Some advice please...

[Martin4]

Hello,

I'm in need of some advice. Iv been concidering joining the RAF as a flight ops assistant (i cant be a pilot in the RAF due to eye sight requirements). Last time i spoke to the careers advisor he told me the job wasnt open and to look for a job to fill the time in. Since then iv applied for a job at Morrisons the supermarket store and am about to enrol on a college night course to start getting some GCSE's.

However, I'm undecided as what the best way to go is:

1) When I start work save as much as I can and keep doing the night classes at the college to get GCSE's, then in a few years time start the multiflight.com course that takes you from no flying expirience to frozen ATPL in a year.

or

2) Work at morrisons until the FOA job at the RAF is open, go for the interview (and if all was ok) join the RAF.

A few things id like you to concider before you type up a reply:

- I'm 16 at the moment (17 in june) and still living at home with my step-dad and my mum, so it will be easy to save up a reasonable amount of my pay.

- I obviously couldnt gain all the required money to fund the pilot course but my real/birth dad would be able to help me out there for sure.

Hope i didnt sound a idiot there, your advice will be very appriciated!
Martin

[Peter_CDG]

Hi Martin,

your advantage is, that you are very young. I think, that the best way would be to enrol to the college night course ... So you´ll have the required background for the atpl course. And many airlines prefer pilots with an adequately academic background.

Perhaps you can join a flight club, where you can obtain your ppl. As you know, the ppl is the first step in your aviation career ;-)

[BEagle]

Martin4, firstly you need to establish whether your eyesight lmitation would preclude your holding a CAA Class 1 medical certficate. I would suggest that you have an eye test carried out in accordance with the standards stated in http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/49/SRG_MED_JAR_C1_Initial_Visual_Stds.pdf . The standards are included in the form http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/49/SRG_Med_Extended_eye_exam_optometrists_form_Aug-04.pdf which the optician will need to see.

If you cannot meet those standards, then consider the RAF Flight Ops career.

I wish you the very best of luck with your future career.

[Martin4]

BEagle,

Thanks for those links, iv printed them off and will take a walk along to the opticians on monday or sometime in the next week (hope all is ok :ugh:)

So.... lets say everything is ok and i meet those standards, im guesing your advice would be to stick in at the suppermarket to do as i typed in my other post, yeah?

Thanks,
Martin

[BEagle]

Yes - even if your eyesight limitations preclude a Class 1, working at the supermarket would help fund a PPL (which requires a Class 2 medical). In a year or so, try applying for a GAPAN PPL scholarship or an Air League part-NPPL scholarship.

Your approach shows commendable commitment and I wish you lots of luck!

There are RAF Flying Clubs at several stations which offer PPL training at lower cost than civilian flying schools. So, you can still be a pilot in the RAF even if not in a military jet. See http://www.procommercesolutions.co.uk/raffca/homepage/ for more gen.

[Martin4]

Thanks very much for the advice BEagle,
Its appriciated.


Martin

[Time Flies]

Hi Martin

I received your PM.

My advice would be to crack on with the GCSEs as soon as possible. The beauty of the night classes are that your days will be free to work, hence earn some cash to convert to flying/beer!

As mentioned, age is most certainly on your side, being only a couple of months under 17.

Let's say you get the job at Morrisons or anywhere else for that matter. With minimum wage you should be able to crack £500 per month. Take a little off for food/bills/rent to mum and you should still be able to square away about £300 per month.

PPL = Approx 40 hours flying.

£300 = approx 3 hours instructional time in a Cessna/Piper working towards your PPL. (Even cheaper flying through one of the clubs BEagle pointed out!)

If you do 1 trip per weekend and dedicate the other weekend in the month studying towards the PPL written exams you could feasibly complete your PPL in just over a year.

You will then just be turning 18! You will have your PPL and your GCSEs will be well underway.

This is a great situation to be in. You will have found out if the RAF is taking on FOAs. If so you've got the option to then join and use your RAF wage to continue building your flying hours (the RAF will also pay for studies such as GCSEs and A-Levels). Or, you can decide if you'd prefer to pay your way through flying training whilst keeping up the studies too.

There are lot's of pros and cons for every choice so don't be afraid to ask for advice on this forum. There will almost certainly be someone who can help.

Best of luck with the job application! :ok:

TF

[Ben Parkin]

Go for it mate, Gcses are always useful , and earning some cash too , wish i had that situation when i was at college !
Keep on at the AFCO , i did and i think it made my interviews more of a formality, I was that " keen bloke " who wants to join the regt, When you make it into the RAF remember that your pay check is all yours no more deductions to be taken , food and room paid for , you will never go hungry, you can save save save , join a flying club and get your PPL,
Good luck and keep the faith:ok:
Ben
Per Ardua

[Martin4]

Thanks guys,
thats just the type of advice i was looking for :ok:


Martin

[Genghis the Engineer]

I don't think that you can afford not to have GCSEs, so get on with those.

As time and money are there (and frankly, if you want this enough, you'll find both) build up the flying hours towards your PPL/fATPL.

And apply to the RAF as/when the opportunity occurs. If you succeed, put the civvie flying on hold, but services recruitment takes a while anyhow and they'll have much more regard for somebody who is clearly trying hard and covering all the bases.

G

[Martin4]

In a year or so, try applying for a GAPAN PPL scholarship or an Air League part-NPPL scholarship.
I just had a look at the GAPAN website ( http://www.gapan.org/career/scholarships/ppl06.pdf )

The criteria for successful applications includes:
1) your ability to demonstrate a serious ambition and ability to pursue an aviation-based career
2) your availability to undertake and complete the Scholarship during summer 2006
3) your educational achievements, demonstrable knowledge and/or experience in science,
mathematics or other aviation related subjects
4) you must be able to satisfy the relevant CAA medical standard to enable issue of the
appropriate licence and any relevant CAA pre-course entry requirements
5) you must be age at least 17 at the commencement of training on 1st July 2006
------------------------

Question one in the requirements: Silly question i know, but, how could you show how much ambition you have? knowledge on aviation and things like that?

Question three in the requirements: "Science" - is it best to go for Physics GCSE?


Thanks,
Martin