And the officer training involves allot of physical team work.

I'm not saying i don't want to go to war, i mean no one actually wants to go to war, however i will and i would rather fly support helicopters, fly out the injured ect.

And in response to join the RAF you get to go to good hotels, that sounds great but if you were in the Navy you would get to travel the world on ships and stuff or so i have been told.

Another few questions, is the training to become a pilot different in the RAF than the RN and what's different about being a helicopter pilot for the RAF than the RN.

[sportbilly42]

And in response to join the RAF you get to go to good hotels, that sounds great but if you were in the Navy you would get to travel the world on ships and stuff or so i have been told.

Yeah but on a ship you don't get your own bedroom. And you don't get much sleep neither, as you have to lay there with one eye open all the time in case one of the Navy boys gets a bit... well... y'know..... 'frisky'....

Another few questions, is the training to become a pilot different in the RAF than the RN and what's different about being a helicopter pilot for the RAF than the RN.

In the RN they train you how to fly helicopters underwater too.....

[timex]

Thanks for the Info guys, i have checked out the RN and the RAF website i kinda wanted a little info from a human being you know maybe someone who had or is currently training to be a pilot.

You could hurt our feelings you know....

There is a fitness test, i'm pretty sure of it, you have to become a officer then a pilot or so i have been told. And the officer training involves allot of physical team work.

Quite right, but a lot of individual phys as well..

I'm not saying i don't want to go to war, i mean no one actually wants to go to war, however i will and i would rather fly support helicopters, fly out the injured ect.

Don't forget you have to insert them into a LS as well...

And in response to join the RAF you get to go to good hotels, that sounds great but if you were in the Navy you would get to travel the world on ships and stuff or so i have been told.

Things don't work that way in the Rotary world, the RAF SH are now deployed in all the sandy places. (They don't like it but who cares) Lol.

The RN ships etc, you could end up on a small ships flight which can be fun, not may ships though! You could also end up in CHF as an embarked TAG (Tailored Air Group) on HMS OCean with a Commando Unit on board and spend months deployed. Great fun for a short while..

[Undecided.]

You could hurt our feelings you know....

Sorry what i meant was that's why i am asking here, because i wanted to talk to actual people instead of reading from a site where i cant really ask questions, didn't mean that you guys aren't humans hahaha

And another question, in the military you get shouted allot and stuff, well is that more in the RAF than the navy or is it like that everywhere, do you get screamed at less in the RAF haha not that that's a problem fir me, i'm just trying to find as much information as i possibly can.

If i was a pilot and there was a war what should i expect ? Like i said i am prepared to go to war but i would rather be a search and rescue pilot and safe lives rather than take lives. I wouldn't like to but i will and am prepared to kill as long as there not innocent civilians.

[Hyperlithe]

If you want to join the RAF as a pilot (of any kind) you should be thinking about going to university and getting a degree; when I went through OASC the majority of applicants were for pilot, and 50% of our entire group got sent home after the first day, and that was getting on for 8 years ago - they are even more picky now!
My dad was a Lynx pilot in the RN for a while, quite a long time ago now, but most of his colleagues also had degrees.
As well as proving you can handle the serious academics required for the pilot training it would give you a chance to get some life experience in, and you could join the University Air Squadron and do some flying...
We aren't really recruiting pilots at the moment, lots just got chopped from within the training system and redirected elsewhere or made redundant, so you would have to wait a few years anyway.

Search and Rescue is a VERY small trade, and all the pilots working in it have many years' experience, so you wouldn't get that as a first tour. It's incredibly difficult. If it helps, on some helicopters it's the Loadie hanging out the back (or the side) firning a minigun who is more likely to kill people than the pilot. When they are shooting at you though, believe me, you won't have any qualms in firing back...

[timex]

You will get shouted at whichever service you go into, just less in the RAF.

You will not get SAR so forget that for a start.

If you go at to War, be prepared to be scared (as any sensible person would be) knowing that whatever happens you willgo into that LS (because your mates will be depending on you) you will get shot at and you could die...its that simple.

[Undecided.]

If you want to join the RAF as a pilot (of any kind) you should be thinking about going to university and getting a degree; when I went through OASC the majority of applicants were for pilot, and 50% of our entire group got sent home after the first day, and that was getting on for 8 years ago - they are even more picky now!
My dad was a Lynx pilot in the RN for a while, quite a long time ago now, but most of his colleagues also had degrees.
As well as proving you can handle the serious academics required for the pilot training it would give you a chance to get some life experience in, and you could join the University Air Squadron and do some flying...
We aren't really recruiting pilots at the moment, lots just got chopped from within the training system and redirected elsewhere or made redundant, so you would have to wait a few years anyway.

Search and Rescue is a VERY small trade, and all the pilots working in it have many years' experience, so you wouldn't get that as a first tour. It's incredibly difficult. If it helps, on some helicopters it's the Loadie hanging out the back (or the side) firning a minigun who is more likely to kill people than the pilot. When they are shooting at you though, believe me, you won't have any qualms in firing back...

Thanks that helped allot, and your very right, i wouldn't mind firing back at all haha

Also do you know to be a coast guird search and rescue pilot would i have to be in the RAF or former military ?? I heard they only accept military pilots, i have searched online and have heard this over and over.

[Hyperlithe]

I would imagine the coastguard takes retired helicopter pilots from any branch of the military - can't see them employing anybody untrained and teaching them how to fly a helo!

[Undecided.]

I would imagine the coastguard takes retired helicopter pilots from any branch of the military - can't see them employing anybody untrained and teaching them how to fly a helo!

Yep that's what i thought haha do you know if there's any job involving flying helicopters and helping people that don't only recruit X military, maybe being an air ambulance pilot ?

[Hyperlithe]

You'll have to use Google for that one, I don't really know about civvy helicopter jobs!

[timex]

Coastguard do take civvies on, but only those that have spent a fair bit of time flying on the North Sea (usually they recruit from within their own people). Quite a few ex Mil are also flying for the CG.

To fly Air ambulance or Police they generally look at the ex Mil first, this is due to the skillset that the guys aready have, namely Single Pilot Ops and lots of hours day and Night (which will also include NVG).

The Air ambo don't tend to fly at night but that may change.

I'd take Hyperlithes advice about RAF Offr recruitment as I don't know the RAF system but the standards will compare for the Army and RN.

[Undecided.]

Coastguard do take civvies on, but only those that have spent a fair bit of time flying on the North Sea (usually they recruit from within their own people). Quite a few ex Mil are also flying for the CG.

To fly Air ambulance or Police they generally look at the ex Mil first, this is due to the skillset that the guys aready have, namely Single Pilot Ops and lots of hours day and Night (which will also include NVG).

The Air ambo don't tend to fly at night but that may change.

I'd take Hyperlithes advice about RAF Offr recruitment as I don't know the RAF system but the standards will compare for the Army and RN.

Thanks.

I think the RAF is the best option, i was thinking maybe there wouldn't be such competition in the RN because usually if someone wants to be a pilot the royal (Air force) would probably be the first thing to come to mind.

However i'm probably really wrong haha so i have tons of research to do

Also does anyone know of anything that would look good on my CV, i was thinking of doing a meteorology course because that's weather patterns and would be useful. Could anyone give me some more suggestions. What would be the best GCSE's to have and A levels. can i get a degree in flying or something related to flying.?

Thank you though you guys have been really helpful.